Crystal Palace etched their name into European football history on Wednesday night after defeating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig, Germany.
French striker, Jean-Philippe Mateta, emerged the hero for the English side, scoring early in the second half to hand Palace their first European title and give departing manager, Oliver Glasner, a memorable farewell.
The victory also crushed Rayo Vallecano’s hopes of securing the first major trophy in the Spanish club’s history.
An emotional Mateta, speaking after the match, said: “First time in Europe, we did it. Now I just want to celebrate.”
The triumph marks Glasner’s third trophy in two years with Crystal Palace, capping off what has become the most successful era in the club’s history.
The Austrian manager, who previously won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, once again underlined his reputation as a knockout competition specialist.
Palace’s journey to the title came despite the departures of key stars, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi during the season, including Guehi’s January switch to Manchester City.
The London club also secured a return to the Europa League after initially qualifying for the competition before being demoted to the Conference League due to multi-club ownership regulations.
Crystal Palace became the third London club in three years to win the competition after West Ham’s triumph in 2024 and Chelsea’s success in 2025.
Midfielder, Adam Wharton, who had been battling an ankle injury, recovered in time to start the final and played a key role in the winning goal.
Rayo Vallecano threatened first through Alemao, whose effort drifted narrowly wide midway into the first half, while Palace missed a golden opportunity before the break when Tyrick Mitchell headed wide from Wharton’s pinpoint cross.
The breakthrough finally arrived shortly after halftime when Rayo goalkeeper, Augusto Batalla, parried Wharton’s long-range strike into the path of Mateta, who reacted quickly to slot home the rebound.
Palace nearly doubled their lead moments later as Yeremy Pino’s free-kick struck both goalposts before ricocheting off a defender and hitting the woodwork again.
Despite late pressure from Rayo, Palace remained composed at the back to seal another major trophy following last season’s FA Cup triumph and this season’s Community Shield success.
