Real Madrid were crowned La Liga champions on Saturday, wrapping up the title by beating relegation candidates Cadiz 3-0 at the Bernabeu before watching Barcelona lose 4-2 at Girona.



It has been an impressively dominant campaign for Carlo Ancelotti's men, who have lost just once all season – at local rivals Atletico Madrid in September – and are unbeaten in their last 28 league games.


BBC Sport examines the story of their success, which could easily end with more silverware with the Champions League now firmly in their sights.


Hey Jude!

He scored on his debut, netted a late winner on his home debut, scored an injury-time winner in El Clasico (twice!) and is the undoubted La Liga player of the season.


Yes, Jude Bellingham's debut campaign in Spain has been spectacularly successful.


And it's not just about his 18 league goals. The England midfielder's willingness to work tirelessly from box to box, and his ability to create chances for teammates, have endeared him to the Bernabeu faithful and the demanding Madrid media – illustrated by a recent article in Marca headlining his impact as “immediate and unique”.


He has also displayed truly remarkable leadership qualities for a 20-year-old, stepping into a dressing room full of superstars and promptly commanding respect as the leading light of a squad packed with elite talent.


Bellingham's stature as one of the best players in the world has clearly been enhanced by his superb season, and it is now taken for granted in Spain that he is the leading candidate for this year’s Ballon d’Or.


Real are far from a one-man team, however, and Brazilian forwards Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo – operating in more central and flexible roles than previously following the departure of Karim Benzema and the positioning of Bellingham as a false nine – have also delivered with 13 and 10 league goals respectively.


There have also been strong contributions from a pair of back-up forwards in their first seasons with the club: Brahim Diaz has provided six goals and four assists, while former Stoke and Newcastle target man Joselu has notched nine goals despite only starting 13 games.


That has helped make Real the leading scorers in La Liga with 74, and allowed Ancelotti to regularly shuffle his pack and keep his stars fresh without a significant drop-off in productivity.