Real Madrid’s Champions League three peat under Zinedine Zidane is the defining dynasty of modern European soccer. Between 2016 and 2018, Los Blancos won three consecutive finals in Milan, Cardiff and Kyiv, and Zidane became the first coach ever to lift the European Cup in three straight seasons. Before them, no club had won three in a row since Bayern Munich in 1976.
How it started
Zidane took charge in January 2016 after Rafael Benítez was dismissed. His only coaching experience was with Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve team, and many saw the appointment as a gamble on a famous name.
The squad he inherited was talented and divided. Zidane calmed the locker room, restored Cristiano Ronaldo’s confidence and gave the team a simple identity built around its stars. Less than five months later, Real Madrid was the champion of Europe.
2016: survival in Milan
The first title came the hard way. In the quarterfinals, Madrid lost 2-0 at Wolfsburg in the first leg before Ronaldo scored a hat trick at the Santiago Bernabéu to complete the comeback.
The final at San Siro was a rematch of 2014 against Atlético Madrid. Sergio Ramos opened the scoring, Yannick Carrasco equalized late, and the game went to penalties. Juanfran hit the post, and Ronaldo converted the decisive kick for a 5-3 shootout win.
2017: the masterpiece in Cardiff
The second title showed Zidane’s Madrid at full power. Ronaldo scored 10 goals across the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, including hat tricks against Bayern Munich and Atlético in consecutive rounds.
Juventus arrived in Cardiff with the stingiest defense in the competition. Mario Mandžukić answered Ronaldo’s opener with an acrobatic volley, then Madrid took over after halftime. Casemiro, Ronaldo again and Marco Asensio sealed a 4-1 win, and Madrid became the first club to retain the trophy in the Champions League era.
That same season delivered a first La Liga title since 2012. Zidane rotated heavily, trusting Isco, Álvaro Morata, Asensio and Lucas Vázquez in league games, and that second unit kept Madrid on top while the starters stayed fresh for Europe.
- Ronaldo’s Champions League goals from 2015/16 to 2017/18: 43
The midfield that made it work
Behind the attacking stars, Madrid’s engine was a trio of Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Casemiro. Kroos set the tempo, Modrić carried the ball through pressure, and Casemiro protected the back line.
Zidane rarely touched that core in big games. Marcelo and Dani Carvajal pushed high from fullback to give the team width, while Ronaldo drifted inside to finish moves. The shape moved between a 4-3-3 and a diamond 4-4-2 with Isco at the tip, depending on the opponent.
2018: Kyiv and the Bale bicycle kick
The third campaign was the most turbulent. Madrid finished third in La Liga, well behind Barcelona, and saved its best soccer for European nights.
Paris Saint-Germain went out in the round of 16. Against Juventus, Ronaldo scored a bicycle kick in Turin that earned applause from the home crowd, then Madrid survived a frantic second leg decided by his penalty deep in stoppage time. Bayern Munich fell in the semifinals, and Liverpool waited in Kyiv.
The final turned on chaos. Mohamed Salah left injured in the first half after a tangle with Ramos. Karim Benzema pounced on a Loris Karius error, Sadio Mané equalized, and Zidane sent on Gareth Bale. Three minutes later, Bale scored an overhead kick that still competes with Zidane’s own volley in Glasgow in 2002 as the greatest goal in final history.
Bale added a second from distance that Karius fumbled, and Madrid won 3-1. It was also the first time a team started the same eleven players in two different European Cup finals.
- Zidane’s record in Champions League finals as a coach: 3 wins in 3 finals
Why the three peat still stands apart
Zidane resigned on May 31, 2018, just five days after Kyiv. He left with nine trophies in two and a half years: three Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, one La Liga title and one Spanish Super Cup.
- Trophies won in Zidane’s first spell at Real Madrid: 9
The achievement looks even bigger today. The modern Champions League is deeper, longer and more physically demanding, and no club has matched the run since. Paris Saint-Germain, champion in 2025 and 2026, is now the only team with a shot at its own three peat, with the 2027 final set for the Metropolitano in Madrid.
Zidane’s Madrid had elite talent, and plenty of great teams do. What separated this group was its calm in the biggest moments. Across three seasons, the players trusted their coach, trusted each other and never lost a final.
FAQ
How many Champions League titles did Zidane win in a row?
Zidane won three straight Champions League titles with Real Madrid in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He remains the only coach to win the European Cup in three consecutive seasons.
Who did Real Madrid beat in the three finals?
Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid on penalties in 2016 after a 1-1 draw, Juventus 4-1 in 2017 and Liverpool 3-1 in 2018.
Has any other club won three Champions League titles in a row?
In the European Cup era, Real Madrid won five straight from 1956 to 1960, Ajax won three from 1971 to 1973 and Bayern Munich won three from 1974 to 1976. Since the competition became the Champions League in 1992, Zidane’s Madrid is the only team to do it.
Where can I watch the Champions League in the US?
Every Champions League match streams live on Paramount+, with select games airing on CBS and CBS Sports Network. It is the best place to follow PSG’s push for a three peat in 2026/27.