There is no arguing with the fact that Real Madrid are the kings of Europe.
While they have been locked in an age-old battle with Clasico rivals Barcelona domestically, on the continent they have racked up an unrivalled 13 titles since the competition's introduction in 1955 - six more than any other club.
Los Blancos set the tone early, winning the first five editions of the European Champions' Cup from 1955 to 1960 in an era of dominance which has never been matched.
Madrid themselves have come closest to emulating their own achievements with a run of four titles in five years from 2013 to 2018, while they also enjoyed a prolific spell from 1998 to 2002 when they added three more Champions League trophies to their overflowing cabinet.
In that time the Spanish giants have boasted some of the greatest teams ever seen, and along with that naturally comes some of the greatest players in football history.
It was exactly 60 years ago today that arguably the best of those teams made it five in a row in the 1960 final at Hampden Park, producing what is still widely regarded as one of the greatest team performances of all time by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3.
In honour of that memorable triumph, Sports Mole takes on the task of producing the best combined XI from all 13 of Madrid's European Cup or Champions League-winning squads.
One of Madrid's favourite sons, and their second-highest appearance-maker, gets the gloves in this XI, with Iker Casillas holding off competition from Juan Alonso - goalkeeper for their first three trophies and captain in 1958.
Casillas broke into the Madrid team in 1999 and was a near-constant fixture for the next 16 years, picking up his first Champions League title in 2000 before adding a second in 2002 and a third as captain in 2014.
The Spaniard is joined by a couple of his former teammates from Madrid's most recent era of continental dominance, with Dani Carvajal starting all four of the victorious finals from 2014 to 2018 to beat Michel Salgado to right-back.
Sergio Ramos was also a sure-fire selection at the heart of the defence, having well and truly established himself as a modern-day Real Madrid legend.
The Spaniard has captained each of Madrid's last three Champions League-winning teams and scored in the 2014 and 2016 finals - including a last-gasp equaliser to force extra time in the former. Ramos is one of only 20 players to have scored more than one goal in European Cup or Champions League finals, and is unsurprisingly the only defender on that list.
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Raphael Varane has been alongside Ramos for three of the European Cup finals, but there is stiff competition for centre-back places with Marquitos and Rafael Lesmes also missing out.
Jose Santamaria is the man who gets the nod alongside Ramos, having been part of four European Cup-winning squads - the final three of Madrid's five in a row and again in 1966.
With the older Madrid teams playing three at the back, it is down to two more modern Brazilians to battle it out at left-back, and Roberto Carlos beats his successor Marcelo to the place for us.
Marcelo leads his compatriot with four Champions League crowns to three, but Carlos's overall career in the Spanish capital just about gives him the edge.
The sheer number of incredible attacking players to have featured in successful European campaigns for Madrid forces us into a very attacking lineup, although that is nothing new to a side which won their first six titles with similar formations.
Nevertheless, there is even more pressure on the holding midfielder as a result and some huge names miss out - Zinedine Zidane most notably but also the likes of Claude Makelele, Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Miguel Munoz is the man who gets the nod, having played a key role in Madrid's first three triumphs before then managing them to two more - indeed, as both a player and manager his record stacks up well against Zidane, who would have been selected had our midfielder been granted more license to get forward.
It is in attack where the real stars of this side come, though, with some of football's greatest ever players lining up in a front five which would be the envy of any club in the world.
Perhaps the least heralded of the lot is Gareth Bale, who has regularly been criticised during his time in the Spanish capital but has had an undeniable impact on their last run of success in the Champions League.
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The Welsh winger has scored in two of their four recent final triumphs, including one of the all-time great final goals against Liverpool, while only three players - all of whom are also in this team - have ever scored more times in the final of the competition.
Just behind the front two is the Godfather of Real Madrid - Alfredo di Stefano. The Blond Arrow was the jewel in the crown of the team which won five in a row between 1955 and 1960, scoring in every one of those finals including a hat-trick during the 7-3 triumph over Frankfurt.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner, who is regarded as perhaps the best all-round player in football history, netted a joint-record seven goals in European Cup finals overall - a tally only equalled by Ferenc Puskas in front of him.
Puskas outshone even Di Stefano in the seven-goal drubbing of Frankfurt 60 years ago, scoring four times, while he achieved the unique feat of netting hat-tricks in two different finals two years later - albeit this time in defeat.
The Hungarian talisman did win his third European Cup in 1966, though, by which stage he had already firmly established himself as arguably the greatest goalscorer to lace up a pair of boots.
The man up front alongside him in this XI could lay claim to that title too, though, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a staggering club-record tally of 450 goals in 438 games for Madrid.
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During that time the five-time Ballon d'Or winner won four Champions League titles to add to the one he had already picked up with Manchester United, scoring in two of the finals - only Di Stefano and Puskas have netted more in the competition's showpiece.
There were plenty of other legendary names who missed out in the attacking areas too - including Raul, Luis Figo, Raymond Kopa and Karim Benzema - but the final spot had to go to the competition's most decorated player.
Paco Gento was part of the Madrid squad for the first six of their European Cup triumphs spanning 11 years from 1955 to 1966, while he appeared in eight finals overall - a joint-record alongside Paolo Maldini.
The left-winger was on the scoresheet in two of the final victories too, and he remains the most decorated Real Madrid player ever with 23 trophies during his time at the Bernabeu.
Barney Corkhill
