By OkayGoal 
The University for Development Studies (UDS) has written its name in the history books after defeating Brazil’s Paulista University 2-1 to win the 2025 FISU University World Cup Football.
The thrilling final, played on Sunday morning, pitted the Ghanaian side against the defending champions in a contest that lived up to its billing. Paulista drew first blood, using their experience in the competition to grab an early advantage.
UDS, however, refused to give in. Despite struggling for long stretches of the game, particularly in the second half, they fought hard to stay in contention. Their resilience paid off deep into stoppage time when they grabbed a dramatic equaliser to send the match into extra time.
With both teams pushing for glory, the game looked destined for penalties until UDS found a last-gasp breakthrough. A corner kick in the dying moments of extra time was turned in to seal a famous 2-1 victory for the Tamale-based university.
The triumph not only dethroned Paulista University but also marked a historic first, with UDS becoming the first African university to lift the FISU University World Cup trophy.
🏆 WE DID IT🎉
The University for Development Studies (#UDS) are the 2025 World University Football CHAMPIONS! 🎉🇬🇭
From Ghana to the world we conquered it all! 🌍⚽️⁰#UDS #PrideOfAfrica #FISUWorldCupFootball pic.twitter.com/HvwyJDqmst
— UDS OFFICIAL (@uds_official) September 28, 2025
Past winners have been from Uruguay and Brazil.