Defending Baltic Cup champions Estonia booked their place in the 2026 final with a 1-0 victory over the Faroe Islands in Pärnu, setting up a repeat of the previous Baltic Cup final against Lithuania.
Estonia entered the match as favourites but were made to work hard against a disciplined Faroese side. Jürgen Henn’s team dominated possession for long stretches and controlled much of the play, but struggled to create clear chances during the opening period.
The hosts threatened early through Patrik Kristal, whose effort from distance flew over the crossbar. Estonia continued to probe, mostly through the left side where Vlasi Sinjavski was heavily involved, while Mattias Käit and Kristal looked to find openings between the Faroese defensive lines.
Estonia’s best opportunity of the first half came shortly before the break. Kristal slipped a pass through to substitute Mattias Männilaan, who had replaced the injured Mark Anders Lepik in the 37th minute, but the forward could not bring the ball fully under control and goalkeeper Bárður Reynatrøð was able to rush out and make the save.
The Faroe Islands offered little going forward before half-time, though they remained dangerous from long throw-ins and set-piece situations. Estonia went into the break with the majority of possession but without a goal to show for their efforts.
The visitors began the second half with a more aggressive approach, pushing higher up the pitch and attempting to disrupt Estonia’s build-up play. Despite that, Estonia continued to create the more dangerous situations and finally found the breakthrough in the 66th minute.
The move started with Karl Jakob Hein, whose pass found Patrik Kristal in midfield. The 17-year-old turned away from his marker brilliantly before releasing Tony Varjund behind the defence. Making his senior international debut, the 18-year-old forward calmly worked himself into space and guided a low finish in off the post to score the only goal of the match.
The goal rewarded Estonia’s dominance and capped an impressive performance from both youngsters, with Kristal once again showing why he is regarded as one of the country’s brightest prospects.
The Faroe Islands pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages and came closest when Samuelsen broke through on goal, but Hein reacted well to make an important save. Estonia then successfully dealt with a series of late set-pieces and crosses into the penalty area to preserve their advantage.
The final whistle confirmed a 1-0 victory for Estonia and a place in Tuesday’s Baltic Cup final. The defending champions will now face Lithuania at A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn after the Lithuanians defeated Latvia in a penalty shootout earlier on Saturday.
Latvia and the Faroe Islands will meet in the third-place match in Rīga, while Estonia will look to successfully defend the trophy they lifted two years ago. Lithuania, meanwhile, will be aiming to win the Baltic Cup for the first time since 2010.
Estonia vs Faroe Island – 1-0 (0:0)
Goal: Varjund 66′
