Fulham Push For Comeback, Malaga Claim Tournament Title Through Penalty Shootout Taken At An Empty Goal

The 2026 Costa del Sol Trophy pre-season match between Fulham and Malaga unfolded more like a comedy story than a standard football fixture. Played at La Rosaleda Stadium, the game ended 2-2 on regular time. But just as the penalty shootout was due to start to decide the trophy winner, the entire Fulham squad chose to walk off the pitch.

The reason? The London side was racing against the clock to catch their return flight.

This decision turned the match conclusion into one of the most absurd moments across European club pre-season schedules. Malaga proceeded to carry out the full penalty shootout routine even after every Fulham player had already left the field.

However, the full story is not as simple as Fulham only worrying about missing their plane.

Conflicting Agreements Over Penalty Shootout

The dispute originated from contradicting accounts of the pre-match agreement between both clubs.

Fulham claims both sides had previously agreed there would be no penalty shootout if the match finished level after regular time.

Malaga on the other hand held an entirely different position, stating that a deciding penalty shootout had always been part of the official match plan to determine the Costa del Sol Trophy champion.

The situation grew more complicated due to Fulham's tight airport departure schedule. Reports from Spanish sports outlet AS confirmed that flight time pressure was one of the core factors that pushed the English club to exit La Rosaleda early.

In other words, Fulham were not only dealing with a disagreement over shootout rules, but also the very real threat of missing their flight.

Deadlocked with no resolution in sight, the entire Fulham travelling party departed the stadium, leaving Malaga alone on the pitch.

Arbeloa Shown Red Card

This chaotic finale had already been building tension long before the final whistle blew.

Fulham took the first lead through Ryan Sessegnon, before Malaga's Chupete scored the equaliser.

Fulham reclaimed their lead in the second half.

Just as it appeared Fulham would secure the win, Malaga were awarded a penalty kick deep into stoppage time.

Eneko Jauregi stepped up and converted the spot kick, bringing the scoreline to 2-2.

The referee's decision sparked furious protests from the Fulham camp. Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa was the most emotional during the confrontation, and was ultimately shown a red card.

Tensions did not cool after Jauregi's penalty, remaining high right up until the end of regular time.

As Malaga began preparing for the deciding shootout, Fulham made their unorthodox call.

Fulham Leave, Malaga Still Take Their Kicks

All Fulham players decided to abandon the pitch. Malaga meanwhile continued with the full match procedure that they believed had been formally agreed.

Not a single Fulham player remained on the field for the shootout, including no goalkeeper standing between the goalposts.

Eneko Jauregi walked up to the penalty spot, placed his shot into the completely empty goal, then celebrated the strike with his teammates and the home Malaga supporters.

This single penalty kick perfectly encapsulated the farcical chaos that concluded the 2026 Costa del Sol Trophy.

Malaga were officially declared the match winners, and lifted the trophy in front of their home crowd.

An Unforgettable Conclusion

At the end of the day, this Fulham vs Malaga fixture will never be remembered just for its 2-2 scoreline.

It will go down for the clashing pre-match agreements, the late referee penalty decision that saw Alvaro Arbeloa sent off, Fulham's tight flight schedule, and most infamously, the penalty scored into an unguarded empty net.

Malaga got their trophy.

Fulham caught their flight home.

And football got one of the most bizarre pre-season stories that will likely never be replicated.

A match that finished drawn, one team walked out of the stadium entirely, while their opponents walked up to the penalty spot to score into an empty net before being presented with the trophy.