The opening half was a fascinating battle, with neither team willing to give the other an easy route to goal. This was certainly not a case of defence versus attack, as both sides carried genuine threats going forward and created moments of danger. DZ Fennecs, however, were generally the team on the front foot, looking to impose themselves and put the English side under pressure. Dee Rangers remained disciplined and composed, absorbing that pressure while still looking capable of causing problems whenever they moved forward. Despite the intensity and quality on display, neither side could break the deadlock before the interval.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with DZ Fennecs continuing to press and Dee Rangers maintaining their disciplined shape. The defending champions continued to look dangerous, but Dee Rangers' organisation repeatedly frustrated them, while the English side's own attacking threat ensured DZ could never afford to commit too many players forward. As the clock ticked into the closing stages, the final remained delicately poised, with one moment potentially deciding the destination of the trophy.

And then, with only a couple of minutes remaining, that moment arrived. Chris Graves found the breakthrough for Dee Rangers, scoring his third goal of the tournament to put the English side 1-0 ahead. DZ Fennecs had almost no time to find a response, and Dee Rangers held their nerve to see out the closing moments and secure the trophy. It was another tactical masterclass and disciplined display from a side who had already shown their ability to win tight matches. DZ Fennecs have only lost 2 games in eurofootballfives.com competition – both to Dee Rangers.

There was inevitably huge disappointment for DZ Fennecs, who came agonisingly close to making tournament history by winning the Krakow Trophy back-to-back, but ultimately fell at the final hurdle. They can nevertheless take enormous credit for another outstanding campaign, and there was a personal consolation for Hichem Benhallima, whose eight goals earned him the tournament's top scorer award. After producing such a prolific campaign, he can be proud of a superb individual achievement even if the team trophy slipped from their grasp.

For Dee Rangers, this was a truly magnificent way to cap their debut Krakow Trophy appearance. 5 wins from 7, just 1 defeat, a semi-final comeback against Stiftung Wadentest and beating the defending champions twice – most importantly in the final. They combined quality, intelligence, discipline and belief throughout the tournament. Chris Graves' late winner will live long in the memory, but this Cup triumph was built on the collective strength of an outstanding team. Congratulations to Dee Rangers — 2026 Krakow Trophy champions and thoroughly deserving of their place in tournament history.

Thank you to all the teams who competed – it was a fantastic day. We hope to see you all again at another eurofootballfives.com tournament very soon.