If you walked into a pub in London or Madrid last June, you didn't need to ask who won the European Cup. The white shirts were everywhere. Real Madrid did it again. They beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium, securing their 15th title in this competition. Honestly, it’s getting a bit ridiculous at this point.
Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win—that’s the old Gary Lineker quote. But lately? At the end, Real Madrid always wins. They aren't always the best team on the pitch. In fact, for about sixty minutes of that final in London, Dortmund looked like they were going to pull off one of the biggest upsets in modern Champions League history. Karim Adeyemi had chances. Niclas Füllkrug hit the post.
But Madrid just... waits.
The Wembley Breakdown: How the Final Was Won
Let's look at the actual goals. It wasn't some tactical masterclass from Carlo Ancelotti that broke the deadlock. It was a corner. In the 74th minute, Dani Carvajal—the guy who has been there for nearly all of these recent trophies—rose above much taller defenders to flick a header into the far corner. It felt inevitable. Once that went in, Dortmund’s spirit basically evaporated.
The second goal came from Vinícius Júnior. A mistake from Ian Maatsen gave the ball away, Jude Bellingham fed Vini, and he scuffed it into the ground and over the keeper. It wasn't a "pretty" goal. It was a clinical one.
When people ask who won the European Cup, they are usually looking for the name of the club, but the "who" is really about the individuals who refuse to lose. You have guys like Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos. This was Kroos’s final game for the club. What a way to go out. He’s arguably the greatest midfield metronome we’ve seen in thirty years, and he left the pitch with another medal around his neck.
Why Real Madrid Owns This Tournament
It’s not just luck. People call it "Madrid Magic" or "DNA," but that’s just lazy sports writing. The reality is a mix of insane scouting, financial power, and a psychological edge that starts in the tunnel. When you see those thirteen—now fifteen—trophies on the sleeve of the opposing team, you start to doubt yourself.
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Dortmund played a fantastic game. Edin Terzić set them up perfectly to counter-attack. They exploited the space behind Madrid’s fullbacks. But they didn't score. In the Champions League (which is the modern name for the European Cup, for those who still use the old-school terminology), if you don't kill Madrid, they kill you.
The Path to the 2024 Title
Madrid’s run to the 2024 trophy wasn't easy. They didn't "luck" into a final.
- They had to get past Manchester City.
- They had to survive a wild second leg against Bayern Munich.
- They dealt with injuries to key players like Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba for most of the season.
The Manchester City quarter-final was the real "final" in many people's eyes. City dominated possession. They had Madrid pinned in their own box for what felt like hours. But Madrid’s defense, led by Antonio Rüdiger, was a brick wall. They won on penalties. That’s the thing about this club; they find a way to win even when they are being outplayed. They are comfortable being uncomfortable.
The Evolution of the European Cup
We should probably clarify something. The "European Cup" officially became the UEFA Champions League in 1992, but the trophy remains the same. The "Big Ears." It’s the most prestigious prize in club football. Winning it once makes you a legend. Winning it fifteen times makes you an institution.
If we look back at the history of who won the European Cup, the list is a "who's who" of football royalty.
- AC Milan has 7 titles. They used to be the biggest threat to Madrid’s dominance, especially in the late 80s and early 2000s.
- Liverpool and Bayern Munich are tied with 6.
- Barcelona has 5, though they haven't touched the trophy since 2015.
The gap between Real Madrid and the rest of the world is now a canyon. They have more than double the trophies of the second-most successful club. It’s hard to wrap your head around that. Since 2014, they’ve won six titles. In ten years. Most world-class players go their entire careers without winning one. Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Luka Modrić, and Toni Kroos have six each. They personally have as many European Cups as Liverpool or Bayern Munich. Think about that for a second.
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Does the New Format Change Things?
Starting in the 2024/2025 season, the format is changing. No more traditional group stages. It’s a "Swiss Model" now. More games, more big teams playing each other earlier. Some people hate it. They think it’s a money grab by UEFA. They’re probably right.
But will it stop the usual suspects from winning? Unlikely. The bigger the tournament, the more it favors the squads with the most depth. Madrid just added Kylian Mbappé to a team that already won the double. It feels like everyone else is playing for second place.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Win
There’s this narrative that Madrid is "lucky." You’ll hear it on Twitter (or X, whatever) and in comment sections. "They were outplayed by City!" "Dortmund should have won!"
Luck is a factor in a single match, sure. A ball hits the post instead of going in. A referee misses an offside. But you don't get "lucky" for sixty years. You don't win five trophies in a row in the 1950s and then six in a decade in the 2010s/2020s just by being lucky.
The difference is composure. In the final, Dortmund’s Adeyemi had a one-on-one with Courtois. He took a heavy touch. He hesitated. On the other end, when Vinícius got his chance, he didn't hesitate. That’s the level.
The Role of Carlo Ancelotti
We have to talk about "Don Carlo." The man with the raised eyebrow. People used to say he was just a "man-manager," someone who just lets the stars play and doesn't do much tactically. That’s nonsense.
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Ancelotti is a chameleon. He adapts his system to the players he has. When he had Cristiano Ronaldo, they played one way. With Jude Bellingham playing as a "false 10" or a late-arriving striker this year, they played another. He doesn't have a rigid philosophy like Pep Guardiola. He just wins. He now has five Champions League titles as a manager. Five. That’s more than most of the biggest clubs in the world have in their entire history.
The Economic Reality of the Trophy
Let's get real for a minute. Money talks. Real Madrid’s revenue is astronomical. They’ve renovated the Bernabéu into a literal money-printing machine that hosts concerts and NFL games.
But it’s not just about spending the most. Look at Manchester United or PSG. They spend hundreds of millions and have very little to show for it in Europe. Madrid spends, but they spend smart. They bought Bellingham for €100m, which sounded like a lot at the time. Now? It looks like a bargain. They got Vinícius and Rodrygo as teenagers from Brazil for relatively "small" fees in the grand scheme of things.
The European Cup isn't just won on the pitch in May. It's won in the scouting departments in November and the boardrooms in July.
What’s Next for the Competition?
The 2025 final is headed to Munich. The Allianz Arena. Bayern will be desperate to win it on home soil, just like they tried (and failed) to do in 2012 against Chelsea.
If you're betting, you'd be brave to bet against the defending champions. The question of who won the European Cup has become predictable, yet the drama of how they win it remains the best reality TV on earth.
Actionable Takeaways for Football Fans
If you want to follow the next cycle of the European Cup and actually understand what’s happening beneath the surface, here is what you should do:
- Watch the "Swiss Model" Standings: Don't just look at individual games starting in late 2024. The new single-league table means goal difference against smaller teams will actually matter for seeding in the knockout rounds.
- Follow the Salary Caps: Keep an eye on the new UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR). Clubs are now limited to spending a certain percentage of their revenue on wages. This will eventually handicap teams with lower commercial income.
- Track the "Post-Kroos" Era: Watch how Madrid’s midfield functions without Toni Kroos. They have the physical beasts like Camavinga and Valverde, but they lack that specific passing rhythm. It might be the only way for other teams to catch them.
- Check the Coefficient: If you’re a fan of a mid-tier league (like the Eredivisie or the Portuguese Primeira Liga), the coefficient rankings determine how many teams your country gets in the competition. It matters more than ever with the expanded 36-team format.
The European Cup is the pinnacle. Whether you call it the Champions League or the old-school name, the trophy represents the highest level of human performance in sport. Real Madrid holds the crown. The rest of the world is just trying to find a way to take it from them. Good luck.