Real Madrid won the Champions League for a record 14th time by defeating Liverpool 1-0.
The Spanish team won the Champions League final thanks to a goal from Vinicius Junior just before the hour mark.
Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper, was crucial in keeping Jurgen Klopp’s side out with a string of brilliant saves.
Madrid’s victory in Paris capped a spectacular Champions League run that included victories over Chelsea and Manchester City.
Liverpool had won both domestic cup competitions and was on the verge of completing an unprecedented quadruple.
However, before Madrid’s victory tonight, they almost lost the Premier League crown to Manchester City last week.
Masterclass in courtois
The English squad couldn’t get past Courtois, who deflected Sadio Mane’s first-half effort into the post and made an even greater stop in the 81st minute to deny Mohamed Salah.
Madrid has solidified its position as European soccer’s king, having won twice as many European Cups as AC Milan, which is ranked second on the list. Liverpool was able to keep their six-point lead.
The final was marred by pre-match crowd concerns, which will undoubtedly be the subject of a UEFA and authorities probe in the coming days.
There were still long queues of Liverpool fans waiting to be admitted to the stadium 45 minutes before kickoff, and there were intermittent incidents of fans breaching security and racing onto the concourse.
Two people were pulled to the ground by stewards and hauled out of the stadium, according to the Associated Press, while others made it all the way in.
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As riot police used tear gas on Liverpool fans in the lines, and some people were seen leaping the railings, the situation began to spiral out of control. Officers armed with batons and riot shields went from gate to gate, preventing pockets of supporters from gaining access to the stadium without having purchased tickets.
An announcement was made around 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time of 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), blaming the late arrival of fans at the stadium for the delay. Because those spectators had previously endured long lines, it was met with jeers inside the stadium.
