Real Madrid celebrate with trophy in front of thousands of their fans

Real Madrid arrived back from Cardiff to a hero's welcome as they paraded the Champions League trophy to thousands of fans from an open-top bus.

The victorious squad were driven through the streets of Madrid in a huge white bus emblazoned with the message 'Campeones 12' and the club's crest.

White confetti rained down on the squad and the supporters surrounding the bus as Real toasted winning their Champions League success back home on Sunday evening.

Captain Sergio Ramos and Marcelo led the celebrations as they proudly showed off the trophy to their jubilant fans.

Ramos posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with the trophy on a Madrid balcony above the fans with the caption 'It's ours, it's yours!'.

His team-mate Gareth Bale also took to social media to post his impression of the Champions League parade - an artistic photo of the celebrating crowds captioned simply 'HalaMadrid'.

The players were earlier welcomed back at the City Hall of Madrid before they headed out to greet thousands of supporters gathered at a large square in the Spanish capital.

Madrid regional government president Cristina Cifuentes met with Cristiano Ronaldo and Co at the hall and was handed a shirt by skipper Ramos to commemorate La Duodecima - the club's 12th major European triumph.

Cifuentes lifted the trophy aloft with Ramos before posing for a photo with the club president Florentino Perez as she toasted Real's latest European trophy.

Captain Ramos also gifted the Mayor of Madrid Manuela Carmena a personalised Real shirt before Carmena enjoyed her own moment with the trophy.

Marcelo and Ramos lifted the silverware up at from the City Hall of Madrid's balcony in front of Real fans - who turned up in their thousands to salute Zinedine Zidane's squad.

After visiting the square the players are set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu for more celebrations that are expected to last long into the night.