Real Madrid hold nerve for second UEFA Youth League title

Real Madrid won the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League, beating first-time finalists Club Brugge on penalties.

Madrid, who kept up their record of getting to the round of 16 in all 12 editions and made a ninth quarter-final, were featuring in the last four (played this year in Lausanne) for a record-equalling fifth time. In the semis they needed a late equaliser before pipping Paris Saint-Germain on penalties to reach only their second final, and Madrid matched their 2019/20 success with another shoot-out success against the first Belgian side to reach the decider.

In the second season of the new format with a 36-team league phase and three-round domestic champions path, the goals flew in from the start, the eventual tally of 845 at 3.86 per game easily the highest ever. Chelsea topped the league phase table unbeaten with Emre Ünüvar of Ajax equalling the old group stage record of nine goals, while in the domestic champions path, clubs from the Faroe Islands (Víkingur) and Gibraltar (Lincoln Red Imps) became the first from their nations to get through a round.

In the round of 32, a new competition-record 50,000 crowd watched Köln's home defeat by Inter, while Barcelona's title defence ended. Chelsea fell 1-0 at Madrid in the round of 16, then in the quarter-finals away teams dominated as Club Brugge won 4-0 at Atlético de Madrid, Benfica prevailed 3-2 at Inter and Paris gained a 1-0 victory at Villarreal.

Madrid did win 2-1 at home to Sporting CP to reach the finals, played at Lausanne's Stade de la Tuilière due to renovation works at the regular Swiss venue, Colovray Stadium in Nyon. There Madrid were matched with Paris, who led before the half-hour through a brilliant Elijah Ly goal, but substitute Liberto Navascues equalised with seven minutes left and goalkeeper Javier Navarro made three saves in a 5-4 sudden-death shoot-out victory.

Benfica, like Madrid, were equalling Barcelona's record of five finals appearances, had won their previous four semis and had already hit an unprecedented 38 goals in their campaign. Although they scored a 39th in added time against Club Brugge, it merely reduced the Belgian's side winning margin to 3-1 thanks to goals from Laurens Goemaere, Andre Garcia and Yanis Musuayi.

Club Brugge thereby became the 14th different finalist from 12 distinct nations from the 12 editions. But Madrid, who earlier in the season had become the first team to reach 100 games in this competition, dominated the early stages of the final and led through Jacobo Ortega on 23 minutes.

Tian Koren set up Tobias Lund Jensen to equalise in the 64th minute, and for the first time a final went to penalties. Javier Navarro excelled again for Madrid as he kept out two Club Brugge penalties, before Diego Aguado converted to secure a 4-2 shoot-out victory, his side only the third multiple winners after Barcelona (three titles) and Chelsea (two).