Ronaldo receives hero's welcome in Madrid
Not content with consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and a drought-ending LaLiga crown, Cristiano Ronaldo quickly turned his attention to individual honours and the Ballon d'Or.
Ronaldo produced a match-winning display in Cardiff on Sunday (AEST), scoring twice to lead Madrid to a 4-1 win over Juventus and its 12th European crown.
No team had retained its trophy in the UEFA Champions League era until Ronaldo and his team-mates in the Welsh city, and it sparked wild scenes in Madrid.
Back home at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo took centre stage as he sung about his own candidacy for the Ballon d'Or, which he claimed ahead of Barcelona foe and five-time winner Lionel Messi last year.
With the crowd in a frenzy, four-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo – who finished the season with 42 goals in all competitions and as the UEFA Champions League's top scorer – ended up singing, "Cristiano, Ballon d'Or" and the fans joined in.
Ronaldo and the European champion – led by captain Sergio Ramos and coach Zinedine Zidane – returned home to a sea of Madrid fans in the Spanish capital.
With a third Champions League title in four seasons secured, having dethroned Barca for their first LaLiga silverware since 2012, there were wild celebrations in Madrid.
And there might be more celebrations after the off-season break when Madrid face Manchester United in the UEFA Super Cup in August, before taking on bitter rivals Barca in the two-legged Supercopa de Espana.
