Vinicius Junior put his side ahead in the 59th minute when he slid a low cross from Federico Valverde beyond Alisson. Later, Thibaut Courtois made an important save on Mohamed Salah to preserve the narrow advantage. To win the tournament, Real Madrid toppled Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the knockout rounds before besting the Reds in the final.

“I can’t believe it,” said manager Carlo Ancelotti to BT Sport. “We had a fantastic season. We did really well. It was a difficult game and we suffered a lot, more so in the first half. In the end, I think we deserved to win this competition.

“We’re really happy. What can I say? I can’t say more. “I am a record man. I was lucky enough to come here last year and have a fantastic season. A fantastic club, a really good squad with a lot of quality and mental character.”