Arsenal 3-2 Corinthians: Gunners win inaugural Women's Champions Cup after five-goal extra-time thriller
Report and free match highlights as Arsenal win inaugural Women's Champions Cup after extra time; Caitlin Foord's extra-time goal saw Gunners home after VAR sent referee to screen to give Corinthians last-minute penalty; Olivia Smith and Lotte Wubben-Moy had put WCL champions into lead
Sunday 1 February 2026 22:11, UK
Caitlin Foord's extra-time strike won Arsenal the inaugural Women's Champions Cup trophy in an incredible 3-2 thriller against Corinthians at the Emirates.
Olivia Smith's opener was cancelled out by a scrappy Gabi Zinotti equaliser in the first-half, before Lotte Wubben-Moy's second-half header put Arsenal back into the lead.
But Corinthians' Vic Albequerque sent the game to extra-time when she scored a last-gasp penalty after VAR sent the referee to the screen for a Katie McCabe foul, before Foord provided the winning strike.
The victory crowns Arsenal the first team to win the Champions Cup and earns them a hefty £1.7m - the largest ever prize pot in women's football.
- As it happened | Teams | Stats
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
- Download the Sky Sports app | Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp
- Live WSL table | Watch FREE match highlights from every WSL game
Smith opened the scoring when she fired past Lele in the Corinthians goal after latching onto Stina Blackstenius' rebound after a quarter of an hour. But Corinthians levelled almost instantly - a Duda Sampaio pildriver from range forced a fantastic Anneke Borbe save, and a chaotic goal-line scramble from the ensuing corner allowed Gabi Zinotti to nod home with ease from point-blank range.
The Arsenal pressure - totalling 77 per cent possession and 12 shots at goal in the first half - finally told when Emily Fox's looping cross was met by centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy. Her perfectly placed bullet header restored her side's lead on the hour mark in a move that saw Smith suffer a game-ending injury.
Twenty-year-old substitute Jhonson squandered a gilt-edged opportunity for Corinthians when she was smothered by Borbe while clean through with the 'keeper, but it was the Gunners who looked the more likely to score - Foord almost put the game to bed when her deflected effort rattled the post after 75 minutes.
A one-goal lead looked like enough to see the Gunners home, but Katie McCabe kicked through Gisela Robledo, forcing VAR to intervene and allowing Victoria Albequerque to convert a last-gasp penalty in an incredible twist to equalise
Corinthians, buoyed by their late equaliser, took control, and early chances from Vitoria and Fuso almost flipped the game on its head, but it was Foord who had the last laugh when she slotted under Lele after 104 minutes to seal Arsenal's silverware with her first goal since September.
The full-time whistle, coming after a 10-minute stoppage due to a serious injury to Anneke Borbe, was eventually greeted with cheers from the Emirates crowd as Arsenal became world champions on their own patch, as they claimed their second piece of international silverware alongside their Women's Champions League title last May.
Slegers: Proud that we got over the line
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers:
"I think we showed control in the first half.
"They laid low, we played low. But the second half - that's how football goes.
"Corinthians put in a great performance - so much passion, intelligence, aggression.
"After the penalty we had to regain control. But I'm so proud of the players that we found a way to get over the line and win the trophy.
"In the first half of extra time we needed to take the lead and the second half we needed to maintain it - I'm so glad we did that."
Wubben-Moy: We want more silverware
Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy:
"It's not often that you can write history at Arsenal. To win it in front of our fans - the first ever - that's what we do it for.
"That's what's this tournament's about - bringing people together and top-level competition.
"It's great to get the first piece of silverware, but we want more."
