They win their sixth Champions League and equal Gento’s record

58 years have had to pass for the legend Paco People Don’t be the only one to have won six European Cups. Four footballers from real Madrid join La Galerna del Cantábrico after the victory in Wembley against him Borussia Dortmund. Are Tony Kroos, Luke Modric, Danny Carvajal and Nacho Fernandez.

Gento won the first five European Cups consecutively (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960) and added his sixth in 1966, at the age of 32. For the latter, won against Partizan in Heysel (2-1), the white locker room had already said goodbye to the Alfredo di Stefano -which was in the previous five- or Ferenc Puskas.

Kroos, Modric, Carvajal and Nacho join this select club after winning The Fifteenth. The finishing touch to a prodigious decade that began with The Tenthin Lisbonwith the goal of Sergio Ramos in the 93rd minute, and five more titles followed: the three in a row between 2016 and 2018 and the most recent, in 2022 and now in 2024. Of the four, only Toni missed La Décima, but he had already won the Champions League with the Bayern Munich in 2013 – curiously, also at Wembley -.

The Champions of 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024. The ‘club of five’ is now the club of six, together with Paco Gento. Kroos, Modric, Carvajal and Nacho are those who remain of an unforgettable group that was logically reduced over time.

Among the players with the most European Cup titles there are up to ten players who have been part of this golden era of Madrid. More than half left: first Christian Ronaldowho had already won the Champions League in 2008 with Manchester United and that is why he left with five ‘Orejonas’ without reaching the 2022 final with Madrid. Yes they were Gareth bale, Karim Benzema, Marcelo, Casemiro and Iscowho won what they won only by wearing white.

Nacho, Carvajal, Modric and Kroos represent the old guard of the current Madrid squad. The players who continue to transmit the club’s values ​​year after year to the young people who arrive, such as they could be Bellingham and Burn Güler last year. Both, aged 20 and 19, are living a dream in their first season at the club and are supported by the older players.

deserves special mention Luke Vazquez, another of the veterans of the Madrid locker room. The Galician full-back trained in the white youth academy and has been in the first team since 2015. He was not yet in La Décima, but he was from La Undécima in Milan, where he was fundamental with his goal in the penalty shootout. After Wembley, he has five ‘Orejonas’ and climbs to the second step of the European record.

The end of an era?

This title represents a turning point. Kroos played in the final against Borussia Dortmund in his last game with Real Madrid, as he announced his retirement once he plays next. Euro Cup with Germany. Toni says goodbye to the white club with a perfect closing, after having already had in the Santiago Bernabeu a goodbye from the fans of those who make your hair stand on end.

Kroos leaves and Luka Modric almost certainly stays. The Croatian midfielder, who will turn 39 in September, was clear for a good part of the season that this would be his last at Real Madrid – not actively. But everything took a turn recently, after understanding the importance of him in the secondary role that Ancelotti now gives him: Luka will renew for another year and aims to retire in white.

The doubt remains Nacho. He also ends his contract on June 30 and it is not known what he will do after lifting the titles as captain. League and Champions League. He had an emotional moment Cybele in the league celebration and he will be able to have it again this Sunday. After looking more outside than inside, and pointing to the MLSNacho is still not clear and will announce in the coming days what he does with his career.

It is clearer with Carvajal, who already has a contract until 2025 and everything indicates that he will soon extend for another year, until 2026. The full-back is the youngest of all, since he turned 32 in January, and still It has a rope for a while. Lucas Vázquez will also continue, who will extend his contract for another year.