From the first whistle, the final had an intensity befitting the occasion, but it was Zona M who made the brighter and more decisive start. Fabio Arcanjo, who had already been one of the standout performers of the tournament, struck twice in a clinical first-half display to put the Portuguese side 2–0 ahead. His finishing gave Zona M a dream platform in their first-ever final, while PFC were left needing to respond to avoid being overrun by momentum.

The Brazilians did just that after the break, with Ruben Pereira - continuing his outstanding tournament form with his eighth goal - reducing the deficit to 2–1 and bringing PFC firmly back into the contest. However, Zona M showed impressive composure for a debutant side on this stage, and Claudio Sanches restored their two-goal cushion with a vital strike to make it 3–1, reasserting control at a key moment in the match.

PFC refused to go quietly and once again threatened a comeback when Bernardo Marques pulled the score back to 3–2, setting up a tense final phase. But Zona M found the decisive blow through Tigrao, whose goal - his fifth of the tournament - proved to be the moment that effectively sealed the final and broke PFC's resistance at 4–2.

From there, Zona M managed the closing stages with maturity beyond their experience, seeing out a famous victory to secure the 2026 Lisbon Fives Cup title with a 4–2 win. They had shown in both the Semi-Final and the Final that they were great front-runners and exploit that position to seal victory with their opponents coming back at them. In these two knockout rounds their opponents had 3 titles between them so the title victory was very well earned. It was a landmark achievement for the Portuguese side, crowned champions at their first attempt, while PFC's remarkable Cup Final record added another chapter of near-miss heartbreak despite another strong campaign on the big stage.

Our commiserations go to PFC who had played superbly well again today but were unable to find a way past Zona M – but the Brazilians could not have come much closer! We are sure they will be back again and a third title for PFC is on the cards.

For now though, the spotlight shines on Zona M – huge congratulations to them!