 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 1959–60 European Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 18 May 1960 | ||||||
| Venue | Hampden Park,Glasgow | ||||||
| Referee | Jack Mowat (Scotland) | ||||||
| Attendance | 127,621[1] | ||||||
←1959 1961 → | |||||||
The1960 European Cup final was afootball match played atHampden Park inGlasgow, Scotland on 18 May 1960 as the conclusion to the1959–60 European Cup.
The match was contested by four-time defending championsReal Madrid of Spain, the only previous team to win the competition, andEintracht Frankfurt of West Germany.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest football matches ever played, Real Madrid won 7–3 in front of a record crowd of over 127,000 people. Real Madrid playersAlfredo Di Stéfano (3) andFerenc Puskás (4) both scoredhat-tricks in the final.
Until the2025 UEFA Champions League final, in whichParis Saint-Germain defeatedInter Milan 5–0, the match held the record for the largest margin of victory in a European Cup final.
Real Madrid had won the first four editions of theEuropean Cup in1956,1957,1958 and1959.[2]
Eintracht Frankfurt had not played in European competitions before 1959 but a Frankfurt XI, made up of players from the city, competed in the inauguralInter-Cities Fairs Cup in1955–58.[3]
The match was initially in doubt as theGerman Football Association (DFB) had banned their clubs from taking part in matches with any team containingFerenc Puskás. Following defeat toWest Germany in the1954 FIFA World Cup final, Puskas – who had scored in the match for the defeatedHungary side – alleged that the West German players had used drugs. As a result, Puskás had to make a formal written apology to the DFB before the match could take place.[4]
 Real Madrid | Round |  Eintracht Frankfurt | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
 Jeunesse Esch | 12–2 | 7–0 (H) | 5–2 (A) | First round |  Young Boys | 5–2 | 4–1 (A) | 1–1 (H) |
 Nice | 6–3 | 2–3 (A) | 4–0 (H) | Quarter-finals |  Wiener Sport-Club | 3–2 | 2–1 (H) | 1–1 (A) |
| Barcelona | 6–2 | 3–1 (H) | 3–1 (A) | Semi-finals |  Rangers | 12–4 | 6–1 (H) | 6–3 (A) |
Real Madrid qualified for the competition as defending champions and they were given a bye in the preliminary round.[5][6]
In the first round, Real Madrid defeatedJeunesse Esch of Luxembourg 7–0 at home in the first leg and 5–2 away in the second leg to advance 12–2 on aggregate.[6]
Real Madrid then facedNice of France in the quarter-finals. After losing the first leg 3–2 away from home, Real Madrid won the second leg at home 4–0 to advance to the semi-finals 6–3 on aggregate.[6]
In the semi-finals, Real Madrid faced rivalsBarcelona. After winning the first leg 3–1 at home, Real Madrid won the second leg away from home by the same scoreline to advance to the final 6–2 on aggregate.[6]
Eintracht Frankfurt qualified for the competition after winning theGerman football championship for the only time in1959.[7]
In the preliminary round, Eintracht Frankfurt were due to playKuopion Palloseura (KuPS) of Finland but were given awalkover after KuPS withdrew.[6]
Young Boys of Switzerland were Eintracht Frankfurt's opponents in the first round. After winning the first leg 4–1 away from home, Eintracht Frankfurt drew the second leg at home 1–1 to advance 5–2 on aggregate.[6]
Eintracht Frankfurt then facedWiener Sport-Club of Austria in the quarter-finals. After winning the first leg 2–1 at home, Eintracht Frankfurt drew the second leg away from home 1–1 to advance 3–2 on aggregate.[6]
In the semi-finals, Eintracht Frankfurt defeatedRangers of Scotland 6–1 in the first leg at home and 6–3 in the second leg away from home to advance to the final 12–4 on aggregate.[6]
| Real Madrid | 7–3 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
     Real Madrid |  Eintracht Frankfurt |
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The match set a record attendance for a European Cup final at over 127,000 while an estimated 70 million people across Europe watched the match on television. It also set a record for the most goals in a European Cup final at 10. As a result, the match is often quoted as one of the greatest football matches ever played.[10][11][12][13]
Real Madrid's four-goal winning margin set a record for the largest margin of victory in a European Cup final. This would not be bettered until decades after the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. In2025,Paris Saint-Germain defeatedInter Milan 5–0 to break the record.[2]
