How it unfolded
Eintracht Frankfurt arrived having thrashed Scotland's Rangers 12-4 on aggregate in the semi-final, and the 127,621 fans at Hampden Park were watching, in part, for revenge on the hosts' behalf. When Frankfurt took an 18th-minute lead through Richard Kress, an upset still looked possible. Alfredo Di Stéfano then scored twice in quick succession, in the 27th and 30th minutes, to turn the game around, and Ferenc Puskás added a third just before half-time. In the second half, Puskás scored three more, including a penalty, to finish with four goals — still the individual scoring record for a European Cup/Champions League final. Di Stéfano completed his own hat-trick in the 73rd minute. Erwin Stein pulled back two for Frankfurt, but the 7-3 scoreline held. When the final whistle went, the Scottish crowd stayed in their seats and gave both teams a standing ovation, with many staying until the Madrid players had walked off to the dressing room.
Why it still matters
This match completed Real Madrid's run of five straight European Cups and was the first time a British crowd had witnessed, in bulk, the standard of attacking football the continent could produce. That Di Stéfano and Puskás were Argentine and Hungarian, respectively, showed that club football was already an industry gathering talent across borders, and the broadcast left a lasting mark on an entire generation of English coaches about the stature of the European competition.