Real Madrid Wins UEFA Champions League as Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History By Scoring in 3 Finals

Real Madrid become the first team to win back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles in the Champions League era, beating Juventus 4-1.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 to win the Champions League final in Cardiff on Saturday, the first team to retain the title in 27 years.

The sides were level 1-1 at half-time after Ronaldo scored in the 20th minute and Juve’s Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic equalised seven minutes later. But after the break Real went on the rampage with Casemiro restoring Real’s lead on 61 minutes, Ronaldo firing in the third and Marco Asensio supplying the killer blow on 90 minutes. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player to score in three UEFA Champions League finals following his strike in the 20th minute of Real Madrid's 4-1 win against Juventus in Cardiff.

The Portugal forward's made history with that opener and then his second ensured he overtook Lionel Messi as this season's competition top scorer on 12, and took his UEFA Champions League-record career tally to 105. Ronaldo had previously scored a late penalty for Madrid when they beat Atlético 4-1 after extra time in Lisbon three years ago and also registered in Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea in Moscow in 2008, though he missed in the shoot-out win. Sergio Ramos also scored in the 2014 final and repeated the trick last year.

Raúl González had been the first player to find the net in two UEFA Champions League finals, for Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002, with Samuel Eto'o matching him in Barcelona's victories in 2006 and 2009. Messi, meanwhile, struck against Manchester United both in Rome in 2009 and at Wembley in 2011.

In European Cup terms, Alfredo Di Stéfano remains out in front having played and scored in the competition's first five finals, all won by Madrid. He was the only player to have notched in more than two finals before Ronaldo's strike in Cardiff. Di Stéfano and his Madrid team-mate Ferenc Puskás also share the European Cup record of seven final goals apiece.

Before tonight, only Ronaldo and Velibor Vasović of Partizan and Ajax had scored in finals for two different clubs. Mario Mandžukić – on target for Bayern against Dortmund at Wembley in 2013 and again in Cardiff – emulated that achievement tonight.