Since Real Madrid made history by winning the Champions League three times in a row, no other champion has been able to defend the title the following season. This year, with the final between Inter Milan and PSG set to take place in Munich, is no exception. Undoubtedly, both teams will try to add the trophy to their cabinet. But whoever does will need to start praying they don’t fall victim to the curse that has haunted the ‘MVP’ since 2019.

2019: Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

Liverpool was the first team to end Real Madrid’s dynasty in 2019, claiming its sixth title after defeating Tottenham in the final. Much of the credit went to Virgil Van Dijk, who even threatened to snatch the Ballon d'Or from Leo Messi that year. However, just months later, he suffered a serious knee injury, and Liverpool failed to get past the round of 16 in the next edition.

2020: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)

In 2020, Hansi Flick turned Bayern Munich into an unstoppable machine, and thanks to a lone goal from Kingsley Coman, they brought home their sixth title by defeating PSG in the final—his former club. Since then, the French winger’s career has never been the same, as he suffered a series of physical setbacks that kept him off the field for more than 100 days. Meanwhile, Bayern was eliminated in the quarterfinals the following season.

2021: N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea)

In a completely unexpected twist, Chelsea won their second European title under Thomas Tuchel, who had arrived midseason after a disastrous start. That year, although he didn’t score in the final against Manchester City, N’Golo Kanté was recognized as the best player. Since then, he’s dealt with multiple injuries that prevented him from helping Chelsea get past the quarterfinals the next season, and he even missed the World Cup in Qatar with France.

2022: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

The 2021/2022 Champions League won by Real Madrid will always be remembered for the miraculous saves of Thibaut Courtois. In fact, many experts say his final against Liverpool was the greatest performance ever seen from a goalkeeper. But one year later, he suffered a serious knee injury—although he did manage to recover in time to play the 2024 final against Borussia Dortmund.

2023: Rodrigo Hernández (Manchester City)

Rodrigo Hernández’s name was etched into Manchester City’s history books as the player who scored the winning goal in their first-ever Champions League title, beating Inter Milan. From that moment on, his media profile skyrocketed—even surpassing Vinicius as the most recent Ballon d'Or winner. However, he had to accept the award on crutches after suffering a severe knee injury that, to this day, still keeps him off the pitch.

2024: Dani Carvajal (2024)

If Rodrigo Hernández was the unlikely hero for Manchester City in 2023… then Dani Carvajal was the same in 2024, scoring the opening goal that paved the way to victory over Borussia Dortmund. That day, Real Madrid claimed their 15th Champions League title… and Dani Carvajal his sixth. Only AC Milan (7) and Real Madrid (15) have more Champions League titles than he does individually. Still, he couldn’t avoid the champion’s curse and, months later, he too suffered a devastating knee injury. As of today, he’s working tirelessly to return in time for the upcoming Club World Cup.