Aston Villa were crowned Europa League champions after they recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Freiburg in the 2026 final in Istanbul.
Villa went into the clash as favourites and asserted their dominance on the affair, scoring two sublime first half goals to win their first European title in 44 years.
Unai Emery also won his fifth Europa League title, following previous triumphs at Sevilla and Villarreal, while he only failed to win in 2019 when he was in charge of Arsenal.
Aston Villa had defeated fellow English side Nottingham Forest in the semifinals, overturning a first leg deficit to advance after a convincing 4-0 win in the second leg.
Freiburg, meanwhile, had defeated Portuguese side Braga in the other semifinal, sealing their spot in a first-ever European final.
The game started off with Villa controlling proceedings, while the German side were content in defending and hoping to strike on the counter.
It took 41 minutes for the Premier League side to find the breakthrough and it came after a moment of quality, as Youri Tielemans finished off a special corner kick routine with a stunning strike to put them in front.
Then, with halftime approaching, Emiliano Buendia received the ball and curled home a stunning second past Noah Atubolu as Aston Villa took a two-goal advantage into the halftime break.
Morgan Rogers then added a third in the second half to seal a dominant win, with Villa finishing the match as 3-0 winners.
Rogers was named player of the tournament and he joined Emiliano Martinez, John McGinn and Buendia in the Team of the Tournament, as Aston Villa had the most representatives in the list.
Buendia and Tielemans goals in the final were also named as the fifth and seventh best goals in the competition this season.
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Defenders: Victor Gomez (Braga), Morato (Forest), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo)
Midfielders: John McGinn (Aston Villa), Maximilian Eggestein (Freiburg), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Antony (Real Betis), Igor Jesus (Forest), Emi Buendia (Villa)
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
