Vinícius and Bellingham, stars of Madrid’s run to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, were the game’s standout players, however, as Carlo Ancelotti’s team eventually overpowered Atalanta after an even first half that saw both sides hit the crossbar.

Madrid defender Eder Militao deflected a cross onto his own bar before Rodrygo fired in a shot just before halftime that struck the top of the bar.

“At one point, the game was within our reach,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said.

Atalanta almost took the lead early in the second half when Mario Pašalić had a header tipped aside by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but Madrid was dominant thereafter, with Vinícius operating more down the middle.

It might take a while for Ancelotti to find the ideal formula up front — Brazil striker Endrick, a summer signing like Mbappé, didn’t even come off the bench for the match — but it’s an enviable dilemma for the Italian coach.

“The most difficult thing, what we are looking for, is finding balance in the team with the quality we have up front,” Ancelotti said. “If we are able to do this, we can have a very good season. We have a fantastic squad, to be honest.”

Luka Modric, the 38-year-old Croatia great who was one of five second-half substitutes for Madrid, lifted the trophy high to a backdrop of gold confetti as Mbappé danced and led the celebrations beside him — before getting his hands on the hardware himself.

“I thought he (Mbappé) was amazing before and now you get a chance to play with him, you see the details up closer — the speed, the quality, the work without the ball, the way he is as a leader, the way he communicates,” Bellingham said. “I can’t speak highly enough of him really.”