The UEFA Champions League, previously known as the European Cup, is Europe’s most elite club competition.
The annual tournament, which has been held every season since 1955/56, initially featured only the champions of the continent’s top leagues. Over time, it has expanded to include more.
Since the competition’s inception, 23 teams have won the trophy, including Real Madrid. Notably, Los Blancos claimed the inaugural prize. They were also the most recent winners after overcoming Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium in June 2024.
Given the competition’s long history, Real Madrid isn’t the only team to have claimed the title numerous times. Clubs like AC Milan, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool have also lifted the trophy on several occasions, cementing their status among Europe’s most elite teams.
So where does Los Blancos stand as UCL champions? Real Madrid are ranked 1st, as they are the only team in history to have won the competition 15 times.
Club |
TItles |
Years |
---|---|---|
Real Madrid |
15 |
1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 |
AC Milan |
7 |
1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 |
Bayern Munich |
6 |
1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 |
Liverpool |
6 |
1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
Barcelona |
5 |
1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
Ajax |
4 |
1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 |
Inter Milan |
3 |
1964, 1965, 2010 |
Manchester United |
3 |
1968, 1999, 2008 |
Juventus |
2 |
1985, 1996 |
Benfica |
2 |
1961, 1962 |
Chelsea |
2 |
2012, 2021 |
Nottingham Forest |
2 |
1979, 1980 |
Porto |
1 |
1987, 2004 |
Borussia Dortmund |
1 |
1997 |
Celtic |
1 |
1967 |
Hamburg |
1 |
1983 |
Steaua Bucharest |
1 |
1986 |
Marseille |
1 |
1993 |
Manchester City |
1 |
2023 |
Feyenoord |
1 |
1970 |
Aston Villa |
1 |
1982 |
PSV Eindhoven |
1 |
1988 |
Red Star Belgrade |
1 |
1991 |
Real Madrid clinched their first European Cup in the inaugural competition held during the 1955/56 season. Los Blancos cemented their dominance by winning the trophy for four consecutive seasons thereafter.
They claimed the prize once more in 1966, but remarkably didn’t lift the trophy again until 1998. The turn of the millennium saw Real Madrid win Europe’s biggest club prize in 2000 and 2002. They then had to wait 12 years before winning the trophy again in 2014.
After that triumph, Los Blancos won the competition three consecutive times in 2016, 2017, and 2018. They clinched it again in 2022 before lifting the trophy for the 15th time in 2024. That 2024 triumph also marked a record-setting fifth Champions League title for Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
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