71st anniversary of the first Latin Cup

On June 26, 1955, Real Madrid secured its first Latin Cup by defeating Stade de Reims 2-0. This edition took place at the Parc des Princes in Paris, and the standout player of the final was Héctor Rial, who scored both goals in the match. A year later, our team would again defeat the French side at this same venue in the first final of the European Cup.

Before lifting that Latin Cup in 1955, the madridistas played a semifinal match in Paris against Os Belenenses. Zárraga and Pérez-Payá scored the goals in the 2-0 victory. In the other match of this round, Stade de Reims defeated Milan 3-2. Real Madrid thus etched its name in the history of the Latin Cup, a competition they would win again in 1957.

The Latin Cup was an official football tournament held between 1949 and 1957. It featured the league champions of Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal in a format that included semifinals, a final, and a third-place match. It was considered a precursor to the current Champions League. Each year, one of the four participating federations organized the tournament. 

TECHNICAL DETAILS:
2-Real Madrid: Alonso, Atienza II, Oliva, Navarro, Muñoz, Zárraga, Molowny, Pérez-Payá, Di Stéfano, Rial, and Gento.
0-Stade de Reims: Sinibaldi, Zimny, Jonquet, Giraudo, Penverne, Siatka, Hidalgo, Glovacki, Kopa, Bliard, and Templin.

Goals:
1-0 (min. 6): Rial.
2-0 (min. 68): Rial.

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.