Real Madrid win Champions League: Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior see off Dortmund

Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior scored the goals as Real Madrid overcame a spirited Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to win the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

Match in brief: Dortmund made to pay by clinical Madrid

Dani Carvajal heads Real Madrid in frontGetty Images

Edin Terzić had issued a rallying cry to his Dortmund players before the game, saying: "If we are brave then we're going to have a chance." BVB were more than brave in the first half, they were fearless in the face of the 14-time winners and created a host of chances that should have resulted in a half-time lead.

Early sighters from Federico Valverde and the otherwise well-marshalled Vinícius Júnior were as effective as Los Blancos could be, while Dortmund displayed a far greater cutting edge bar the final finish.

Karim Adeyemi was central to their threat. The winger was only denied by a last-ditch tackle from Dani Carvajal after rounding Thibaut Courtois then tested the Madrid No1 from Julian Brandt's pinpoint through ball, Niclas Füllkrug just unable to nod the rebound back towards goal.

In between, Füllkrug himself had prodded against the post from Ian Maatsen's pass, and the half ended with Courtois again called upon, this time to push Marcel Sabitzer's raking drive wide.

Thibaut Courtois denies Karim Adeyemi in the first halfAFP via Getty Images

A stern-faced Carlo Ancelotti emerged from the dressing room at half-time still in discussions with the often-overworked Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos, and the German midfielder, playing his last game for the club, took on added responsibility, calling Gregor Kobel into action for the first time with a whipped free-kick.

Dortmund remained unmoved, focused and positive. Though the contest's equilibrium had been restored, it was BVB who continued to prise the more presentable openings, Courtois standing tall to keep out a stinging Füllkrug header just after the hour mark.

Could Madrid find a way to turn the tide? They always seem to find a way – and this time would be no different. The source was perhaps unexpected, but Carvajal, determined to make history by playing in a joint-record sixth winning team in the final, rose highest to head in Kroos's corner.

Now the fear which Ancelotti had warned his players about before the showpiece was gone. Bellingham and Nacho came so close to adding a second before Vinícius Júnior did, receiving Bellingham's pass and sweeping his finish across Kobel to seal a 15th European crown for Madrid.

Vinícius Júnior wheels away after making it 2-0AFP via Getty Images

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)

"A very dynamic, disciplined and committed performance by the full-back, who gave a very solid defensive display. He constantly gave his team width and came up with the key moment of the game, showing belief and anticipation when he scored."
UEFA Technical Observer panel

Matthias Rötters, Dortmund reporter

After a strong first half from Dortmund, Madrid slowly regained a foothold in the contest. BVB were unable to find an answer to the second-half breakthrough from Carvajal. They looked to have the most successful side in this competition on the back foot at times tonight but, once again, it is the La Liga side who are celebrating.

Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter

In the amazing moments which won the semi-final against Bayern, it was German-born Joselu who beat Madrid's Bundesliga rivals. This time, it was a brilliant Mannschaft international Kroos, in his final match for Los Blancos, who crossed for a man, Carvajal, who cut his teeth at Leverkusen, to nod Madrid in front and break the deadlock. And the decisive second goal? Set up by an ex-Dortmund man, Bellingham. There was such a remarkable 'Made in Germany' feel to how Madrid won their fabled '15th'.

Niclas Füllkrug prods an effort against the post in the first halfAFP via Getty Images

Reaction 

Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid coach: "You never get accustomed to this. It was a very difficult, much more so than we thought it would be. In the first half, we had to suffer; in the second half, we lost the ball less and played better – but those are all trifling details now. We won. The dream continues."

Dani Carvajal, Madrid defender and Player of the Match: "We sure know how to suffer but, believe me, I'd love to win these matches more easily. I'd been coming up for corners most of the season. Determination is key to my approach – I'd headed one over and I just knew I had to score the second one!"

Toni Kroos, Madrid midfielder: "The decisive thing was that we didn't concede in the first half. The first half really wasn't good from us. Then we got into the game better and scored the goal. We were fully there and the better team. But it took a long time until we were the better team tonight."

Jude Bellingham, Madrid midfielder: "I've always dreamed of playing in these games. I can't put it into words. It's the best night of my life. It's got to be up there in terms of the perfect season. I can't have dreamed it much better than this. I'm so grateful to my team-mates, my family, the team behind the scenes: the physios, everyone there. This is a massive group effort."

Edin Terzić, Dortmund head coach: "We put in a great display and I think we deserved more than losing 2-0. From the first second, we showed the whole world that we weren't just here simply to play a final – but to win it. We did so many things right, but they were ice-cold at the right moment, which is what we lacked today."

Mats Hummels, Dortmund defender: "We had a great match. I’m super proud of the team for how we presented ourselves here. We played bravely, with heart, and played quality football. We only just missed out on scoring a goal. Real Madrid then strike, as they’ve done many times before."

Karim Adeyemi is denied by a last-ditch Dani Carvajal tackleAFP via Getty Images

Key stats

• Madrid have won the European Cup for a record 15th time.
• Los Blancos have been successful in each of their nine appearances in the final in the Champions League era.
• The Spanish side were unbeaten in their 13 Champions League matches this season (W9 D4). This is the first time they have won a European Cup/Champions League final without losing a match during the campaign.
• Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 18 European Cup/Champions League finals. That was in their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in 1981.
• Madrid have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 11 European Cup/Champions League finals. The last time was in their 3-1 defeat against Inter in 1964.
• Dani Carvajal scored for just the second time in the Champions League (group stage to final). His only other goal in his previous 88 appearances came in November 2015 against Shakhtar Donetsk.
• Vinícius Júnior became the first Brazilian to score in two different European Cup/Champions League finals.
• Luka Modrić and Dani Carvajal have matched Paco Gento's record by playing on the winning team in six European Cup/Champions League finals.
• Carlo Ancelotti has extended his record number of Champions League wins as a coach to five – two more than any other coach.

Fantasy star performers

Dani Carvajal: 16 points
Jude Bellingham, Nacho, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Thibaut Courtois: 7 points

Line-ups

Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Emre Can (Malen 80), Sabitzer; Adeyemi (Reus 72), Brandt (Haller 80), Sancho (Bynoe-Gittens 87); Füllkrug

Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos (Modrić 85), Camavinga; Bellingham (Joselu 85); Rodrygo (Éder Militão 90+1), Vinícius Júnior (Lucas Vázquez 90+4)

What's next?

UEFA via Getty Images

Madrid will take on UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw on Wednesday 14 August.

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League begins with the first qualifying round on 9/10 July; the draw takes place on Tuesday 18 June.

Madrid and Dortmund will enter next season's competition in the new-look league phase, the draw for which takes place on Thursday 29 August.