On May 26, 2018, in Kyiv, Real Madrid lifted its third consecutive Champions League trophy after a 3-1 victory over Liverpool. No team had achieved this feat since the competition switched to its modern format in 1992–1993. This article recounts how Real Madrid won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 under Zinédine Zidane, with a core group of players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, and Marcelo.
Three finals, three different opponents, three distinct scenarios. Milan 2016 against Atlético Madrid, Cardiff 2017 against Juventus, Kiev 2018 against Liverpool. Each of these finals tells a unique story, and together they form one of the greatest periods of European dominance in modern soccer.
The situation before Zidane's arrival
At the start of the 2015–2016 season, Real Madrid was going through a rough patch. Carlo Ancelotti had been fired in the summer of 2015 despite winning La Décima in 2014, and his successor, Rafael Benítez, was struggling to win over the fans. The team’s play was deemed timid, their La Liga performances inconsistent, and the relationship between Florentino Pérez, the coach, and the locker room was rapidly deteriorating. On January 4, 2016, after six difficult months, Benítez was fired.
To replace him, Florentino Pérez made a bold choice: Zinédine Zidane, then coach of Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team. The Frenchman had no experience coaching a professional first team and was thrust directly onto the bench of one of the most demanding clubs in the world. It was a risky gamble, but it would prove to be historic.
To understand how this club structure has fostered the development of coaches from within, our feature on La Fábrica details the role of the youth teams and Castilla in training the club’s coaching staff.
Milan 2016: The Madrid Derby Against Atlético
May 28, 2016, Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan. Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid—the second Madrid derby in a Champions League final, following the one in Lisbon in 2014. Diego Simeone’s Colchoneros arrived hungry for revenge after squandering their chance two years earlier.
Sergio Ramos opened the scoring in the 15th minute off a deflection from a free kick taken by Toni Kroos. Atlético missed a penalty before halftime (Antoine Griezmann hit the crossbar), but eventually equalized through Yannick Carrasco in the 79th minute. Extra time yielded no goals, and the match went to a penalty shootout. Juanfran hit the post for the Colchoneros, and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the decisive penalty kick. Real Madrid lifted their eleventh European Cup (5-3 on penalties, 1-1 after extra time).
This is Zidane’s first Champions League title as a coach. At 43, after just a few months on the bench, he has become the first Frenchman to win the competition both as a player (in 2002) and as a coach. A statistic that sums up the uniqueness of his career.
Cardiff 2017: The Showdown Against Juventus
June 3, 2017, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Real Madrid vs. Juventus. The Bianconeri reached the final after a remarkable season, with Gianluigi Buffon in goal and a defense known for being impenetrable (three goals conceded in 12 European Cup matches leading up to the final). Real Madrid, meanwhile, had just won La Liga after a five-year wait, under the leadership of Zidane.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 20th minute, and Mario Mandžukić equalized in the 27th with a spectacular overhead kick. At halftime, the score was 1-1, and anything was still possible. It was in the second half that Real Madrid finally turned the game around. Casemiro scored in the 61st minute (a deflected long-range shot), Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the lead in the 64th minute (four minutes later), and Marco Asensio sealed the victory in the 90th minute. Final score: 4-1.
This victory makes Real Madrid the first club to defend its title in the modern era of the Champions League, since the competition adopted its current format in 1992–1993. Prior to that, the last team to win back-to-back titles was AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, but under the former European Champion Clubs’ Cup format. A historic first.
Kiev 2018: Bale and the bicycle kick against Liverpool
May 26, 2018, NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv. Real Madrid faced Liverpool in a final billed as a clash of attacking forces. Mohamed Salah had just had his best season at Liverpool (44 goals in all competitions), and Cristiano Ronaldo was also on fire (44 goals this season as well). The match took a turn that no one had anticipated.
In the 26th minute, Salah injured his shoulder after a clash with Sergio Ramos and had to be carried off on a stretcher, which weakened Liverpool’s attack. Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 51st minute, capitalizing on a poor clearance by goalkeeper Loris Karius. Sadio Mané equalized in the 55th minute. Then Zidane brought on Gareth Bale in the 61st minute to replace Karim Benzema.
Two minutes later, Bale scored a memorable goal: off a cross from Marcelo, the Welshman executed a perfect acrobatic bicycle kick that found the top right corner of Karius’s net (63rd minute). Twenty minutes later, in the 83rd minute, he scored again with a long-range shot that the German goalkeeper let slip through his hands. Final score: 3-1. Real Madrid won its thirteenth European Cup and its third in a row.
Zinedine Zidane's contribution on the bench
Three Champions League titles in two and a half years as manager: Zidane is the first coach to achieve this feat in the competition’s modern format. His approach stands in stark contrast to that of his predecessors. No rigid system imposed on the players, but rather a style adapted to the available roster. A highly nuanced approach to managing the team, capable of keeping stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Luka Modrić motivated throughout the season.
His relationship with the locker room is one of the keys to his success. A club legend and winner of the 2002 European Cup as a player, he enjoys a natural rapport with the players. His tactical decisions are sometimes criticized by commentators (limited rotations, apparent conservatism), but they produce results. And in soccer, that’s the only thing that matters.
On May 31, 2018, five days after the victory in Kiev, Zidane announced his surprise resignation. At 45, at the height of his success, he chose to step back and let the club begin a new chapter. It was a surprising decision, but one that can be explained by his desire to leave at the top rather than face a less glorious end to his tenure.
The core of a European team
Beyond the coach, the team’s core is the true backbone of the treble. Sergio Ramos as the leader of the central defense, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal on the flanks, the midfield trio of Casemiro, Kroos, and Modrić dominating European play, Cristiano Ronaldo as the lethal striker, Karim Benzema as the advanced target man, and Gareth Bale as an additional offensive option. All of these players featured in all three finals (with only a few minutes missed) and embody the stability of the squad.
This team combines experience (Ramos, Modrić, Marcelo) with offensive firepower (Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale). Its athletic profile is particularly well-suited to knockout competitions: the ability to raise their game in two-legged ties, managing periods of pressure, and a knack for seizing the decisive moment. Zidane’s Real Madrid hasn’t always dominated its opponents territorially, but it has almost always found a way to deliver in the clutch.
In goal, Keylor Navas has started all three finals. The Costa Rican, who joined the club in 2014 from Levante, has established himself as a reliable goalkeeper in European competitions, despite facing stiff competition from Kiko Casilla and then the arrival of Thibaut Courtois in 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the offensive metronome
Over the three seasons in question, Cristiano Ronaldo was the team’s most consistent scorer in the Champions League. He finished as the competition’s top scorer in three consecutive seasons (16 goals in 2015–2016, 12 in 2016–2017, and 15 in 2017–2018). In the finals, he scored in Milan (on the decisive penalty kick) and in Cardiff (two goals, including the opener), without scoring in Kiev but contributing to the team’s overall offensive momentum.
His contribution goes beyond just the number of goals he scores. He is the player the team relies on in crucial moments, particularly in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, where he has often been decisive (notably with his memorable hat tricks against Atlético Madrid in 2017 and against Wolfsburg in 2016). His focus on European matches makes him the X-factor for this team on the continental stage.
The summer of 2018 marked his departure for Juventus in Turin for approximately €100 million. A new chapter begins for Real Madrid, which will need to find another attacking player to maintain its dominance in Europe. To understand this transition and the arrival of other stars, our feature on Real Madrid’s Galácticos traces the club’s recruitment strategy since Florentino Pérez took over.
Why this feat remains unique in the modern era
Three consecutive Champions League titles is a feat that no one has matched in the competition’s modern era (since 1992–1993). Manchester United (1999, 2008) and Bayern Munich (2013, 2020) have won multiple trophies, but never three in a row. Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015) dominated its era, but never managed to win back-to-back titles.
Several factors account for this unusual situation. Competition has become more open, with a growing number of teams capable of beating the best in a single game. The physical demands of a 60-game season have become extreme, with top-tier teams suffering serious injuries every year. And the schedule itself makes it very difficult to establish any lasting dominance.
Real Madrid’s 2016–2018 treble therefore remains, to this day, the greatest collective achievement in modern European soccer. This milestone is part of the club’s long tradition of winning five consecutive European Cups between 1956 and 1960 under Bernabéu, a feat that puts into perspective our feature on Real Madrid’s first European Cups.
Key Takeaways
- Real Madrid won three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018, a feat unmatched in the competition’s modern history (since 1992–1993).
- Milan 2016: 1-1 against Atlético Madrid after extra time, 5-3 victory in a penalty shootout, goal by Sergio Ramos in the first half.
- Cardiff 2017: 4–1 against Juventus, with a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo and goals from Casemiro and Asensio.
- Kiev 2018: 3–1 against Liverpool, with a goal by Karim Benzema and a brace by Gareth Bale, including a legendary acrobatic bicycle kick.
- Zinédine Zidane was the coach for all three finals; he took over as head coach in January 2016 and resigned at the end of May 2018.
- The core lineup: Ramos, Modrić, Kroos, Casemiro, Marcelo, Carvajal, Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, and Navas in goal.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has been the top scorer in the Champions League for three consecutive seasons.
Learn more
The European treble is part of a longer-standing Real Madrid tradition. To explore other aspects of the club’s history, we recommend our features on the complete history of Real Madrid, the early European Cups that laid the foundation for the club’s European legacy, Florentino Pérez’s Galácticos, and Iker Casillas’s career as Real Madrid captain prior to the Zidane era.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Real Madrid win three consecutive Champions League titles?
Real Madrid won three consecutive Champions League titles in the 2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2017–2018 seasons under coach Zinedine Zidane. The three finals were held in Milan, Cardiff, and Kyiv.
Who were Real's opponents in those three finals?
Atlético Madrid in Milan in 2016 (1-1, then 5-3 on penalties), Juventus in Cardiff in 2017 (4-1), and Liverpool in Kiev in 2018 (3-1). Three different opponents and three distinct scenarios.
What role did Zinédine Zidane play in this treble?
Zidane took over as Real Madrid manager on January 4, 2016, replacing Rafael Benítez. He won three consecutive Champions League titles in two and a half years, before announcing his resignation on May 31, 2018, five days after the victory in Kiev.
Who scored the acrobatic bicycle kick in the 2018 final?
It was Gareth Bale who scored the acrobatic bicycle kick in the 63rd minute of the 2018 final in Kiev, off a cross from Marcelo, after coming on as a substitute two minutes earlier for Karim Benzema. He scored a second goal in the 83rd minute to make the score 3-1.
Has this feat ever been matched?
No, to date, no club has won three consecutive Champions Leagues under the competition’s modern format (since 1992–1993). The last consecutive three-peat was achieved by Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975, and 1976, under the former European Champion Clubs’ Cup format.
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