Every player to win the Champions League & Euros in the same year: Spain trio join exclusive club
England’s Jude Bellingham agonising missed out on joining an exclusive club of just 11 players that have won both the Champions League and the European Championship in the same season.
But a few of Bellingham’s Real Madrid team-mates have joined the club, following Spain’s 2-1 Euro 2024 final victory over England.
We’ve taken a look at every player to complete the brilliant double.
Nacho
There was understandably a lot of attention paid to Toni Kroos’ European football swansong after the era-defining midfielder decided to call it quits, waving goodbye to the club game with the Champions League for a sixth(!) time. He didn’t get his perfect send-off, though, as hosts Germany were defeated by Spain in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
There’s been less attention paid to Nacho, such a loyal and dependable servant to Los Blancos over the years. Injuries elsewhere meant that he played more than he might’ve expected in 2023-24, but as ever he stepped up and barely put a foot wrong, captaining Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double.
The 34-year-old didn’t get into Spain’s starting XI, but he played a vital role off the bench and produced a composed display when drafted in for La Roja’s semi-final victory over France. He also helped see out the victory over England in the Berlin final.
Nacho has left Madrid and signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah. We can’t see him sticking around for the next World Cup. But what a way to go out. The World Cup is now the only thing missing from his glittering CV.
Dani Carvajal
The right-back hasn’t always received his dues, but there’s no arguing with his record.
He was the only one of Madrid’s players to start all six of their Champions League triumphs between 2013 and 2014 – no player in history has started as many European Cup final victories – and marked the occasion by scoring the vital opener in the hard-fought 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Carvajal’s summer got even better by starring for Spain as they won all seven matches at Euro 2024, deservedly taking home the trophy. A double yellow against Germany kept him out of the semi-final against France but he returned to produce yet another assured final performance against England.
Joselu
Once a punchline from his time with Stoke and Newcastle, Joselu has enjoyed the last laugh with a frankly ridiculous season on loan from second-tier Espanyol.
The striker only actually started three of Madrid and Spain’s matches in the Champions League and Euro 2024 – all in the group stages and two of them dead rubbers – but he can consider himself a massive part of Madrid’s latest Champions League, having produced an unforgettable late double in the semi-final against Bayern Munich.
There wasn’t quite the same fairytale moment for Spain at Euro 2024, but his super-sub services weren’t ever really required. Joselu; a European champion for his club and country. Who’d have thought it?
Jorginho
The midfielder’s heart would have been in his mouth after Jordan Pickford saved his potential title-winning penalty at Euro 2020 but thankfully for him, Gianluigi Donnarumma was on hand to bail him out.
Jorginho was wedged at the heart of Roberto Mancini’s winning side and after Thomas Tuchel arrived at Chelsea, he was also a mainstay at Stamford Bridge.
He would later go on to lift the Club World Cup with Chelsea before eventually securing a surprise move to Arsenal in 2023.
Emerson
Emerson only started two games in Chelsea’s run to Champions League glory, and none beyond the first leg of their quarter-final with Porto, but his goal against Atletico Madrid ensured he left his mark.
An injury to the buccaneering Leonardo Spinazzola’s in Italy’s quarter-final gave the left-back his opportunity on the biggest stage in 2021 and he deputised admirably against Spain and England.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The first of Real Madrid’s three Champions Leagues in a row came in 2016 and it was also the year Ronaldo finally tasted success on an international stage.
After netting the winning penalty against Atletico Madrid at the San Siro two months earlier, he carried his country into the final before limping off with an injury early on in the fire.
But after taking on the role of manager on the sidelines, Ronaldo spurred his side on to glory.
Pepe
Another key cog in both the Madrid and Portugal sides of 2016.
The talismanic centre-back played 120 minutes of both finals, although he was forced to miss the semi-final of the Euros with an injury.
More amazingly, he only received three yellow cards across both tournaments. Remarkable.
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Fernando Torres
2012 was a strange season for Fernando Torres. He was not the first choice in attack with either Spain or Chelsea yet he was still viewed as an integral part of both squads.
Still, his impact was felt. The breakaway goal against Barcelona to secure the Blues’ spot in the final and even a goal against Italy in the Euro 2012 showpiece.
Even though he only scored three goals in Poland and Ukraine, his assist for Juan Mata in the final secured him the golden boot.
Juan Mata
That cross for Didier Drogba in the Champions League final, a neat finish in the Euro 2012 final. It was quite the year for Mata.
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Ronald Koeman
Koeman lifted the Champions League in its former guise of the European Cup in 1988 with PSV, the same year the Netherlands went all the way at the Euros.
He netted a penalty in a semi-final win over Germany before the Marco van Basten inspired side beat the Soviet Union in Munich.
Hans van Breukelen
The goalkeeper played every minute of every match of both the Netherlands’ Euro ’88 triumph and PSV’s European Championship triumph.
He was the hero in their final clash with Benfica too, saving Antonio Veloso’s penalty in the shootout. It remains the club’s only triumph in the competition to date.
Barry van Aerle
The third member of PSV’s side to complete the double in ’88.
Predominantly a right-back, Van Aerle was deployed in midfield throughout the Netherlands campaign in Germany and also played every minute of every game in both tournaments.
Gerald Vanenburg
Oh, go on then, just one more from that team!
Vanenburg made the move from Ajax to PSV in 1986 and it was a good job he did. Two years later the right-winger was being weighed down by gold medals.
Luis Suarez
No not that one. This legendary Spanish midfielder lifted the Henri Delauney trophy in 1964, the same year his Inter Milan side won the first of successive European Cups.
In the same year, he came so close to making it a glorious hat-trick, coming second in the final standings for the Ballon d’Or. Dennis Law just pipped him, however.