Get set for another decade of dominance! Real Madrid's run of Champions League success isn't ending anytime soon

Madrid and European success have always been intrinsically connected. Even as they have battled Barcelona for La Liga supremacy, Los Blancos have always managed to make deep runs in Europe's premier club competition. And these signature dramatic wins aren't a new concept, either. It's easy to recall Joselu's match-winning double against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu just a month ago, but that unlikely brace was one of a glut of dramatic moments.

Madrid's first title of the 21st century came back in 2001, when Zinedine Zidane powered a volley into the top corner to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final at Hampden Park, but it wasn't until the generation spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo that won it four times in a span of five years that Los Blancos began to really produce moments of magic in the competition on a regular basis.

In 2014, it was Sergio Ramos' last-minute header in the final against Atletico Madrid that sent the game to extra-time, where Madrid dominated to the tune of a 4-1 win to secure their 10th European title, and end their long wait to secure 'La Decima'.

Two years later, they completed a similar feat, overturning a 2-0 deficit against Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals, before beating Atleti on penalties in the final. The year after, it was an extra-time victory over Bayern that sent them on their way to the final. In 2018, a famous Ronaldo bicycle kick against Juventus got the job done. And in 2022, a series of comebacks, spearheaded by the Ballon d'Or-winning Karim Benzema, secured title number 14.

That was all supposed to be put on hold this season. Benzema's departure in the summer was central to fears that Madrid wouldn't quite be the same animal in 2023-24, as the Frenchman left for Saudi Arabia in surprising circumstances. And with Madrid unwilling to spend big on Kylian Mbappe so as to try sign him on a free 12 months in the future, they went into the season with no top-class striker to speak of.

Carlo Ancelotti, of course, made things work. Jude Bellingham became a No.10 whie Vinicius and Rodrygo pushed higher up the pitch. A midfield trio, led by a revitalised Toni Kroos, sat in behind them and controlled the tempo. Even injuries to David Alaba, Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois could do little to slow them down.

That said, Madrid really should have exited the Champions League on two occasions. Manchester City battered them for 120 minutes at the Etihad Stadium in the quarter-final, but Los Blancos held on to send the game to penalties - and never looked like losing once it got there. Bayern, meanwhile, should have put them away in the semi, but 33-year-old Joselu - a failed Madrid academy player who returned on loan in the summer - scored twice in the final five minutes to turn the tie on its head.

In a season in which they were supposed to fall short, Madrid beat the two other best teams in the competition en route to the final.

Madrid now have a ridiculous array of talent at their disposal, and a frighteningly young squad to work with. Bellingham, of course, is the centre-piece, as he approaches his 21st birthday in June. Vinicius, who is now in pole position for the Ballon d'Or, is 23. Aurelien Tchouameni (24), Rodrygo (23) and Eduardo Camavinga (21) all have their best years in front of them, and make Federico Valverde and Militao look practically ancient at 25.

And then there are the talents who may yet come into the fold. Arda Guler impressed in a series of brief cameos towards the end of the season, and scored six goals in 377 La Liga minutes to round out the campaign. Fran Garcia, too, may yet get his moment in the XI, and is still 23. Brahim Diaz's future is less certain - he is perhaps too good to sit on the bench for too much longer - but he is still shy of his 24th birthday.

Piece it all together, and over half of Los Blancos' presumptive starting XI on the first day of the 2024-25 season will be under the age of 24.

Speaking to TNT Sports post-match at Wembley, Bellingham wouldn't quite confirm what the world already knew: that Mbappe would soon be joining him in the Madrid dressing room. But he did slyly acknowledge that there is perhaps a missing piece from this side: "We don’t know for sure if that will happen! But if it is the case, then it would be great... I think tonight we saw that the only thing we need is a real striker. I think if he came along and gave us that, it would take us to another level."

It is a good thing, then, for Bellingham and co, that the move seems to be on the verge of completion. Madrid have orchestrated Mbappe's arrival perfectly, setting up a reportedly agreeable salary for the player, while spreading his handsome €150 million (£128m/$162m) signing bonus out over a five-year period.

His arrival might not quite be perfect, as getting Mbappe into the team will require a tactical adjustment from everyone else. But this is a footballer who will quite comfortably score 30 goals in all competitions - and could easily hit 40. And if there ever was a manager to figure that all out while also keeping his current players happy, it's Ancelotti.

Though he will likely make less of an immediate impactful, a similarly exciting development is the much-anticipated arrival of Brazilian teenager Endrick this summer. The Palmeiras star has been dubbed 'the next Pele' in his homeland, and while that would certainly seem an unfair label for a player with just four Brazil caps, he has shown enough for club and country to suggest that he could be impactful in Madrid white for years to come.

What made Madrid's last 10 years of Champions League success so remarkable was that they did it at a time when European football has felt so competitive at the top level. Until this past season, most campaigns began with at least five or six teams who looked capable of challenging for the continent's most prestigious prize. However, it feels like we could now be entering an era when the number of potential winners at the start of a season is at an all-time low.

Perhaps the most likely contenders for Madrid's crown next season will be Manchester City, and few would bet against the Premier League champions adding to their sole Champions League win of 2023. However, reports have suggested that this upcoming campaign will be Pep Guardiola's last at the Etihad, and so while the club's finances should ensure City maintain a squad that is on a similar level to that of Madrid's, who they get to follow in Guardiola's footsteps is one of the toughest decisions any club will have to make in the coming years.

Such a call is, of course, one that Liverpool have had to make this year following Jurgen Klopp's shock decision to leave Anfield, and with key players such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk coming towards the end of their time on Merseyside, it remains to be seen whether Arne Slot can maintain the Reds' current status when it comes to European competition.

In fact, though the Premier League continues to be the strongest domestic competition in terms of finances in Europe, it's tough to see anyone other than City (if they get their post-Pep appointment right) and an improving Arsenal who could realistically challenge Madrid on an annual basis right now.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, things look similarly rosy from a Madrid perspective. Bayern are between generations, and after a long and sometimes shambolic search, have settled on the inexperienced Vincent Kompany to take over the managerial reins. PSG are set to fade into the background somewhat as the last of their 'Galacticos' in Mbappe departs, while Italian clubs do not have the financial muscle to sustain European challenges year-on-year. Barcelona's own economic issues, meanwhile, are forcing them to rely on uber-talented academy graduates becoming superstars, of which there is no guarantee.

Despite all that, Madrid know only too well from their own 'Galactico' era that having the most star-studded squad does not necessarily equal success, and there are certainly potential pitfalls they will need to avoid if they are to enjoy another decade of dominance in Europe.

Kroos' retirement, no matter the depth Los Blancos have, will certainly have an impact. The German was at his brilliant best this past season, and Madrid will have to adjust without his tempo-setting ways in central areas, especially since Luka Modric is now limited to a bit-part role.

Ancelotti, meanwhile, has pledged to stay until 2026, but two seasons can go by very quickly, and Florentino Perez will need to make sure he can find a coach who is both as tactically flexible and amenable as the charismatic Italian. The team's defence, too, will come into focus over the next couple of years, with Carvajal, Toni Rudiger and Alaba all past their primes.

However, given Madrid's recent track record, the odds are they will find apt replacements. Ancelotti's departure could align perfectly with the presumptive opportunity to bring in Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen, while links with highly-rated Lille centre-back Leny Yoro prove that are already considering how best to overhaul their backline.

So yes, Madrid will still need to refresh in some areas, and Ancelotti cannot stay forever. But zoom out, and this is Europe's best and youngest squad; it's hard to see anyone stopping their dominance anytime soon.