A pre-season friendly game between Fulham and Málaga had an unusual outcome on the night of August 13, 2026. The English team withdrew from the field before a penalty shootout that would decide the match, leading the Spanish players to end the match with a penalty kick for a goal without a goalkeeper.
The duel, played in Málaga, was part of the traditional Costa do Sol Trophy, organized by the Spanish club. The match went on normally and ended in a 2-2 draw, with the home team achieving equality in the final moments, to the enthusiasm of the fans present at the La Rosaleda Stadium. However, after the final whistle, the situation became quite peculiar.
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Preparations began on the pitch for the penalty shootout, which would decide the winner of the trophy. However, the English team expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, culminating in coach Álvaro Arbeloa arguing with referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and being sent off.
Coach Arbeloa, who had recently arrived at the club, left the field visibly irritated. Fulham players, in turn, remained amid uncertainty about the penalties, before also leaving the field and refusing to participate in the final dispute. Meanwhile, Málaga’s athletes remained and ended the friendly in an even more unique way: the player Eneko took a penalty into an empty goal and converted, confirming the victory and the title for the Spanish team.
After the match ended, Fulham published a note on their social networks stating that, “prior to the match, both teams agreed that there would be no penalty shootout in the event of a draw.”
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On their official website, Málaga presented a different version, indicating that “despite a penalty shootout being planned, Fulham, claiming that it was not foreseen in the contract, withdrew from the field”.
The English press also reported that the English decision not to participate in the penalty shootout was based on the allegation that the rule was not in the original agreement, but also due to a logistical concern: the tiebreaker could delay the delegation for the return flight to London.