in European football, South Korea’s Son Heung-min has finally secured a major club trophy. Tottenham Hotspur triumphed over Manchester United with a 1-0 victory in the UEFA Europa League final, held Wednesday night at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.
The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute, when Brennan Johnson’s strike, assisted by a cross from Pape Sarr, took a deflection off United defender Luke Shaw before hitting the back of the net. It proved to be the decisive moment, as Spurs held on for a hard-fought win to claim their first silverware since 2008.
Son entered the match as a substitute in the 67th minute, replacing Richarlison. Although he didn’t score, the moment was significant for the Tottenham captain, who lifted his first-ever trophy in European club football — a feat that had eluded him throughout a career that began in 2010 with Hamburger SV in Germany and continued with Bayer Leverkusen before joining Spurs in 2015.
Prior to this triumph, Son had featured in two major finals with Tottenham, both ending in disappointment — the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and the 2021 English Football League (EFL) Cup final. Wednesday’s win ends not only his personal wait for a title but also Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought.
Manchester United pushed hard for an equalizer throughout the second half, but Spurs’ defense stood firm. The North London club survived a tense moment in the 68th minute when Micky van de Ven acrobatically cleared a goal-bound ball off the line. In the final moments of the match, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario delivered a crucial save, denying Shaw’s close-range header and preserving the lead.
The victory marks a significant milestone for both Son and Tottenham, capping off a long journey of near-misses and reaffirming their place among Europe’s elite.
