The Champions League — formerly the European Cup — is the premier club soccer competition in the world, annually anointing a new champion to the team in Europe able to navigate a gauntlet of matches to reign supreme. The Champions League list of winners is a history of club football at its best — the teams that defined eras as much as any World Cup winner.
In the past, The18 has given you lists of the players with the most Champions League titles and the clubs with the most Champions League final losses. But this Champions League list of winners is greatness defined, the clubs that proved they were the best in the world — or at least on the most successful footballing continent.
For our Champions League list of winners we will actually feature three lists. First will be a list of the clubs to have claimed the most Champions Leagues (and European Cups, as the competition was known before 1992). The second will be a complete list of each Champions League winner, by year. The final list will be a compilation of most Champions League titles by country.
Champions League List Of Winners By Club
#1: Real Madrid — 14
1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
From the very start of the competition, no club comes close to Real Madrid’s dominance in European football. Los Blancos claimed the first five European Cups and more recently won four in a five-year span with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos leading the way.
No player has won more European club championships than Paco Gento, who won the first five and captained the club to a sixth in 1966. Ronaldo is in a tie for second-most titles with five, four of which came for Los Merengues.
Real Madrid has also finished runner-up three times — twice in the 1960s and once more in 1981.
#2: AC Milan — 7
1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
From 1989 to 2007, the Rossoneri played in eight finals, winning five of them, with the legendary Paolo Maldini (and Alessandro Costacurta) on the squad for each one.
Milan’s four Champions League final losses rank fourth all time.
#3: Bayern Munich — 6
1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
The German giants won three straight in the 1970s behind the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, three legends of the game.
Bayern has also lost five UCL finals, second-most all time.
#3: Liverpool — 6
1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019
#5: Barcelona — 5
1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
Barcelona didn’t win a European Cup until the last edition, but its four Champions League trophies trail only rival Real Madrid for most in the UCL era.
The core of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi were pivotal in a run of four titles in nine years, when Barcelona was one of the best teams of all time.
#6: Ajax — 4
1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
Before Bayern went on its run of three straight, Ajax claimed three straight European Cups of its own from 1971-73. Led by the inimitable Johan Cruyff, the Ajax side changed the way football was played — eventually taking that style to Barcelona with Rinus Michels and Cruyff both leaving the Netherlands for Spain.
#7: Inter Milan — 3
1964, 1965, 2010
Inter claimed back-to-back titles in the 1960s thanks to coach Helenio Herrera and midfielder Luis Suárez. Not until Jose Mourinho was with the squad would the Nerazzurri claim another European crown.
#7: Manchester United — 3
1968, 1999, 2008
Sir Alex Ferguson guided the Red Devils to four Champions League finals, winning two of them. Coach Matt Busby and captain Bobby Charlton helped Manchester United to its first European success in 1968.
#9: Juventus — 2
1985, 1996
No club has lost more Champions League or European Cup finals than Juventus’ seven. But take nothing away from the two European trophies it did win in 1985 and 1996.
#9: Benfica — 2
1961, 1962
Benfica was once poised to be a European giant. Then the curse of Béla Gutmann struck.
#9: Nottingham Forest — 2
1979, 1980
Back in the day, there were clubs other than the Big Six that actually succeeded in England and Europe. Forest, led by manager Brian Clough, claimed back-to-back titles in 1979 and 1980, something no other English Club has done since.
#9: Porto — 2
1987, 2004
Porto is the last club outside of England, Germany, Spain and Italy to win the Champions League, with Jose Mourinho leading the Portuguese side past Didier Deschamps’ Monaco in 2004.
#9: Chelsea — 2
2012, 2021
The Blues upset Bayern Munich in Germany in 2012 then upset English champion Manchester City in 2021, with Christian Pulisic becoming the first U.S. male to play in and win the Champions League Final.
#14: 9 tied with 1
Celtic (1967), Feyenoord (1970), Aston Villa (1982), Hamburg (1983), Steaua Bucuresti (1986), PSV Eindhoven (1988), Red Star Belgrade (1991), Marseille (1993), Borussia Dortmund (1997), Manchester City (2023)
These one-hit wonders may not have claimed multiple Champions League titles, but they’ve still won more than many clubs some might consider to have greater status, such as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.
Champions League List Of Winners By Year
(European Cup)
1956 — Real Madrid
1957 — Real Madrid
1958 — Real Madrid
1959 — Real Madrid
1960 — Real Madrid
1961 — Benfica
1962 — Benfica
1963 — AC Milan
1964 — Inter Milan
1965 — Inter Milan
1966 — Real Madrid
1967 — Celtic
1968 — Manchester United
1969 — AC Milan
1970 — Feyenoord
1971 — Ajax
1972 — Ajax
1973 — Ajax
1974 — Bayern Munich
1975 — Bayern Munich
1976 — Bayern Munich
1977 — Liverpool
1978 — Liverpool
1979 — Nottingham Forest
1980 — Nottingham Forest
1981 — Liverpool
1982 — Aston Villa
1983 — Hamburg
1984 — Liverpool
1985 — Juventus
1986 — Steaua Bucuresti
1987 — Porto
1988 — PSV Eindhoven
1989 — AC Milan
1990 — AC Milan
1991 — Red Star Belgrade
1992 — Barcelona
(Champions League)
1993 — Marseille
1994 — AC Milan
1995 — Ajax
1996 — Juventus
1997 — Borussia Dortmund
1998 — Real Madrid
1999 — Manchester United
2000 — Real Madrid
2001 — Bayern Munich
2002 — Real Madrid
2003 — AC Milan
2004 — Porto
2005 — Liverpool
2006 — Barcelona
2007 — AC Milan
2008 — Manchester United
2009 — Barcelona
2010 — Inter Milan
2011 — Barcelona
2012 — Chelsea
2013 — Bayern Munich
2014 — Real Madrid
2015 — Barcelona
2016 — Real Madrid
2017 — Real Madrid
2018 — Real Madrid
2019 — Liverpool
2020 — Bayern Munich
2021 — Chelsea
2022 — Real Madrid
2023 — Manchester City
Champions League List Of Winners By Country
#1: Spain — 19
#2: England — 15
#3: Italy — 12
#4: Germany — 8
#5: Netherlands — 6
#6: Portugal — 4
#7: France, Romania, Scotland, Yugoslavia — 1
