List of UEFA Champions League winners: All the clubs to win Europe's top trophy by year

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Champions League trophy - cropped

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 Inter Milan in the 2023 final. In 2024, Real Madrid extended their record as the most successful team in the competition's history after defeating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

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
202324 Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund 2-0
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.

Gareth Bale Real Madrid Champions League Final Trophy

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 15 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 (13): Barcelona (4), Real Madrid (9)
  • 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
15 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, 2023/24
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
Author(s)
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Kieran Francis is a senior editor at Sporting News Australia.
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