Football fans from around the world know the UEFA Champions League is one of the sport’s most prestigious and revered trophies. But which teams have won this competition the most times since its inception in 1955? Here, we take a look at the top 10 clubs with the greatest number of UEFA Champions League titles, from Real Madrid to AC Milan.
Top 10 football clubs with the most UEFA Champions League titles won in history
10. Benfica – 2
Champions League winning years – 1961, 1962
Sport Lisboa e Benfica, commonly known as Benfica, is a professional football club based in Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 1904, Benfica is one of the most successful football clubs in Portugal and Europe.
The club plays its home matches at the Estádio da Luz, which has a capacity of over 65,000 spectators. The stadium is known for its impressive atmosphere and has hosted numerous international matches and club competitions.
Benfica has a strong fan base both in Portugal and around the world. The club’s supporters are known as “Benfiquistas”, and are recognized for their passionate and vocal support of the team.
9. Juventus – 2
Champions League winning years – 1985, 1996
Juventus Football Club, also known as Juventus or Juve, is a professional football club based in Turin, Italy. Founded in 1897, it is one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in Italy.
The club has a strong fan base and plays its home matches at the Allianz Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 41,000 spectators. Juventus enjoys a fierce rivalry with other top Italian clubs, particularly AC Milan and Inter Milan.
8. Inter Milan – 3
Champions League winning years – 1964, 1965, 2010
Inter Milan, also known as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional football club based in Milan, Italy. Founded in 1908, it is one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in Italy.
The club has a strong fan base and plays its home matches at the San Siro Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 80,000 spectators. Inter Milan enjoys a fierce rivalry with other top Italian clubs, particularly AC Milan and Juventus.
7. Manchester United – 3
Champions League winning years – 1968, 1999, 2008
Manchester United Football Club, also known as Man United or simply United, is a professional football club based in Manchester, England. The club was founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club, and later changed its name to Manchester United in 1902.
The club has a strong fan base and plays its home matches at Old Trafford, which has a seating capacity of over 75,000 spectators. Manchester United is known for its fierce rivalry with other top English clubs, particularly Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
6. Ajax – 4
Champions League winning years – 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
Ajax Amsterdam, commonly referred to as Ajax, is a professional football club based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The club was founded in 1900 and is one of the most successful football clubs in Dutch football history.
Ajax has a strong fan base and plays its home matches at the Johan Cruyff Arena, which has a seating capacity of over 54,000 spectators. The club has a fierce rivalry with other top Dutch clubs, particularly Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven.
5. Barcelona – 5
Champions League winning years – 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
Barcelona are the fifth team on the list, having lifted the Champions League five times in all. The Catalan powerhouse has been a dominant force in Europe ever since they won their first title back in 1992 and have consistently been challenged for the trophy since then. Their most recent success came back in 2015 when Lionel Messi inspired them to a 3-1 win over Juventus at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
4. Liverpool – 6
Champions League winning years – 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019
Liverpool FC are one of the most successful English teams in the history of Europe’s premier competition. The Reds have won the Champions League a total of six times and their first triumph came back in 1977 when they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome. They added number six to that tally in 2019 against fellow Premier League side Tottenham.
3. FC Bayern Munich – 6
Champions League winning years – 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
FC Bayern Munich, commonly referred to as Bayern Munich or simply Bayern, is a professional football club based in Munich, Germany. The club was founded in 1900 and is one of the most successful football clubs in German football history.
Bayern Munich has a strong fan base and plays its home matches at the Allianz Arena, which has a seating capacity of over 75,000 spectators. The club has a fierce rivalry with other top German clubs, particularly Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.
2. AC Milan – 7
Champions League winning years – 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
AC Milan is the second most successful club in Champions League history with seven titles. The Rossoneri dominated Europe in the 1990s, becoming the first ever to defend their title back-to-back when they won it in 1989 and 1990 under legendary manager Arrigo Sacchi. Led by iconic players such as Dutch legend Ruud Gullit, English striker Mark Hateley, and former Austrian international Toni Schumacher, Milan ended up winning three more titles in 1994, 2003 and 2007.
1. Real Madrid – 14
Champions League winning years – 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
Real Madrid are the most successful club in UEFA Champions League history, having won an incredible 14 titles since they lifted the first European Cup in 1956. The Spanish side have had a number of impressive periods of dominance in the competition, famously winning three consecutive championships between 2016-2018. Los Blancos boast an array of elite talent, while their intimidating home grounds – the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – instil fear amongst rivals. There is every chance that Real Madrid may continue to dominate for many years to come.
Stats via Wikipedia
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