Real Madrid owes it its 15th UEFA Champions League title Dani Carvajal's header secured a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday. The Spanish giants were made to sweat at times by their German opponents – especially when Niclas Fullkrug hit the post in the first half and was offside in the second – but Carlo Ancelotti's men snatched victory.
Vinicius Junior doubled Real's lead in the final ten minutes in the English capital, with Jude Bellingham saving a rather anonymous performance with an assist for the Brazilian. Toni Kroos stood out a little more than the England international in his final game in club football, providing service for Carvajal's opener, although it took until the final 16 minutes for both goals to be scored.
Now that Real's latest continental triumph has been confirmed, attention will turn to what comes next and the answer to that is obvious: Kylian Mbappé. The French superstar is expected to be confirmed as the La Liga giants' final major signing as early as next week ahead of his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but he won't be the only change to this squad.
Dortmund exposed the vulnerabilities Real have had all season and came closer than most to exposing them, even threatening an upset after a dominant first-half performance. But by the time they hit full-time, the natural order was restored and European football's dominant force emerged victorious, adding another title to their trophy cabinet without even breaking a sweat.
With Mbappe and Endrick arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu and other potential new faces such as Leny Yoro also linked to Real, the curtain has fallen on Kroos and the same could happen to captain Nacho Fernandez. Kepa Arrizabalaga's loan expires and he returns to Chelsea having made minimal impact apart from confirming Andriy Lunin's back-up status.
The Ukraine international is expected to extend his contract to remain at Los Merengues, along with Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez, who could potentially sign a short-term extension as Ancelotti rebuilds parts of the current group. Rodrygo will logically revert to a team role after a subdued performance against Dortmund, while hero Joselu was only loaned from Espanyol in the semi-final.
Perhaps most impressive is the number of regular starters who should be fully fit again next season, with Thibaut Courtois another UCL winner after his last clean sheet in a final and Eder Militao and David Alaba also to be reckoned with. Add to that the precocious young talent Arda Guler and that is actually four virtually new signings for Ancelotti, in addition to Mbappé and Endrick.
Kroos will leave a substantial hole in the middle, but Modric remaining could soften the immediate impact of that loss, both from a technical and leadership perspective. Elsewhere, Nacho might not have played so heavily had Militao and Alaba not been seriously injured, and Lunin might have been able to pack his bags had he not been impressed in Courtois' absence before Kepa.
Rodrygo may be the one to keep an eye on ahead of Mbappe's arrival, but there is no guarantee as to how Ancelotti will choose to continue with the France captaincy until next season. There are several variations of how Real Vini Jr. and Bellingham can put Mbappe and Rodrygo on the pitch, but chances are someone won't be completely happy.
That promises to be the problem of the next campaign, however, as there is a moment for collective and personal celebration as Real and Ancelotti write further history for the Spanish and European kings, despite it seeming like just another day at the office . Perhaps the most frightening prospect of all: Mbappe joining a team that is already effortlessly dominant without him.
