KUALA LUMPUR – Tottenham Hotspur have ended a 17-year trophy drought by edging Manchester United 1-0 to clinch the UEFA Europa League title – handing captain Son Heung-min the first major silverware of his 15-year European career.
In a tense final at San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Brennan Johnson scored the only goal of the night in the 42nd minute, finishing off a slick move to give Spurs the lead.
The North London side then dug deep, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario producing a stunning stoppage-time save to deny Luke Shaw, and Micky van de Ven clearing off the line earlier in the second half.
The Europa League win also marks Tottenham’s first continental title since 1984, when they lifted the UEFA Cup – the predecessor to this competition.
Manchester United created several second-half chances through Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Højlund and Shaw, but couldn’t find a way past a disciplined Spurs defence. Emotions ran high, with seven players booked, including United’s Harry Maguire and Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma.
German referee Felix Zwayer officiated the fiery contest, assisted by Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz.
The victory caps a historic season for Spurs, who had already secured the English Premier League title earlier in the campaign – completing a rare and remarkable domestic-European double.
Son, who came on in the 67th minute for Richarlison, finally lifted a club trophy after near misses in the 2019 Champions League and 2021 EFL Cup finals. His breakthrough moment comes 14 years after beginning his pro career at Hamburg and nearly a decade since joining Spurs in 2015.
Back home in South Korea, Son’s long-awaited triumph was widely celebrated. The 31-year-old remains one of the country’s most iconic sporting figures. – May 22, 2025