CARDIFF, Wales — Real Madrid’s original Galácticos, that glittering collection of talent, could not do it. Neither could the Dream Team that Johan Cruyff built in Barcelona in the 1990s, nor its spiritual heir, constructed by Pep Guardiola and fueled by Lionel Messi, two decades later.
Several iterations of Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United and A.C. Milan, teams regarded as among the best of their age, of this age, fell short only narrowly, but fall short they did. Louis van Gaal’s Ajax came closer than most, only to see glory snatched away by penalties.