The 2024–25 football season will be remembered not just for the winners, but for who won. From England to Belgium, several clubs defied history and expectations to lift silverware, some for the first time in decades, others for the first time ever. In a season where fairy tales became reality, the likes of Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bologna, VfB Stuttgart, and Union SG ended long-standing trophy droughts in dramatic fashion.
Crystal Palace pulled off the unthinkable by beating treble-chasing Manchester City 1–0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Eberechi Eze’s first-half strike off a swift counter led by Daniel Muñoz was enough, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson pulling off a crucial penalty save and surviving a VAR scare after a handball outside the box. Palace had never won a major trophy before, having come closest in two previous FA Cup final losses (1990, 2016). Their only previous piece of silverware was the now-defunct Full Members Cup in 1991. The FA Cup triumph also sealed a first-ever European spot for the Eagles, sending them into the 2025–26 Europa League. The celebrations? Epic. Selhurst Park erupted, and social media was awash with praise and disbelief. It was a true underdog moment, made sweeter by the fact that Palace became only the fourth non “Big Six” club to lift the FA Cup this century.
Newcastle United ended their long wait for silverware by beating Liverpool 2–1 in the Carabao Cup final. Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak secured the win at Wembley against the newly crowned Premier League champions. This marked Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy in 70 years, and their first overall since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. After years of near misses—including a Carabao Cup final loss in 2023—the victory under Eddie Howe was cathartic. The parade that followed was massive. Over 150,000 fans flooded Newcastle’s streets on March 29 to celebrate.
Tottenham ended 17 years of frustration with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final. Brennan Johnson pounced on a defensive error while led to an own goal from Luke Shaw, while Micky van de Ven’s heroic goal-line clearance preserved the lead. For Spurs fans, this was redemption. Since their 2008 League Cup win, they’d reached numerous semi-finals and finals but always fallen short. The win not only ended the drought but also earned them a spot in next season’s Champions League. Ange Postecoglou delivered the trophy he promised in just his second season, and fans celebrated wildly in Bilbao and back in North London.
Bologna’s 1–0 win over AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final on May 15 was their first major trophy in 51 years. Dan Ndoye’s second-half goal, coming from a penalty won by Riccardo Orsolini, capped off a brilliant campaign under manager Vincenzo Italiano. Despite losing key players and their previous coach after a breakout season, Bologna defied the odds yet again. The win also guaranteed them European football next season, continuing their remarkable revival in Italian football.
VfB Stuttgart claimed their first silverware in 18 years by winning the DFB-Pokal, beating third-tier side Arminia Bielefeld in the final. While match details remain sparse, the victory marked a triumphant return to form after years of mid-table struggles and relegation scares.
Finishing second in the Bundesliga the season prior, Stuttgart’s upward trajectory under manager Sebastian Hoeneß culminated in this cup win. While many neutrals rooted for underdogs Bielefeld, Stuttgart fans were overjoyed to see their club back among the winners.
Union Saint-Gilloise ended a jaw-dropping 114-year trophy drought by winning the 2025 Belgian Cup. Though exact details of the final are limited, the win was historic for one of Belgium’s oldest clubs. Having returned to the top flight in recent seasons and made waves in Europe, Union SG’s success was seen as the peak of their renaissance. Longtime fans finally had their moment of glory, and the club is now poised for more continental adventures in 2025–26.
The 2024–25 campaign has been widely dubbed the “Season of Drought Enders.” It wasn’t just about winning, it was about rewriting narratives, restoring pride, and giving supporters moments they’d waited decades for.
