With Dortmund having made, but spurned, several good chances, Real took control when Dani Carvajal headed in from a corner after 74 minutes and Vinicius Jr. fired home the second to beak German hearts.

Victory secured the trophy for the sixth time in 11 seasons and it was Real’s 11th straight triumph in a European final – their last defeat coming against Aberdeen in the Cup Winners’ Cup 41 years ago. They have now won the continent’s most prestigious club competition more than twice as often as the next best team.

It was a record-extending fifth success as a coach for Carlo Ancelotti, who also won the trophy twice as a player with AC Milan.

“I never get used to it, because it was difficult, very difficult, more than expected,” the Italian said. “In the second half we were better – this is a dream that continues.”

Dortmund defender Mats Hummels said Madrid have been doing that for 100 years, and he was not far off given they were 2-0 down in the first European Cup final in 1956 before coming back to beat Stade de Reims 4-3 for the first of their five in a row that started their love affair with the competition.

Words bouncing around in post-match interviews on Saturday included “clinical”, “ice-cold”, and “belief”, while Carvajal summed up the match perfectly after the latest turnaround as his side completed a LaLiga-Champions League double.

“After the first half we didn’t even deserve to go to the changing rooms level,” he said. “But we came out of the first half alive, knowing that we would have our moment… and here it is”.

European Cup winners 1955-2024

1955–56Real Madrid4–3ReimsParis
1956–57Real Madrid2–0FiorentinaMadrid
1957–58Real Madrid3–2*AC MilanBrussels
1958–59Real Madrid2–0ReimsStuttgart
1959–60Real Madrid7–3Eintracht FrankfurtGlasgow
1960–61Benfica3–2BarcelonaBern
1961–62Benfica5–3Real MadridAmsterdam
1962–63AC Milan2–1BenficaLondon
1963–64Inter Milan3–1Real MadridVienna
1964–65Inter Milan1–0BenficaMilan
1965–66Real Madrid2–1PartizanBrussels
1966–67Celtic2–1Inter MilanLisbon
1967–68Manchester United4–1*BenficaLondon
1968–69AC Milan4–1AjaxMadrid
1969–70Feyenoord2–1*CelticMilan
1970–71Ajax2–0PanathinaikosLondon
1971–72Ajax2–0Inter MilanRotterdam
1972–73Ajax1–0JuventusBelgrade
1973–74Bayern Munich1–1 (4-0 on replay)Atletico MadridBrussels
1974–75Bayern Munich2–0Leeds UnitedParis
1975–76Bayern Munich1–0Saint-EtienneGlasgow
1976–77Liverpool3–1Borussia MoenchengladbachRome
1977–78Liverpool1–0Club BruggeLondon
1978–79Nottingham Forest1–0Malmo FFMunich
1979–80Nottingham Forest1–0Hamburger SVMadrid
1980–81Liverpool1–0Real MadridParis
1981–82Aston Villa1–0Bayern MunichRotterdam
1982–83Hamburger SV1–0JuventusAthens
1983–84Liverpool1–1 (4-2 on penalties)AS RomaRome
1984–85Juventus1–0LiverpoolBrussels
1985–86Steaua Bucharest0–0 (2-0 on penalties)BarcelonaSeville
1986–87Porto2–1Bayern MunichVienna
1987–88PSV Eindhoven0–0 (6-5 on penalties)BenficaStuttgart
1988–89AC Milan4–0Steaua BucureștiBarcelona
1989–90AC Milan1–0BenficaVienna
1990–91Red Star Belgrade0–0 (5-3 on penalties)MarseilleBari
1991–92Barcelona1–0†SampdoriaLondon
1992–93Marseille1–0AC MilanMunich
1993–94Milan4–0BarcelonaAthens
1994–95Ajax1–0AC MilanVienna
1995–96Juventus1–1 (4-2 on penalties)AjaxRome
1996–97Borussia Dortmund3–1JuventusMunich
1997–98Real Madrid1–0JuventusAmsterdam
1998–99Manchester United2–1Bayern MunichBarcelona
1999–2000Real Madrid3–0ValenciaSt Denis
2000–01Bayern Munich1–1 (5-4 on penalties)ValenciaMilan
2001–02Real Madrid2–1Bayer LeverkusenGlasgow
2002–03AC Milan0–0 (3-2 on penalties)JuventusManchester
2003–04Porto3–0MonacoGelsenkirchen
2004–05Liverpool3–3 (3-2 on penalties)AC MilanIstanbul
2005–06Barcelona2–1ArsenalSt Denis
2006–07AC Milan2–1LiverpoolAthens
2007–08Manchester United1–1 (6-5 on penalties)ChelseaMoscow
2008–09Barcelona2–0Manchester UnitedRome
2009–10Inter Milan2–0Bayern MunichMadrid
2010–11Barcelona3–1Manchester UnitedLondon
2011–12Chelsea1–1 (4-3 on penalties)Bayern MunichMunich
2012–13Bayern Munich2–1Borussia DortmundLondon
2013–14Real Madrid4–1*Atletico MadridLisbon
2014–15Barcelona3–1JuventusBerlin
2015–16Real Madrid1–1 (5-3 on penalties)Atletico MadridMilan
2016–17Real Madrid4–1JuventusCardiff
2017–18Real Madrid3–1LiverpoolKyiv
2018–19Liverpool2–0Tottenham HotspurMadrid
2019–20Bayern Munich1–0Paris St GermainLisbon
2020–21Chelsea1–0Manchester CityPorto
2021–22Real Madrid1–0LiverpoolSt Denis
2022–23Manchester City1–0Inter MilanIstanbul
2023-24Real Madrid2-0Borussia DortmundLondon

15 – Real Madrid
7 – AC Milan
6 – Bayern Munich, Liverpool
5 – Barcelona
4 – Ajax Amsterdam
3 – Manchester United, Inter Milan
2 – Benfica, Juventus, Nottingham Forest, Porto, Chelsea
1 – Celtic, Hamburg SV, Steaua Bucharest, Olympique Marseille, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star Belgrade, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City

The European Cup became the Champions League in 1992.

Dortmund, who had shocked Paris St Germain in the semi-finals, had a dream first half in every aspect other than scoring.

Playing with confidence and aggression, their first good chance came after 21 minutes when Karim Adeyemi went too wide when rounding goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Then came a flurry of opportunities as Niclas Fuellkrug hit the post and low shots by Julian Brandt and Marcel Sabitzer were saved by Courtois.

YELLOW WALL

Dortmund had been attacking towards their own fans who, revelling in their team’s first Champions League final since 2013 and only their third ever, did their best to reproduce the yellow wall atmosphere of their Westfalenstadion with noise and unified bouncing that shook the stadium to its foundations.

Madrid were unfazed by what was happening, however, and looked livelier from the start of the second half without really threatening.

Courtois saved a diving header from Fuellkrug and Dortmund were soon ruing the misses as 5ft 8 ins (172cm) full back Carvajal rose to meet a Kroos corner and steer in a glancing header.

The assist was a fitting way for Germany midfielder Kroos to mark his final game for the club while he Carvajal, Nacho and Luka Modric all equalled Francisco Gento’s record of six titles from their first era of Real dominance.

Madrid added their second goal when Dortmund’s Ian Maatsen gave the ball away on the edge of his box. LaLiga player of the year and former Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham fed Vinicius Jr in space and the Brazilian fired home unerringly.

Dortmund’s fans continued to sing in defeat, though they and their players will know this was a missed opportunity that will hurt for a long time.

“Today we saw a Dortmund team that we want to see,” said coach Edin Terzic, whose side finished fifth in the Bundesliga.

“We played a fantastic game and maybe deserved a bit more than to lose 2-0.

“We did a lot of things right but they had this killer instinct. They were ice cold and they are deserved champions.”