Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute goal gave the Eagles a hard-fought win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The 30-year-old former England youth international expressed his joy and pride in making history with the club.
“It's incredible, for a player like me that's probably not going to have the chance to win many trophies in his career, it really is hard to articulate the feeling,” Hughes told the club website.
“I think in the coming days it will sink in but for now, you've got to enjoy moments like these. You think of where we came from at the start of the season - we were on three points from eight games and since then it's just been simply incredible with how we've gone about it and the character we've got.
“You forget about things like playing in Europe, again, it's another dream of a player like mine to play in Europe. To go to these random clubs away from home.
“It's going to be special. It's going to be tough playing Thursday and Sunday, but we're more than ready for it.”