'A Por La 15': How Real Madrid won a record 15 UEFA Champions League titles

Interviewed on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch shortly after Real Madrid edged past Bayern Munich in dramatic fashion in the 2024 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, Jude Bellingham adorned a Los Blancos shirt with the words ‘A Por La 15’ emblazoned on it.

Translating as ‘All out for number 15’ in English, this motto is indicative of the relentless nature of Real Madrid’s pursuit for further success in the tournament they covet glory in most.

Bellingham and Co. sealed their record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title at Wembley Stadium after downing Borussia Dortmund in the final in June 2024.

The aftermath of Real’s dramatic 4-3 aggregate victory over Bayern was not the first time this type of celebratory t-shirt has been modelled on Los Blancos players, with this ritual having been previously carried out following the La Liga champions’ victories over Bavarian giants Bayern and Manchester City in the 2018 and 2022 editions of the tournament respectively.

This insatiable thirst to add to their enviable tally of UEFA Champions League crowns arcs back to the club’s desperate desire to secure their 10th European title – ‘La Decima’ – having gone 12 years without success in the competition following their 2002 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park.

Real would secure La Decima in memorable fashion in Lisbon in 2014, trouncing city rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in extra time after being tied at 1-1 following 90 minutes.

Since that historic night in Lisbon, Real have gone on to accrue five further UEFA Champions League titles – including three in a row between 2015 and 2018 – to reinforce their status as the competition’s undisputed kings.

We take a look back through the archives at Real’s 15 continental conquests.

1) 1955/56 – Real Madrid 4-3 Reims

13th June 1956 - Parc des Princes, Paris

The final of the inaugural European Cup tournament in June 1956 saw reigning La Liga winners Real Madrid take on French champions Reims at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

Los Blancos had prevailed over Milan in the semi-finals, whilst Reims had overcome Hibernian of Scotland to take their place in the Paris showpiece.

In what developed into a thrilling affair, Reims raced into an early two-goal lead – with Michel Leblond and Jean Templin striking within the opening 10 minutes.

Real Madrid would settle into the final, however, with the two teams going in level at half-time as the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano and Hector Rial struck back for the Spaniards.

The goals would continue to flow in the second period, but it was Real Madrid who would ultimately come out on top to clinch a 4-3 win and seal their first European Cup triumph, with Rial’s second of the match in the 79th minute proving decisive.

2) 1956/57 – Real Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina

30th May 1957 - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

The second of their record five-year winning streak in the competition, Real Madrid retained their European Cup title in 1957 with a 2-0 victory over Italians Fiorentina in the final in their own backyard of the Santiago Bernabeu.

In front of an enormous crowd of 124,000 spectators, Los Blancos eventually ran out comfortable 2-0 victors, with Alfredo Di Stefano netting in his second successive European final from the spot and fellow club legend Paco Gento adding the crucial second.

Di Stefano’s penalty prompted controversy, with Dutch referee Leo Horn ignoring an offside flag from his linesman in the lead-up, and the foul appearing to have been committed outside the box.

3) 1957/58 – Real Madrid 3-2 Milan

28th May 1958 - Heysel Stadium, Brussels

The all-conquering Real Madrid side of the 1950s completed three European Cup triumphs in a row when edging Milan 3-2 after extra time in the 1957 final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

All three of Los Blancos’ goalscorers had history of netting in a European final, with Alfredo Di Stefano and Hector Rial both bagging in a 2-2 draw with their Italian counterparts in 90 minutes.

A scorer in the previous year’s final victory over Fiorentina, it was Paco Gento’s 107th minute goal which eventually saw Real prevail over a strong Milan outfit in the Belgian capital.

4) 1958/59 – Real Madrid 2-0 Reims

3rd June 1959 - Neckarstadion, Stuttgart

Familiar foes would be awaiting Real Madrid in the 1959 European Cup final, as Reims stood in the way of Los Blancos in a fourth straight tournament win in a repeat of the competition’s first ever final in 1956.

Real would again get the better of their French rivals, this time in more straightforward fashion than their seven-goal thriller four years previously, as Enrique Mateos and Alfredo Di Stefano hit the net in Stuttgart to secure a 2-0 win for the Spaniards.

This victory over Reims in the 1959 final would not only mark the fourth consecutive European Cup win for Real, but the fourth time in a row the iconic Di Stefano had struck in the competition’s final.

5) 1959/60 – Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankurt

18th May 1960 - Hampden Park, Glasgow

Real Madrid’s fifth European Cup crown would be delivered in style, with a 7-3 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hampden final arguably one of the finest team performances of all time.

The highest-scoring final in the history of the competition to this day, Hungarian icon Ferenc Puskas’ four-goal haul also remains a record, with a hat-trick from the ever-dazzling Di Stefano completing the emphatic scoreline.

A mesmeric display from two of the sport’s all-time greats, Puskas and Di Stefano are two of only three players to have notched a hat-trick in a European Cup final, alongside Pierino Prati of Milan in 1969.

6) 1965/66 – Real Madrid 2-1 Partizan

11th May 1966 - Heysel Stadium, Brussels

Following a record five successive European Cup triumphs, Real Madrid would have to wait six years to get their hands on their sixth title in May 1966 at the site of their 1958 success at Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Only two members of the starting XI from the 1960 final triumph against Eintracht Frankfurt remained – defender Pachin and evergreen forward Paco Gento – with Real Madrid seeing off Partizan Belgrade 2-1 having gone a goal down.

7) 1997/98 - Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus

20th May 1998 - Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam

If Real Madrid thought six years without a European Cup was tough to endure, the club would be forced to wait a staggering 32 years to collect their seventh crown.

Real’s first taste of success in the competition since its rebranding to the UEFA Champions League in 1992, Los Blancos ran out 1-0 winners over Juventus in the 1998 final in Amsterdam with Predrag Mijatovic – a former Partizan Belgrade player – scoring the winner in the 66th minute.

8) 1999/00 – Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia

24th May 2000 - Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Real Madrid would be back at the top of European football two years later in Paris, with Los Blancos racing to a 3-0 win over compatriots Valencia in the first final between two teams from the same nation in the competition’s history.

Fernando Morientes headed Real in front after 39 minutes, before a stunning volley from Englishman Steve McManaman and a breakaway goal from Spanish icon Raul confirmed Vicente del Bosque’s side’s glory in France.

9) 2001/02 – Real Madrid 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen

15th May 2002 - Hampden Park, Glasgow

Again requiring just two years to get their hands on their latest UEFA Champions League trophy, Real Madrid returned to the battleground of one of the most famous night’s in the club’s history – Los Blancos’ 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Cup final of 1960.

Real would again be met by German opposition at Hampden, this time in the form of Bayer Leverkusen, and once again they would prevail.

The Spaniards took an early lead through Raul on eight minutes, but Bayer would level shortly after through Brazil international defender Lucio just six minutes later.

The 2002 final would ultimately be settled by one of the finest goals in football history, as French genius Zinedine Zidane plucked the ball out of the Glasgow sky to divert a sensational left-foot volley into the roof of the net.

10) 2013/14 – Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid 4-1 aet

24th May 2014 - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon

Following the magic of Zidane at Hampden Park, Real Madrid would be forced to wait over a decade for an elusive 10th UEFA Champions League crowned – labelled ‘La Decima’.

The pursuit of La Decima looked set to go on as Uruguayan defender Diego Godin headed Atletico Madrid in front in the 2014 final – the first between two teams from the same city - only for Sergio Ramos to net a dramatic 93rd minute equaliser to send the Lisbon showpiece into extra time.

Perhaps as a result of the mental turmoil of losing such a late equaliser, Atletico floundered in extra time as Real eventually ran out 4-1 winners with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo all finding the net.

11) 2015/16 – Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (5-3 on pens)

28th May 2016 - San Siro, Milan

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid would lock horns in the UEFA Champions League final again in the San Siro two years later in an even closer affair.

Level at 1-1 after 90 minutes following goals from Sergio Ramos and Yannick Carrasco for each side, the 2016 final would be settled on penalties – with Cristiano Ronaldo netting the decisive kick to seal Zinedine Zidane’s side’s 11th UEFA Champions League success after Juanfran had missed for Atleti.

12) 2016/17 – Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus

3rd June 2017 - Millenium Stadium, Cardiff

Club legend Zidane steered Real to back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles the following year, with Los Blancos comfortably overcoming Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff.

A prime Cristiano Ronaldo sent Real in front in the 20th minute, only for Juve to level through a sensational acrobatic volley from Croatian Mario Mandzukic seven minutes later.

The Spanish giants would ultimately prove too strong for the Old Lady, however, with Ronaldo completing a brace and further goals from Casemiro and Marco Asensio securing a resounding victory in the Welsh capital.

13) 2017/18 – Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

26th May 2018 - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadum, Kyiv

2018 saw Real Madrid become the first side in the UEFA Champions League era, and first overall since Bayern Munich in 1976, to win the competition three years in a row, this time conquering English opponents Liverpool in the final in Kyiv.

Karim Benzema capitalised on an error from Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius to give Real Madrid the lead in the 51st minute, but the Premier League side struck back quickly just four minutes later courtesy of Sadio Mane.

The Kyiv final would go on to be decided by substitute Gareth Bale, who restored Los Blancos’ lead with an outrageous bicycle kick - one of the competition’s all-time great goals – before sealing a 3-1 victory as his long-range effort was fumbled into his own net by Karius.

14) 2021/22 – Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool

28th May 2022 - Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Real Madrid’s 14th and latest UEFA Champions League crown would see them get the better of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the final again, this time in a cagier affair at the Stade de France.

Los Blancos’ second Champions League success at the Stade de France, Carlo Ancelotti’s charges were able to sneak past a flat Liverpool side 1-0 with Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr scoring the final’s only goal from a Federico Valverde cross in the 59th minute.

Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory in Paris was remarkably their seventh UEFA Champions League final victory in a row dating back to the 1998 showpiece against Juventus in Amsterdam.

15) 2023/24 - Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

1st June 2024 - Wembley Stadium, London

Driven by their pursuit of a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League trophy - 'A Por La 15' - Real Madrid set up a final meeting with Borussia Dortmund at Wembley after overcoming RB Leipzig, Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the knockout phase.

This final would be a particularly memorable occasion for England international midfielder Jude Bellingham, who was not only contesting his first ever Champions League final but also coming up against the club he had joined Real Madrid from just one year previously.

Los Blancos entered the final as significant favourites over Edin Terzic's BVB, but it was the Germans who started the match on the front foot with Karim Adeyemi missing two big chances and Niclas Fullkurg hitting the post.

In typical Real fashion, Los Blancos would punish their opposition for their missed opportunities with Dani Carvajal netting from a corner in the 74th minute in what was his sixth appearance in a UEFA Champions League final.

Brazilian Vinicius Jr would wrap up the honours for Real Madrid nine minutes later, running onto a Bellingham pass to slot past Gregor Kobel in the Dortmund goal and send Madridistas all around the globe into raptures.