Micky van de Ven (24, Tottenham Hotspur) produced a scene like a movie. He stormed 67.7m on his own and struck the net. But he still remained in the shadow of Son Heung-min (33, LAFC), the "72.3m man".
Tottenham Hotspur said on the club's official website on the 6th (KST), "Micky van de Ven completed an unbelievable long-distance dribble goal against Copenhagen," adding, "his run is the longest dribble in UEFA Champions League history to result in a goal." A Tottenham defender had set a new competition record with a solo breakaway.
According to the club, van de Ven picked up the ball near his own penalty box and drove deep into the opponent's half, finishing with his left foot after running a total of 67.7m. The previous record was 64.4m set by Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) against Dortmund in 2024. Van de Ven exceeded that figure by about 3m.
The club immediately brought up one name: Son Heung-min. Tottenham said, "Although van de Ven's goal has been recorded as the longest dribble goal in Champions League history, it still falls short of the 72.3m mark set by Son Heung-min in the 2019 Burnley match," and added, "that day Son started from below the half line on his own, beat the entire opposing defense and got past Nick Pope. The legend is still Son Heung-min."
Van de Ven's wonder goal came in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League group stage round 4 match against Copenhagen held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 5th. Tottenham secured a 4-0 victory with consecutive goals from Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, van de Ven and João Palhinha. Johnson opened the scoring in the 19th minute of the first half, and an early second-half goal followed. Even though Johnson received a straight red card in the 12th minute of the second half, the flow of the game was not shaken.
And in the 19th minute of the second half, van de Ven shook the stadium. After intercepting the ball near his box, he did not hesitate for a moment. Using explosive speed, he sequentially shrugged off five opposing defenders, easily crossed the half line, then beat the goalkeeper and tucked the ball into the corner with his left foot. It was the "killer goal" that completely reassured a Tottenham reduced to 10 men.
Local British media were also ecstatic. The BBC called it, "van de Ven produced a moment that will go down in Champions League history. The names Son Heung-min, Bale and Messi were naturally mentioned," while commentator Owen Hargreaves admired, "one of the most perfect solo goals I've ever seen. I thought the opposing defense was invisible. Perfect balance and power, and the finish too. The best goal of the season."
Son Heung-min's 2019 Burnley moment was also recalled. At that time Son picked up the ball in his own defensive area and ran more than 70m alone, beating six defenders before scoring. That goal earned him the 2020 FIFA Puskás Award. The flow closely resembled van de Ven's goal. Local fans demanded the Puskás Award, saying, "now it's van de Ven's turn," and Tottenham's official channels posted the two scenes side by side, joking, "just give him the award now."
Football London said, "his run across the pitch sent Tottenham fans into a frenzy. It instantly recalled Son Heung-min's Burnley goal," and the Daily Mail called van de Ven's goal "another symbolic moment linking Bale, Son Heung-min and the club's heroes."
Son Heung-min also reacted directly. He left a short comment, "Wow… just wow," on the video posted on Tottenham's official social media, praising his junior's scene.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank could not hide his laughter either. He joked, "It seems Lionel Messi has been reborn as van de Ven. He ignored defenders, advanced and finished perfectly," adding, "I've heard people say they're angry at me these days, but if this is the kind of goal that comes after the match, feel free to stay angry."
Nonetheless, even van de Ven's incredible run could not surpass Son Heung-min's legendary 72.3m goal. It's a 5m difference, but history and heartbeat lie in that space. The longest and most brilliant scene still etched in Tottenham fans' minds is "Son Heung-min of that day."
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