Hummels humble in defeat after Champions League heartbreak

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels was proud of his side’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League final despite their defeat at Wembley.

It was more heartbreak for the German side, who were returning to the final of the competition in the same stadium they lost in 11 years ago.

Their performance was worthy of the crown but as usual, Real Madrid’s winning mentality shined through and they took their chances in the second half.

Hummels himself had a big chance to open the scoring but was denied by Thibaut Courtois in the first half.

Dortmund pushed on in search of a valuable goal, but luck was simply not on their side in the match.

Eventually, Dani Carvajal broke the deadlock and Madrid’s triumph was all but confirmed when Vinicius Junior scored a second as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.

Mats Hummels in front of the already packed out yellow wall. Beautiful 🖤💛#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/9tybRxei30

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 1, 2024

Hummels stood in front of the cameras in the aftermath of all the emotions at full-time and credited his team for their performance.

He said: “We had a great match. I’m super proud of the team for how we presented ourselves here.

“We played bravely, with heart, and played quality football.

“We only just missed out on scoring a goal. Real Madrid then strike, as they’ve done many times before.”

It is Madrid’s 15th Champions League title and they remain unbeaten in the final of the competition since 1981.

They will continue to strengthen and prepare to return for their 16th in 2025, with Kylian Mbappe likely joining the ranks in the Spanish capital.

🟡⚫️ Mats Hummels on contract due to expire this month: “I’ve not made any decision on my future yet”.

Retirement still looks unlikely for Hummels.

❗️ He doesn’t want any move to Saudi or MLS — BVB or another European club. pic.twitter.com/CSfiIqTAnW

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2024

For Hummels, he has a big decision to make with his future as the days on his contract run down.

He is set to leave Dortmund at the end of June but is not planning to retire yet.

The 35-year-old will likely have plenty of options available to him but will take some time to reflect on Saturday night’s final before making anything official.