HistoryData
general1959

1959–60 European Cup — 5th season of the UEFA club football tournament

January 1, 1959

Real Madrid's 7–3 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960 set an enduring record score and attendance for a European Cup final, securing their fifth consecutive title.

Quick Facts

Year
1959
Category
general

Key Facts

Final score
Real Madrid 7–3 Eintracht Frankfurt
Final date
18 May 1960
Final venue
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Consecutive titles (Real Madrid)
5
Hat-tricks in final
Puskás and Di Stéfano each scored one
First German finalist
Eintracht Frankfurt (competition debutants)

By the Numbers

7
Final score
18
Final date
5
Consecutive titles (Real Madrid)

Location

Map of Glasgow, ScotlandMap of Glasgow, ScotlandGlasgow, Scotland

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Real Madrid had won the four preceding European Cup editions and entered the 1959–60 tournament as the dominant force in European club football. Eintracht Frankfurt, debutants in the competition, advanced to the final as the first German club to do so, having defeated Rangers in the semi-finals.

Event

The fifth edition of the European Cup concluded on 18 May 1960 at Hampden Park, Glasgow. Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in a final notable for hat-tricks by both Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano — the first hat-tricks ever scored in a European Cup final. The match set records for both scoreline and attendance that remain unbroken.

Consequence

Real Madrid's victory secured an unprecedented fifth consecutive European Cup title, a feat unmatched by any other club. The final's record score and attendance cemented it as one of the most celebrated matches in football history. Eintracht Frankfurt remained the only debutant club to appear in a losing final until AS Roma in 1983–84.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 195919591956195719581960196119621959 Cannes Film Festival — film festival edition1959 FIBA World Championship — 1959 edition of the FIBA World Championship1959 Mediterranean Games — 3rd edition of the Mediterranean Games1959 African Cup of Nations — football tournament1959 Formula One season — sports seasonEuroBasket 1959 — basketball competitionCuban Revolution — revolution in Cuba culminating in 19591959 South American Championship — football tournament in Argentina march/april 19591959-60-european-cup-5th-season-of-the-uefa-club-football-1959