Crystal Palace Beat Rayo Vallecano, Win 2026 UEFA Conference League 

Crystal Palace have beaten Rayo Vallecano to win the 2026 UEFA Conference League.

Philips News reports that Jean-Philippe Mateta fired Crystal Palace to their first European trophy as the Eagles edged out Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final.

The French striker turned home a close-range winner on the rebound from an Adam Wharton strike early in the second half in Leipzig.

Outgoing Palace boss Oliver Glasner leaves the club having led them to the FA Cup, Community Shield and now Conference League in a remarkable two-and-a-half-year spell at Selhurst Park.

Both teams were competing in their first European final and so the cagey start to proceedings at Red Bull Arena – the home of RB Leipzig – was perhaps unsurprising.

Alemao turned a half-decent opportunity wide before Unai Lopez placed an effort past the post in the Spanish side’s best opportunities of the first half.

However, the clearest chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Palace just before the break, when Tyrick Mitchell headed wide after Wharton had found him with a superb ball into the box.

Palace took the lead just six minutes into the second half when Wharton’s strike was palmed into Mateta’s path by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, and the forward diverted it into the net.

It was Mateta’s 16th goal of the season for Palace – and he almost left the club in January before a knee injury scuppered a move to AC Milan.

Yeremy Pino then hit both posts with a free-kick before teeing up Mateta for another chance, but this time Batalla pulled off a fine save.

Rayo, who have the lowest budget in La Liga, struggled to create any real chances late on as Palace held on for their historic moment – and delivered for Glasner in his final game as Eagles boss.

Speaking after the final, Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner: “I said to the players, get now what you deserve after winning the FA Cup – the Europa League,” Glasner told reporters after the match.

“Now, it’s a one-year delay, the club, the fans, the players get what they deserve.

“Sometimes you have to take a detour, and now we’re there.”

Defender Tyrick Mitchell said winning the Conference League felt like “pure delight” after a decade at the London club.

“It’s amazing, it’s the same feeling that we had when we won the FA Cup,” Mitchell told TNT Sports.

“It’s just pure delight, pure emotions and we’re just happy that we were able to get over the line.”