Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior etched their names in Real Madrid’s storied history as their goals secured a hard-fought 2-0 triumph over a tenacious Borussia Dortmund side in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. Despite Early efforts from Federico Valverde and the well-marshalled Vinícius Júnior, Los Blancos struggled to assert their dominance, while Dortmund displayed a cutting edge that lacked only the final touch.
Karim Adeyemi was the driving force behind Dortmund’s threat, narrowly denied by a last-ditch tackle from Dani Carvajal after rounding Thibaut Courtois, and then testing the Madrid goalkeeper from Julian Brandt’s precise through ball, with Niclas Füllkrug unable to convert the rebound. Füllkrug himself had earlier struck the post from Ian Maatsen’s pass, and the first half ended with Courtois once again called into action, pushing Marcel Sabitzer’s long-range effort wide.
A pensive Carlo Ancelotti emerged for the second half, deep in discussions with the industrious Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos. Kroos, playing his final game for the club, assumed added responsibility, forcing Gregor Kobel into action for the first time with a whipped free-kick. Undeterred, Dortmund remained composed and positive, with Courtois standing tall to deny Füllkrug’s stinging header just after the hour mark.
Just when it seemed Madrid might succumb, an unlikely hero emerged. Carvajal, determined to etch his name in history by playing in a record-equaling sixth Champions League-winning team, rose highest to head in Kroos’s corner. With the fear Ancelotti had warned his players about now banished, Bellingham and Nacho came close to doubling the lead before Vinícius Júnior applied the finishing touch, receiving Bellingham’s pass and sweeping his finish across Kobel to seal Madrid’s 15th European crown.