Jean-Philippe Mateta’s rebound winner saw Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 to win the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League title.
Mateta netted Palace’s winner on the rebound from Augusto Batalla’s fumble of Adam Wharton’s powerful low strike, which secured a first major European title for the Eagles in their final match under Oliver Glasner as he will leave the club this summer.
For Glasner, this victory marked his second Europa League title as a manager after he led Eintracht Frankfurt to the title in 2022 against Rangers on penalties.
The triumph also marked Palace’s fourth title in all cup competitions, with their first cup title claimed in the 1990-91 Full Members’ Cup, before they won the FA Cup last season then Community Shield in this season’s domestic curtain-raiser.
Mateta post-match told TNT Sports that he is in a celebratory mood and urged ex teammate, Joel Ward to join in the party celebrations, with Ward having been present with the UK broadcaster as a pundit.
“I feel fantastic! I feel fantastic! We did it! First time in Europe and we did it. Now I just want to celebrate. This guy has to celebrate with us.
“We gave everything. I told you about the intensity they will have and I am tired right now, I gave everything. That’s why we won today.
“I am always with the fans. They have supported me a lot as a player. They are always behind us. We did it for them too.”
Palace’s win also guaranteed their place in Europe next season as they step up to the Europa League, which they were denied entry to this season in controversial circumstances.
With a maiden European title on the line for both clubs in Leipzig, Germany, it wasn’t surprising that the first half began in a cagey fashion with no real quality chances, although Palace quickly settled into a high-pressing style but were frustrated by Rayo’s organised defence.
Such were their frustrations in breaking down Rayo’s defence, Wharton played Ismaila Sarr forward with a 22nd-minute pass, yet Batalla was alert to gather the ball at Sarr’s feet before the Senegalese could unleash a shot on goal.
Rayo’s first proper notable opportunity came four minutes later as Isi Palazon’s corner was nodded wide by Alemao.
Unai Lopez then fired a 39th-minute shot wide from a low cutback pass shortly after a brief pause due to a medical emergency in the Rayo Vallecano end.
Neither team eventually were able to break the deadlock before half time with no shots on target, as Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell nodded Wharton’s direct cross wide of the bottom right corner then Daniel Munoz nodded over the bar in first-half injury time.
Palace continued their late first-half flourish immediately in the second half as Mitchell’s cross towards Mateta was blocked.
Glasner’s Eagles eventually found a deserved breakthrough opening goal after Wharton was allowed to drive forward unmarked with a low powerful shot, which Batalla fumbled to the feet of Mateta who duly smashed in on his left foot to put Palace ahead.
Palace almost doubled their lead from a 55th-minute free-kick by Yeremy Pino yet the Spaniard struck the crossbar, before the ball bounced off the left post only for Mateta to hit the left post as he attempted to put away a second goal on the rebound.
Mateta missed a further opportunity as Pino played a short 57th-minute pass towards him yet he narrowly bent his shot wide of the bottom right corner via deflection.
Alemao almost restored parity for Rayo a minute later but his shot was saved by Palace’s Dean Henderson, which sparked life into the Spanish underdogs yet Palazon curled a free-kick over the bar and Florian Lejeune rifled wide from 25 yards.
Palace eventually dug deep defensively to secure their first major European title, which will see them join Bournemouth and Sunderland as England’s representatives in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Teams
Crystal Palace: Dean Henderson, Chadi Riad, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot, Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada, Tyrick Mitchell, Ismaila Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta (Strand Larsen 76′), Yeremy Pino (Guessand 80′)
Substitutes: Walter Benitez, Rio Cardines, Nathaniel Clyne, Justin Devenny, Evann Guessand, Will Hughes, Brennan Johnson, Jefferson Lerma, Remi Matthews, Chris Richards, Borna Sosa, Jorgen Strand Larsen
Rayo Vallecano: Augusto Batalla, Andrei Ratiu, Pathe Ciss, Florian Lejeune, Pep Chavarria, Unai Lopez (Diaz 62′), Oscar Valentin (Mendy 63′), Jorge de Frutos (Camello 70′), Isi Palazon (Akhomach 77′), Alvaro Garcia (Espino 70′), Alemao
Substitutes: Ilias Akhomach, Ivan Balliu, Sergio Camello, Dani Cardenas, Pedro Diaz, Pacha Espino, Gerard Gumbau, Nobel Mendy, Adrian Molina, Oscar Trejo
Referee – Maurizio Mariani (Italy)