Tottenham Hotspur’s historic Europa League victory was slightly marred by an unusual incident involving captain Son Heung-min and several teammates failing to receive their winner’s medals during the trophy presentation. The Son Heung-min medal situation became the talking point of European football after images showed the South Korean star lifting the trophy without the customary gold medal around his neck, alongside teammates Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur in the same predicament.
The confusion occurred during last night’s celebrations in Bilbao, where Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 to claim their first European trophy in 17 years. As the final players approached the podium, UEFA officials discovered the medal tray empty, leaving the Son Heung-min medal presentation incomplete. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was forced to awkwardly hug the three players instead of presenting them with medals, creating one of the most unusual trophy ceremony moments in recent memory.
UEFA later clarified the Son Heung-min medal oversight resulted from Tottenham bringing additional players onto the stage beyond their 23-man matchday squad. The governing body explained they had provided 30 medals for the ceremony with 20 more to be distributed later, but Spurs included injured players James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lukas Bergvall in the celebrations, unexpectedly increasing the recipient count.
In their official statement addressing the Son Heung-min medal incident, UEFA expressed regret while shifting partial responsibility to Tottenham: “We sincerely apologize for initially being unable to award medals to all players due to the unexpected large number on stage, including injured players not in the match squad. The remaining medals were subsequently delivered to the team dressing rooms.”
The Son Heung-min medal episode highlights the emotional complexity of major finals, where clubs understandably want all contributors to share the moment. Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilón revealed the team believed all 50 medals would be available onstage, explaining their decision to include injured teammates. While the missing medals didn’t dampen Tottenham’s celebrations, the incident sparked discussions about presentation protocols for major finals.
For Son Heung-min, the medal eventually reached him post-ceremony, but the visual of his medal-less trophy lift will remain an curious footnote in his career highlights. The situation underscores how even meticulously planned events can encounter unexpected hiccups when emotions run high in football’s biggest moments. UEFA will likely review their procedures to prevent future occurrences, ensuring all champions receive proper recognition during these career-defining celebrations.
The incident ultimately didn’t diminish Tottenham’s achievement nor Son Heung-min’s leadership in delivering the club’s long-awaited European success, but it certainly added an unusual twist to what should have been a flawless coronation for Spurs’ captain and his teammates.
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