The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of club competition for teams based in Europe.
Manchester City finally put their name alongside the greatest teams to ever play after beating Internazionale in the 2023 final. But in 2024, there will be a returning champion as Real Madrid go up against Borussia Dortmund .
Clubs from every European league have the opportunity to participate in the tournament by finishing high enough in their domestic competitions, and/or advancing in qualifying matches prior to the group phase starting. However, as the list below shows, heavyweight nations Spain, Germany, Italy and England tend to dominate.
But which teams have won the coveted Champions League, or its previous iteration, the European Cup, since the first edition back in 1955/56?
The Sporting News takes you through the list of teams that have been crowned kings of Europe.
MORE: Which coaches and players have won the UEFA Champions League the most
All-time Champions League & European Cup winners
The competition was known as the European Cup until 1992/93 when it was revamped and rebranded as the UEFA Champions League.
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | Manchester City | Inter Milan | 1-0 |
| 2021/22 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 1-0 |
| 2020/21 | Chelsea | Manchester City | 1-0 |
| 2019/20 | Bayern Munich | Paris Saint-Germain | 1-0 |
| 2018/19 | Liverpool | Tottenham Hotspur | 2-0 |
| 2017/18 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 3-1 |
| 2016/17 | Real Madrid | Juventus | 4-1 |
| 2015/16 | Real Madrid | Atletico Madrid | 1-1 (5–3 pens) |
| 2014/15 | Barcelona | Juventus | 3-1 |
| 2013/14 | Real Madrid | Atletico Madrid | 4-1 (a.e.t.) |
| 2012/13 | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund | 2-1 |
| 2011/12 | Chelsea | Bayern Munich | 1-1 (4–3 pens) |
| 2010/11 | Barcelona | Manchester United | 3-1 |
| 2009/10 | Inter | Bayern Munich | 2-0 |
| 2008/09 | Barcelona | Manchester United | 2-0 |
| 2007/08 | Manchester United | Chelsea | 1-1 (6–5 pens) |
| 2006/07 | Milan | Liverpool | 2-1 |
| 2005/06 | Barcelona | Arsenal | 2-1 |
| 2004/05 | Liverpool | Milan | 3-3 (3-2 pens) |
| 2003/04 | Porto | Monaco | 3-0 |
| 2002/03 | Milan | Juventus | 0-0 (3-2 pens) |
| 2001/02 | Real Madrid | Bayer Leverkusen | 2-1 |
| 2000/01 | Bayern Munich | Valencia | 1-1 (5-4 pens) |
| 1999/2000 | Real Madrid | Valencia | 3-0 |
| 1998/99 | Manchester United | Bayern Munich | 2-1 |
| 1997/98 | Real Madrid | Juventus | 1-0 |
| 1996/97 | Borussia Dortmund | Juventus | 3-1 |
| 1995/96 | Juventus | Ajax | 1-1 (4-2 pens) |
| 1994/95 | Ajax | Milan | 1-0 |
| 1993/94 | Milan | Barcelona | 4-0 |
| 1992/93 | Marseille | Milan | 1-0 |
| 1991/92 | Barcelona | Sampdoria | 1-0 (a.e.t.) |
| 1990/91 | Red Star Belgrade | Marseille | 0-0 (5-3 pens) |
| 1989/90 | Milan | Benfica | 1-0 |
| 1988/89 | Milan | Steaua Bucharest | 4-0 |
| 1987/88 | PSV Eindhoven | Benfica | 0-0 (6-5 pens) |
| 1986/87 | Porto | Bayern Munich | 2-1 |
| 1985/86 | Steaua Bucharest | Barcelona | 0-0 (2-0 pens) |
| 1984/85 | Juventus | Liverpool | 1-0 |
| 1983/84 | Liverpool | Roma | 1-1 (4-2 pens) |
| 1982/83 | Hamburg | Juventus | 1-0 |
| 1981/82 | Aston Villa | Bayern Munich | 1-0 |
| 1980/81 | Liverpool | Real Madrid | 1-0 |
| 1979/80 | Nottingham Forest | Hamburg | 1-0 |
| 1978/79 | Nottingham Forest | Malmo | 1-0 |
| 1977/78 | Liverpool | Club Brugge | 1-0 |
| 1976/77 | Liverpool | Borussia Monchengladbach | 3-1 |
| 1975/76 | Bayern Munich | Saint-Etienne | 1-0 |
| 1974/75 | Bayern Munich | Leeds United | 2-0 |
| 1973/74 | Bayern Munich | Atletico Madrid | 4-0 (replay) |
| 1972/73 | Ajax | Juventus | 1-0 |
| 1971/72 | Ajax | Inter | 2-0 |
| 1970/71 | Ajax | Panathinaikos | 2-0 |
| 1969/70 | Feyenoord | Celtic | 2-1 (a.e.t.) |
| 1968/69 | Milan | Ajax | 4-1 |
| 1967/68 | Manchester United | Benfica | 4-1 (a.e.t.) |
| 1966/67 | Celtic | Inter | 2-1 |
| 1965/66 | Real Madrid | Partizan | 2-1 |
| 1964/65 | Inter | Benfica | 1-0 |
| 1963/64 | Inter | Real Madrid | 3-1 |
| 1962/63 | Milan | Benfica | 2-1 |
| 1961/62 | Benfica | Real Madrid | 5-3 |
| 1960/61 | Benfica | Barcelona | 3-2 |
| 1959/60 | Real Madrid | Eintracht Frankfurt | 7-3 |
| 1958/59 | Real Madrid | Reims | 2-0 |
| 1957/58 | Real Madrid | Milan | 3-2 (a.e.t.) |
| 1956/57 | Real Madrid | Fiorentina | 2-0 |
| 1955/56 | Real Madrid | Reims | 4-3 |
History of the Champions League and European Cup
The European Cup was first established in 1955, and it remained under that name until the 1992/93 season, when the competition was revamped and rebranded as the Champions League.
Originally, the competition was only open to the champions of Europe's domestic leagues, as well as the defending champion of the European Cup.
However, in 1997, the league runners-up from Europe's strongest leagues were permitted to enter and then, in 1999, a selection of teams that finished third and fourth in their domestic league competitions were also granted qualification.
Following the rebranding of the competition to the Champions League in 1992, the defending champions of the competition did not automatically qualify for the following season's edition. This changed in 2005, allowing the participation of then holders Liverpool.
Who won the most Champions League trophies?
A total of 23 clubs have won the Champions League and/or the European Cup, with Real Madrid lifting the title a record 14 times so far.
AC Milan (seven titles), Bayern Munich (six titles), Liverpool (six titles) and Barcelona (five titles) round out the top five.
Since it was rebranded the UEFA Champions League in 1992/93, the winners have come from the following countries:
- Spain (12): Barcelona (4), Real Madrid (8)
- England (7): Chelsea (2), Liverpool (2), Manchester United (2), Manchester City (1)
- Italy (5): AC Milan (3), Inter Milan (1), Juventus (1)
- Germany (4): Bayern Munich (3), Borussia Dortmund (1)
- France (1): Olympique Marseille
- Netherlands (1): Ajax
- Portugal (1): FC Porto
Clubs that won most UEFA Champions League trophies
| No. of titles | Club | Seasons champion |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Real Madrid | 1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/00, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021/22 |
| 7 | AC Milan | 1962/63, 1968/69, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 2002/03, 2006/07 |
| 6 | Bayern Munich | 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2001/01, 2012/13,2019/20 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15 |
| 4 | Ajax | 1970/71, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1994/95 |
| 3 | Inter Milan | 1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 1967/68, 1998/99, 2007/08 |
| 2 | Benfica | 1960/61, 1961/62 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 2011/12, 2020/21 |
| 2 | Juventus | 1984/85, 1995/96 |
| 2 | Nottingham Forest | 1978/79, 1979/80 |
| 2 | Porto | 1986/87, 2003/04 |
| 1 | Aston Villa | 1981/82 |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 1996/97 |
| 1 | Celtic | 1966/67 |
| 1 | Feyenoord | 1969/70 |
| 1 | Hamburg | 1982/83 |
| 1 | Manchester City | 2022/23 |
| 1 | Olympique Marseille | 1992/93 |
| 1 | PSV Eindhoven | 1987/88 |
| 1 | Red Star Belgrade | 1990/91 |
| 1 | Steaua Bucharest | 1985/86 |