The two Muslim footballers in the Real Madrid squad that defeated Liverpool in Saturday’s Champions League final have been in jubilation mode, celebrating the win with their teammates. Although it was Vinicius Junior who scored their winning goal in the 59th minute from a Federico Valverde ball across the face of goal, Karim Benzema finished as the competition’s top scorer with 15 goals and also had a goal marginally overruled for offside by VAR in the 43rd minute of the game.
His fellow Muslim teammate, Ferland Mendy is being praised by fans for his performance covering Liverpool’s right flank. While Benzema celebrates his 5th Champions League winners medal, Mendy is winning his first. Interestingly, they both play for the French national team.
We at Muslim News Nigeria celebrate our own, #Benzema and #Mendy, the same way we would have celebrated with #Mane, #MoSalah and other Muslims in the Liverpool team had they won. Both Salah and Mane have also been immense for #Liverpool this season as the Reds claimed the FA Cup and Carabao Cup double, before losing out on the EPL title to Manchester City on the last day of the league. Remember we also celebrated the Muslim footballers who won the Premier League with Manchester City last weekend. Our interest is to celebrate Muslim achievers in all professions, including football.
Hala Madrid 🙌
– MN Management
Real Madrid became European champions for a record-extending 14th time after beating Liverpool 1-0 in a Champions League final that started 37 minutes late because of disturbing crowd issues outside the Stade de France near Paris.
Brazil winger Vinícius Júnior applied a close-range finish in the 59th minute from Federico Valverde’s drive across the face of the Liverpool goal, securing a win on Saturday that gave Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti a record fourth European Cup title.
While Madrid completed a Champions League-La Liga double, Liverpool finished a season that promised so much. A week ago, it was in contention for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies – with the two domestic cups in England.
The English team couldn’t find a way past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who tipped Sadio Mane’s first-half shot onto the post and produced an even better save to turn away Mohamed Salah’s effort in the 81st minute.
“Today nobody was going to get in my way,” Courtois said.
“I was going to win a Champions League no matter what.”
Vinicius sank to his knees and covered his face at full-time. Many of his teammates sprinted the length of the field to celebrate in front of Madrid’s fans at one end of the stadium.
Marcelo, Madrid’s serial winner of trophies who didn’t even play a minute of the final on Saturday, was given the honour of lifting the trophy to a backdrop of fireworks and ticker tape.
