Emotions spilled over after the final whistle at A. Le Coq Arena, with Lithuanian players unhappy with several refereeing decisions. Players from both teams exchanged words, and a minor scuffle briefly broke out before order was restored. In total, 13 yellow cards were shown, nine of them to Lithuania, though no players were sent off.

Estonia hosted the June 6-9 tournament, having also won the previous edition in 2024. The three Baltic states were joined by guest nation Faroe Islands.

Estonia has now won two of the last three Baltic Cups, having also triumphed in 2021. The 2022 edition was won by guest nation Iceland. The icing on the cake is that Estonia won the U19 and U21 Baltic Cup tournaments as well.

Before the match

Estonia reached the final with a 1-0 semifinal win over the Faroe Islands, courtesy of a goal from Tony Varjund (Tallinna FC Flora). Lithuania defeated Latvia on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The final repeated the 2024 title match between the northernmost and southernmost Baltic states. That encounter ended 1-1 before Estonia prevailed in a penalty shootout.

Manager Jürgen Henn's squad included goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein, who has joined Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, and midfielder Markus Poom (AS Trencin), son of former Estonia goalkeeper Mart Poom.

Match night

Estonia started brightly and created several dangerous chances in the first half. Markus Soomets (IK Start) found Robi Saarma (Pardubice) with a clever pass inside the penalty area, but Lithuanian defenders intervened. Defender Vlasiy Sinyavskiy (Banik Ostrava) also caused problems down the flank.

The best chance of the opening half came in the 21st minute when Varjund beat three defenders before setting up Saarma, whose effort was saved by Lithuanian goalkeeper Tomas Švedkauskas.

The match became increasingly physical before halftime, with five yellow cards shown in 12 minutes. Estonia's bookings went to Patrik Kristal (FC Köln), Saarma and Sinyavskiy.

Three Teams, One Message

Estonia - Baltic Cup Champions
Estonia U21 Unbeaten- Unbeaten in U21
Baltic Cup
Estonia U19 - Baltic Cup U19

A hugely successful international window for Estonian football pic.twitter.com/GOQ6FGThe7

— Estonian Football Podcast (@EstonianFBP) June 10, 2026

Lithuania also threatened, but Hein was dependable throughout, including a key save from long range late in the half as the teams went into the break scoreless.

The second half remained closely contested. Hein produced another important save from striker Armandas Kučys, while Saarma tested Švedkauskas with a long-range effort on the rain-soaked surface.

Estonia gradually took control and nearly broke through in the 79th minute when Rocco Robert Shein (Fredrikstad FK) and Erko Jonne Tõugjas (Halmstad BK) both saw efforts blocked inside the penalty area.

The breakthrough came a minute later. Shein found Mattias Käit (FC Thun) inside the box, and Käit squared the ball to Mustmaa, who reached it ahead of the goalkeeper and fired home for his first senior international goal.

Mustmaa nearly doubled the lead moments later but shot over the bar after being set up by Kristal.

Lithuania pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Estonia's defense held firm and Hein secured a clean sheet.

Frustration mounted for the visitors as three more yellow cards were issued during stoppage time, including one to substitute Eligijus Jankauskas for protesting from the bench.

Although tensions boiled over after the final whistle, the confrontation quickly subsided.

The victory secured Estonia's second consecutive Baltic Cup title in front of a home crowd.

The ERR Sport reportage, including the winning goal, is below.

And of the brief final whistle altercation, below.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!