Micky van de Ven’s thunderbolt against FC Copenhagen was an absolute stunner—a solo rampage straight out of the Gareth Bale or Lionel Messi playbook that lit up Tottenham’s 4-0 Champions League demolition on Tuesday night.
The Dutch defender, picking up the ball near his own penalty area in the 72nd minute, carried it an incredible 67.7 meters at full tilt, shrugging off scrambling Copenhagen defenders before drilling a low shot past the keeper into the bottom corner.
Match Breakdown and Goals
19′ – Brennan Johnson (1-0): Johnson opened the scoring with a clinical finish, latching onto a precise through ball from Xavi Simons and slotting it past the keeper.
51′ – Wilson Odobert (2-0): Odobert doubled the lead on a swift counter-attack, again sparked by Simons, who threaded a pass for the young winger to fire home.
64′ – Micky van de Ven (3-0): The Dutch defender turned goal machine. Starting from just outside his own penalty area after a turnover (nudged his way by João Palhinha), van de Ven embarked on a blistering 67.7-meter solo run—the longest goal-ending carry in Champions League history since Opta began tracking in 2015-16.
Clocking a top speed of 37.1 km/h (his personal best), he evaded five Copenhagen defenders, including a slick nutmeg on the hesitant Pantelis Hatzidiakos.
With clinical composure more akin to a striker than a center-back, he unleashed a low, driven shot into the bottom corner. It beat Vinícius Júnior’s previous UCL record (64.9m vs. Dortmund in 2024) and echoed Son Heung-min’s iconic 72.3m Puskás-winning run against Burnley in 2019—right down to the stadium and the surging, unstoppable vibe.
The stadium erupted as van de Ven advanced—teammate Destiny Udogie was left with his hands on his head in sheer disbelief. Post-match, van de Ven downplayed it with trademark humility: “I saw the opening and thought, ‘I need to score this one.’ It just happened.”
Manager Thomas Frank was less restrained, joking, “If he’s angry after a game, he can walk right past me, as long as he delivers that!” He added, “It was like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven for a minute.”
Fans on X and Reddit are buzzing, calling it “goal of the season” and flooding timelines with memes comparing it to Son’s masterpiece.
This was van de Ven’s first UCL goal and cements his evolution from speedy defender to all-action hero— he’s already Tottenham’s top scorer this season across all comps. Spurs climb the table with this statement win.
