The social event of the season

Cristiano Ronaldo hit the winning penalty in the UEFA Champions League final in Milan, the world's biggest club game and its most-followed social media personality proving an irresistible combination.

With hundreds of millions of fans watching the dramatic conclusion and posting their thoughts in real time, Ronaldo's spot kick – which secured an 11th European Cup triumph for Real Madrid, against their city rivals Atlético – was an apt culmination to a season in which the UEFA Champions League's social media accounts again experienced outstanding growth.

The competition enjoys a footprint approaching 75 million followers, led by the official Facebook page which has grown 20% to 57 million this term – retaining its position as the most followed league or association page on the platform by some distance.

Content produced on the day of the final had a reach of 100 million. In addition to innovative gifs and graphics, a range of videos were shared; behind-the-scenes footage, Facebook Live video shot at the Champions Festival next to the Duomo in Milan, and coverage of the teams' training sessions at San Siro. That combined assault helped push season engagements through the 750 million barrier. The official Instagram page has also enjoyed wild growth, albeit from a standing start.

The @ChampionsLeague Twitter account burst through the 10 million barrier during the campaign, ending with 11.6 million followers. A number of these are high-profile figures from the sport and entertainment industry who shared their thoughts as part of a Stars of #UCL campaign. Fitting then that the final act of another dramatic season should come from one of the biggest stars of all.