Olympiacos' El Kaabi Equals Messi's Record In Europa Conference League Triumph

Ayoub El Kaabi will be celebrated in Piraeus after his decisive performance secured Olympiakos' first European trophy with their Europa Conference League victory on Wednesday. The Olympiakos striker delivered the crucial goal against Fiorentina, scoring with four minutes left in extra time to clinch a 1-0 win at the AEK Arena.

El Kaabi's achievement is notable as he becomes the first player to score 11 goals in a single knockout stage campaign in major European competitions since the introduction of group stages. This feat surpasses the records of Radamel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema, who each managed 10 goals in one campaign of UEFA competitions.

The Moroccan forward also joins an elite group by becoming the first non-European player to score 14 goals in major European competition in a single season since Lionel Messi achieved the same tally in the 2011-12 season. This accomplishment places El Kaabi alongside some of football's greatest names.

Youssef El-Arabi #UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/Cevz2xorji

— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) May 29, 2024

Olympiakos have their star striker to thank for becoming the first Greek side to lift a trophy in major European competition. Fiorentina, on the other hand, will be disappointed by another setback in this tournament. Having lost to West Ham in last season's Conference League final, Fiorentina has now lost five of their last six finals in Europe.

The defeat also ended Fiorentina's longest unbeaten run in European competition, halting a 13-match undefeated streak. Their only success in recent history came against Rangers in the 1961 Cup Winners' Cup. This latest loss adds to their series of near misses and highlights their ongoing challenges in securing European silverware.