Muñoz talks Croydon, Colombia, Conference League & kinship with Palace fans

This interview was initially published in the Crystal Palace v Leeds United programme in March 2026 - you can buy issues of the matchday programme by clicking HERE.

Plenty has occurred since May 2025 – and yet, don’t memories of FA Cup Final day still come flooding back so easily?

Amidst so many highlights, perhaps one of the standout moments of the day – even if it ultimately amounted to naught – was Daniel Muñoz steaming in on 58 minutes and scoring what seemed to be, at the time, Palace’s second goal of the afternoon.

Yes, it was disallowed by VAR within two minutes for an offside in the build-up. Yes, that verdict cut short the boisterous celebrations which followed, and meant 30 more minutes of anxiety, defending just a single-goal lead.

But the scenes of relief – the scenes of disbelief, even – as shedloads of Eagles, in a shared split second of jubilation, dared to dream of a 2-0 lead over City, in a Cup Final…

By some considerable margin, Muñoz’s ‘goal’ is the precise moment of the match which – on the FA’s YouTube channel – has been ‘Most Replayed’ ever since.

With noise levels from the West end hitting 115 decibels – their highest all day, even more than at the final whistle – it was, simply put, the moment that Wembley shook.

And, by goodness, for a few fleeting seconds at least, it was beautiful.

You can view the moment at 01:10:35 in the video below.

Almost 10 months have passed, yet Muñoz immediately beams when we bring that moment up. “That feeling was incredible.

“When you score in a final and you feel the euphoria of the fans, Wembley shaking… your heart is going at 2,000 beats per hour.

“Unfortunately, it was ruled out, but thank God we still achieved our objective, which was to win and lift the FA Cup.

“For me, winning that trophy was the most important achievement in my career – for what it means to play in England, playing every week against the best players in the world, and because it was Crystal Palace’s first-ever trophy.

“That’s a memory I give a lot of value to – and a day I think that all the fans and everyone at the club still loves too.

“In reality, it’s not easy to win a trophy in England, nor is it easy to beat a great team like Manchester City. It was such an incredible achievement for all of us.”

In the aftermath of the game, drenched in champagne, confetti and golden streamers, Muñoz – along with many of his teammates – took to the media mixed zone.

There, the gleeful full-back was interviewed in Spanish by various broadcasters. With his national flag draped over his shoulders, Muñoz declared, for the first time that we know of, “¡Croydon es Colombia!” – breaking down during one interview with pride.

It is a phrase he and compatriot Jefferson Lerma have since reiterated on many occasions. Muñoz explains: “For me, I think that just refers to the joy that characterises us as Colombians.

“That’s the feeling I get round here – that Latin, Colombian energy. Maybe that’s why Jeff also said it at some point, because you can feel that kind of vibe.

“I have been here just over two years now, and for me, it means a lot. Being at a club like this, at a team like Crystal Palace, with such great fans…

“In my opinion, these supporters are the ones who most resemble what I was used to seeing in South America. I really like it here.

“The fans treat me as if I were at home, as if I have been here at Palace for many, many years. That is something I will always carry in my heart.”

We ask, two years into London life, how he’s enjoying the city: “Honestly, I like everything about London.

“I don’t really have one single favourite place to go here though… I could say my favourite places are the training ground and Selhurst Park!”

Muñoz smiles as he speaks, his words – you can tell – coming straight from the heart.

It is little wonder he became a hero in his boyhood surroundings of Medellin, going on to captain his local club Atlético Nacional at the age of 23, and why he draws so much pride in being a leading figure for both Crystal Palace and Colombia.

His passion for the latter comes to the fore when the topic of the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes up. Los Cafeteros are widely considered dark horses, having reached the 2024 Copa América Final – an extra-time defeat to Argentina ending their 28-game, 29-month unbeaten streak – and finished third in South American qualification.

Colombia’s best result at a World Cup was reaching the quarterfinals in 2014, but Muñoz lays down a challenge to his teammates: “We have a generation which was able to make that leap in quality. We reached the final of the Copa América – our first since 2001.

“We have a lot of talent, and we are more than a team – we are a family. It is difficult to create a team like that, but we have achieved it.

“Now, we have to make that next step in quality, which is to reach the final of the World Cup – and win it – for this group to actually say we are a golden generation.

“The idea of playing at the World Cup, I think that excites any player. But we want to go not just to be there – we want to go with a clear goal: to win the World Cup.”

For a player who arrived at Palace with the nickname el hincha en la cancha – ‘the fan on the field’, a moniker earned at Nacional – Muñoz knows well the importance of a connection between on-field and off-field life, between the pitch and the stands.

It was a bond which won him Palace’s supporter vote for 2024/25 Men’s Player of the Season, to go with Players’ Player of the Season. In the simplest of metrics, no Premier League player covered more distance while sprinting (over 3,400 metres – or over two miles – according to Genius IQ data) than the Eagles’ flying full-back.

Even just a few short weeks ago, analytics outlet Gradient Sports named Muñoz – off the basis of his statistics in speed, endurance and acceleration this season – the most athletic player in the whole of Premier League.

Last season, the 29-year-old was practically an ever-present in the historic campaign, missing just 122 minutes in all competitions. Yet in 2025/26, for the first time as a Palace player, he was forced to miss, over the Christmas period, a series of matches following knee surgery.

“For me it’s always difficult because I’m used to playing and competing every three or four days, every week,” he notes. “I had to go through the surgery, which kept me out of matches in December and January.

“It was a decision, at the time, I had to make – it was what was best for my body, for my health, to be able to compete for the rest of the season.

“Having a break of almost seven or eight weeks was challenging for me. Watching my teammates play on television wasn’t easy!

“But health comes first. Now, thank God, I’ve recovered. My knee is getting better and better, and I just need to adapt again to the level I was at before the injury. I’m regaining my confidence and that intensity of play.

“I want to give my best to my team and to my teammates, and to be at the level I like to be at in order to compete.”

Yet injured or not, available or not, Muñoz remains as fixated on success for his club, teammates and the fans, as ever: “For the team, it has been an unusual season.

“We had a very, very, very good start, where the team improved a lot in every aspect. From the beginning up until December, we were practically one of the best teams in the league.

“Maybe the injuries had an impact. I think that influenced the ups and downs a bit, which is normal for every team. But now, we’re focused on the rest of the season and what we can still achieve.

“We have to keep working and we have to keep fighting. I am faithful and I believe that, in the end, honest work always pays off, so it remains on us to get up every morning, work hard, and fight for the best results for the team.

“The goals for us are clear: we want to finish as high as possible in the Premier League table, hopefully reaching the European places again – and we want to reach the Conference League final in Leipzig.”

At the start of the season, Muñoz was one of just 12 Palace players with previous experience of European club football, having played in the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference League before with Genk.

But Muñoz now has a taste for glory with Palace – and is ready for more: “I think this season is special. When you play a tournament of this level – whether it’s the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League – it’s always exciting.

“But since it’s the first time in Palace’s history, it’s even more exciting. It’s exciting to play these matches, go to all these places and to progress through all the rounds.

“We’ve already seen it with the other two trophies last year: to reach the final in Leipzig, I think, would be something beautiful for the club.”

He pauses for a moment, reconsidering his answer: “In fact, our goal is not just to reach the Final.

“We want to play it, we want to win it, and we want to bring that trophy back to all the Crystal Palace fans.

“For all the support and encouragement that they give us, in every single match, they deserve it.”