Aston Villa produced a dominant and composed display to win the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League, beating Freiburg 3-0 in the final at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. Unai Emery's side were in control from first to last and thoroughly deserved their first European trophy since lifting the European Cup in 1982.
Youri Tielemans broke the deadlock on 41 minutes with a controlled volley that gave the Freiburg goalkeeper no chance. Emiliano Buendia doubled the advantage just before the interval with a curling effort into the far corner, silencing any hope of a German comeback. Morgan Rogers completed the scoring on 58 minutes, tapping in at the back post from a Buendia cross to make the result emphatic.
Freiburg struggled to create any meaningful chances throughout, with Villa's midfield pressing relentlessly and their backline offering little for the German side to feed on. Ollie Watkins led the line intelligently, holding up play and creating space for the runners around him. Rogers was outstanding across the full 90 minutes and was a constant threat on the ball.
Emery, who had previously won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, now has five European trophies to his name, cementing his status as the greatest manager in the history of the competition. The victory also secured Villa's return to the Champions League for next season.
Speaking after the final whistle, Watkins said the team had full belief throughout the campaign and credited Emery's preparation and composure for keeping the squad focused. Villa's supporters, many of whom had travelled to Istanbul, celebrated long into the night.