In a historic night of European football at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena, Crystal Palace claimed the first major European trophy in the club’s 120-year history with a tense 1-0 victory over Spain’s Rayo Vallecano in the 2025 UEFA Conference League final, powered by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half match-winner.
The opening 45 minutes delivered a tightly contested, cagey affair, with both sides trading half-chances but failing to break the deadlock. Rayo Vallecano, who entered the final on a nine-match unbeaten run and entered the tie as underdog overachievers, carved out the first clear opportunity of the game in the 25th minute, when midfielder Alemao saw his low driven effort flash just wide of the Palace goalpost. Moments before halftime, the London side squandered a golden opening: Adam Wharton, who passed a late fitness test to start just hours after battling an ankle injury, floated a pinpoint cross over the Rayo defense that found Tyrick Mitchell unmarked at the back post, only for the full-back’s header to drift inches wide of the target.
The game sprang to life six minutes into the second half, as Crystal Palace found their rhythm and converted the breakthrough. Wharton unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the 18-yard box that Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla got both hands to, but could only parry the rebound straight into the path of Mateta. The French striker reacted instantly, tapping the loose ball into the empty net to put his side ahead, and send departing manager Oliver Glasner into his final match in charge with the lead.
Palace came tantalizingly close to doubling their advantage shortly after, when Yeremy Pino’s curling free-kick crashed against both the crossbar and the post before ricocheting off a Rayo defender and hitting the woodwork a third time. Rayo somehow cleared the ball off the line to keep the scoreline at 1-0, and the Spanish side rarely threatened an equalizer after that, with Palace’s defense holding firm to see out the win.
The result caps an extraordinary two-and-a-half year reign for Glasner, who departs the club having secured three trophies in two seasons — the most successful run in Crystal Palace’s history. After leading the club to a breakthrough FA Cup win last year and a Community Shield victory at the start of this campaign, the Austrian tactician adds the Conference League title to his collection, having already lifted the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt back in 2022, cementing his reputation as a knockout competition specialist.
The triumph is all the more remarkable given the off-season and mid-season upheaval Palace navigated this term. The club sold star players Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, the latter to Manchester City in January, and was originally set to compete in the Europa League this season before being demoted to the Conference League due to UEFA multi-club ownership regulations. Even Mateta, the hero of the final, came close to leaving the club in the winter transfer window, collapsing a move to AC Milan only after a failed medical.
Speaking after the final whistle, midfielder Adam Wharton, whose late fitness boost proved pivotal for Palace, hailed Glasner’s transformative impact on the club. “The difference he has made in two and a half years is incredible,” Wharton told TNT Sports. “Three trophies, the first European trophy in the history of the club. He’s got to be one of the best managers Palace have ever had, and he’s completely changed how we approach cup competitions — now we go into every one expecting to win.”
Mateta, who put in a tireless shift up front for Palace, echoed his teammate’s excitement: “I feel fantastic. First time we’ve competed in Europe, and we did it! I’m tired, I gave everything out there, the whole team gave everything, and that’s why we’re champions tonight. Right now I just want to celebrate with the lads.”
Palace’s win makes them the third consecutive London-based Premier League club to lift the Conference League trophy, following West Ham United in 2024 and Chelsea in 2025, a run that underscores the unmatched financial depth of the English top flight across European competition. With Aston Villa already crowned Europa League champions this term, the Premier League is on the cusp of a historic clean sweep of all three major UEFA club trophies, with league champions Arsenal set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final this Saturday.