Moment Eric Cantona scored his final goal for Man Utd on this day 28 years ago

Eric Cantona strutted onto Ewood Park like he owned it—collar up, eyes sharp, ready to torment Blackburn Rovers on this day in 1997 when he scored his last Manchester United goal.

In a pulsating 3-2 victory for Manchester United, the Frenchman smashed home a low drive from just outside the box, his 82nd goal for the club. It was a strike laced with his trademark audacity, but no one knew it’d be the last time Cantona would ripple a United net—a final bow from the King.

The 1996-97 Premier League race was a dogfight. United, gunning for a fourth title in five years under Sir Alex Ferguson, led Liverpool by a nose with six games to go.

Blackburn, the 1995 champions now mid-table, were no pushovers, boasting Chris Sutton’s nous and a young Damien Duff’s spark. United went ahead through Andy Cole from an assist from Cantona.

Billy Mckinlay equalised before further goals from United came from Scholes and then Cantona. Paul Warhurst pulled one back for Blackburn but it was just a consolation.

“It was Cantona at his best—ruthless, like he was toying with them,” David Beckham later told MUTV. The goal had Ewood Park stunned, United’s away end chanting “Ooh Aah Cantona.”

A defeat at promoted Sunderland and a 3-2 loss to Derby County, who benefited from a dazzling first goal from Costa Rican striker Paulo Wanchope, were the only occasions Man Utd were beaten in the second half of the campaign.

The title was sealed with two matches to spare as Newcastle drew away at West Ham, Arsenal went on a three-match winless run and Liverpool fell to a 2-1 reverse at Wimbledon

Fans on X still relive Cantona's memorable last goal for United. “#OnThisDay 1997: Eric’s last goal vs Blackburn—82nd for United, pure magic,” wrote one fan

On May 18, Cantona, aged 30, retired. “I have played professional football for 13 years, which is a long time,” Cantona said in a statement. “I now wish to do other things. I always planned to retire when I was at the top and, at Manchester United, I have reached the pinnacle of my career.

“In the last four and a half years, I have enjoyed my best football and had a wonderful time. I have had a marvellous relationship with the manager, coach, staff and players, and, not least, the fans. I wish Manchester United even more success in the future.”

“I’d lost the passion,” he later told The Guardian in 2004. His exit, skipping the title parade, left fans gutted. Those 82 goals in 185 games, capped by that Blackburn dagger, redefined United: four Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, one talisman who turned chaos into glory.

Watch it now on YouTube—the fuzzy footage can’t dim Cantona’s fire. Contrast that with United’s 2025 grind: yesterday’s 2-1 scrape past Newcastle, lifting them to 12th under Ruben Amorim, per BBC Sport. With Lyon’s Europa League return leg next, they’d kill for Eric’s nerve.

As @UtdDistrict tweeted today: “April 12, 1997—Cantona’s final goal, a rocket no one’s matched.” The King’s havoc lives on.