europa league

Aston Villa clinched their first trophy in 30 years with a commanding 3-0 europa league final victory over SC Freiburg in Istanbul. Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía, and Morgan Rogers were on target, capping a remarkable turnaround for Unai Emery's side. This triumph solidifies Emery's legendary status in the competition and brings European glory back to Villa Park after decades.

Crystal Palace won their first-ever European trophy after beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the Conference League final. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the winning goal in the second half, giving outgoing manager Oliver Glasner a perfect farewell. The victory also secured Palace a europa league spot next season. Rayo Vallecano missed out in their first major European final despite creating a few chances.

Hollywood star Tom Hanks sent a rousing message to Aston Villa ahead of their europa league final, joining fellow supporters like Prince William and David Bradley. The team's performance, leading Freiburg 3-0, marked a significant return to European finals after a 40-year gap, potentially boosted by the actor's well wishes.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez stunned football fans after revealing that he played the UEFA europa league final with a broken finger. The Argentina international suffered the injury during the warm-up before Villa’s clash against SC Freiburg in Istanbul. Despite the painful setback, Martinez decided to continue and gave an outstanding performance to help his team secure a famous 3-0 victory.

Prince William became one of the defining images of Aston Villa’s europa league triumph after celebrating passionately during the club’s 3-0 win over Freiburg in Istanbul. The Prince of Wales, a lifelong Villa supporter, shared emotional reactions throughout the match and later praised the squad publicly. His longstanding connection to the club, dating back to his school years, added authenticity to the moment as Villa secured their first European trophy since 1982.

The fitness of Lionel Messi has become a major concern for Argentina national football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Argentine captain suffered discomfort during Inter Miami CF’s thrilling 6-4 victory over Philadelphia Union and had to leave the field in the second half. The incident immediately raised fears among Argentina fans, especially with the World Cup only weeks away. Medical tests later confirmed that the veteran forward is dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.

Jose Mourinho is reportedly nearing a sensational return to Real Madrid following the club’s disastrous 2025-26 season. With dressing-room tensions, poor performances and growing pressure surrounding several stars, Madrid are believed to view Mourinho as the ideal figure to restore authority and stability. The Portuguese manager is currently in talks with the club and could leave Benfica once their season officially concludes.

Nottingham Forest’s 3–1 win over Chelsea was overshadowed by a head collision between Gibbs-White and goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, both requiring stitches. Gibbs-White had assisted the third goal before the clash, while Sánchez suffered a smaller wound. Despite the injuries, both appeared stable, with social media posts in good spirits. Forest remain six points clear of relegation, focusing now on their europa league semi-final.

Nottingham Forest boosted their chances of staying in the Premier League with a convincing 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday. The defeat badly hurt Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

San Marino’s World Cup story is one of football’s most enduring underdog narratives, defined less by results than by persistence. Ranked 211th and made up largely of part-time players, they continue to face Europe’s elite in every qualifying cycle, absorbing heavy defeats while occasionally producing historic moments. Their journey captures what it means simply to belong in the global game.

Paul Pogba believes Bruno Fernandes would be a Ballon d’Or contender in a stronger team, arguing Manchester United’s lack of trophies limits recognition of his performances. Drawing from his own experience, Pogba said individual brilliance is often overlooked without team success, despite Fernandes’ consistent output, leadership, and influence since joining the club in 2020.

Alejandro Garnacho chose Chelsea over a move to Al Nassr, where he could have played with Cristiano Ronaldo. He wanted to stay in Europe and focus on growth. His exit from Manchester United came after limited playing time. However, his time at Chelsea has been uncertain, with reports suggesting the club may consider selling him soon.

Aston Villa secured a crucial 3-1 victory over Bologna in their europa league quarter-final first leg, with Ollie Watkins scoring twice. Ezri Konsa opened the scoring before half-time, and despite Bologna's late goal, Watkins' second strike in stoppage time gave Villa a significant advantage heading into the second leg.

Former Manchester United star Antonio Valencia is set for a surprising return to football The icon is returning years after retiring from the professional game. Once playing in front of tens of thousands at Old Trafford, the Ecuadorian right-back will now feature in a much smaller setting. Valencia has signed for Wythenshawe Veterans FC.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are set to clash in the europa league final at San Mames. Both teams, struggling domestically, view the final as a chance to salvage their seasons with Champions League qualification at stake. While Spurs aim for their first silverware since 2008, United seek to add to their illustrious trophy collection and avoid financial setbacks.

Bruno Fernandes is targeting europa league glory after helping lead Manchester United back to the Champions League.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has set his sights on winning next season's europa league if his side can qualify -- even though he admits it is "not a competition I am in love with".

The europa league may not be able to match the riches and glamour of the Champions League, but the presence of Manchester United and Inter Milan in the semi-finals is further evidence that Europe's giants are increasingly taking the competition seriously.

Manchester United could find themselves facing English rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-finals of the europa league in Germany in August, after Friday's draw for the latter stages of the tournament put the teams on a collision course.

Manchester United were placed in the same section as Real Sociedad in Friday's draw for this season's UEFA europa league in Istanbul, while Arsenal will come up against PSV Eindhoven.

Nottingham Forest faced a surprising 1-0 defeat to Midtjylland in their europa league first leg, while Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins ended his goal drought with a crucial 1-0 away win at Lille. Other European ties saw draws for Lyon and Roma, with Porto, Genk, Ferencvaros, and Panathinaikos securing first-leg victories.

Manchester United will go up against a record six-time winners Sevilla in the europa league quarters while Juventus face Sporting for a place in last the last four. In the draw, which was held in Nyon on Friday, Roma were drawn with Feyenoord in a repeat of last season's Europa Conference League final while Bayer Leverkusen were pitted against Union Saint-Gilloise.

The slimmed-down europa league group stage kicks off on Wednesday with a solitary game in Moscow, before the action intensifies on Thursday, the traditional night for Europe's second-tier club competition.

Liverpool received a favorable group in Friday's draw for this season's europa league group stage, while their Premier League counterparts, Brighton and Hove Albion, are set to face formidable European opponents in their debut continental campaign.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim offered to resign without compensation after a europa league final loss to Tottenham, which ended Spurs' 17-year trophy drought. Brennan Johnson's goal secured Tottenham's victory, guaranteeing them a Champions League spot and relieving pressure on their coach, Ange Postecoglou.

As the Premier League season nears its end, intense competition for European spots heats up. Liverpool and Arsenal have already secured Champions League qualification, leaving three spots open for Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest. The europa league beckons for two teams, while one will enter the Conference League.

Sevilla won the europa league for a sixth time as Diego Carlos's overhead kick deflected in off Romelu Lukaku 16 minutes from time to beat Inter Milan 3-2 in a thrilling final in Cologne.

Barcelona and Manchester United will face each other in the europa league knockout round play-offs following Monday's draw. Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stage to drop into the europa league for the second season running, while United came second in their europa league group.

The Swiss soccer league will restart several days earlier than planned to help europa league contender Basel cope with a backlog of matches in August.