Real Madrid became the first club to retain the Champions League title in the modern era in 2017.
The Spanish side defeated Juventus 4–1 in the final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on 3 June 2017. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, while Casemiro and Marco Asensio added the other goals. The victory gave Madrid their 12th European Cup or Champions League crown.
“Retain” means successfully win the competition in consecutive seasons. Madrid had lifted the trophy in 2016 by beating Atlético Madrid on penalties, then returned to the final and overcame Juventus the following year. Before 2017, several defending champions had reached the final but failed to win it again, including Milan in 1995, Ajax in 1996, Juventus in 1997 and Manchester United in 2009.
The wording “modern era” refers to the Champions League era after the European Cup was rebranded in 1992–93. Real Madrid later extended their dominance by winning the 2018 final, completing three titles in four seasons.