UEFA Champions League winners list | OneFootball

The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football. The best teams in Europe compete to lift the coveted trophy every year, knowing they can write their names into history - or quite literally on the trophy. From Ajax and Celtic to Real Madrid and Barcelona, the list of Champions League winners is prestigious.

Some teams fall at the final hurdle, most notably Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain in recent years, and with that disappointment, comes grief that will stay with the players for a lifetime. The competition holds one of the most famous trophies in the world, with only the beautiful golden World Cup trophy holding greater significance.

Set up in 1955 as the European Cup, it has seen a wide range of winners, yet the football played in the 1950s is drastically different to modern-day football. The Champions League saw the birth of Cruyff's football, which will forever hold a place in history. In simple words, the Champions League is where history is made and legacies are remembered. From 1955 to 1991, it was a knockout format with one club per country (the league champion), plus the defending champion. A group phase was added after 1991, but it wasn't until 2003 that they introduced the traditional format that will be used up until 2024.

The list goes through every winner of the Champions League and how many times they have won it. There are 23 teams have won the competition, with several having the joy of winning it on multiple different occasions.

23 Red Star Belgrade

1991

Red Star Belgrade aren't exactly one of the biggest teams in Europe nowadays, but, in 1991, they completed the ultimate goal in football, winning the Champions League on penalties against Marseille. They beat Grasshopper, Rangers, Dynamo Dresden and Bayern Munich on their way to the final, before beating the French side in dramatic fashion in Bari. This was only the second time that an Eastern European side had won the competition and the last time the Champions League used a solely knockout tournament. The Serbian side will always be remembered for their heroic achievement, even if they aren't fighting at the top anymore.

22 PSV

1988

PSV may have only won the Champions League once, but, in 1988, they dominated European football, defeating two-time winners Benfica in the final at Neckarstadion in Stuttgart. PSV became the first Dutch team to win the title in 15 years. They also set a record by winning only three matches on their route to victory, including no wins from the quarter-final onwards. A remarkable outcome for one of the smaller teams in Europe. Nowadays, they are consistently in the Champions League and Europa League, but they often struggle to compete against Europe's major European teams.

21 Aston Villa

1982

Aston Villa fans consistently sign 'champions of Europe, you'll never sing that' to rival fans at Villa Park. It's part of their DNA after their success in 1982. Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final at De Kuip to complete their dominance in the competition. It was the sixth consecutive year that an English club won the competition. Aston Villa have not competed in the Champions League for decades, but - under Unai Emery - that might change in the 2024/2025 season. The glory days of Aston Villa might be returning soon, but nothing will ever match the year if 1982.

20 Feyenoord

1970

Feyenoord have also won the competition on one occasion in their history, beating Celtic 2-1 in the final at the San Siro. It was the first time the title had been won by a club from the Netherlands, and sparked a period of Dutch dominance in the competition, as Ajax won the next three titles. Feyenoord are not one of the best clubs in Europe anymore, but they are continually in the group stages of the Champions League. With a passionate fanbase and an exciting squad, there is hope they might be able to defy the squads again one year.

2023

Manchester City - despite spending over a billion pounds since being taken over in 2008 - have won the Champions League just once. In 2023, they narrowly beat major underdogs Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to complete a historic treble, matching their arch-rivals Man United in completing the feat. Man City will be expected to continue their dominance in the coming years, especially with Pep Guardiola at the helm. It showcased the dark reality of modern football with all of Man City's major success coming after being bankrolled by Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, Rodri's goal in the final will go down in history forever.

1997

Dortmund are - are always will be - one of Europe's most famous clubs. The famous 'Yellow Wall' epitomises that. However, in 1997, their European dreams came true as they beat defending champions Juventus 3-1 in the final to win the Champions League. It remains their only title in the tournament to date, and it was the first title for Germany since its reunification in 1990. They've come close to winning more since, most notably losing to Bayern Munich in the final at Wembley in 2013, but Dortmund are not one of Europe's strongest clubs anymore and it will be hard to replicate the 1997 feat.

1993

Marseille beat AC Milan in the 1993 Champions League final 1-0 to send a section of France into delight. However, it wasn't without controversy. A match-fixing scandal involving a league game that took place 6 days before the final where Marseille had allegedly fixed their title-clinching Division 1 game against Valenciennes so they could concentrate on the final against Milan. It is believed that the club bribed Valenciennes to lose so that Marseille would win the French league earlier, and above all that they would not injure the Marseille players before the final against Milan. This resulted in Marseille being stripped of their league title by the French Football Federation but not the Champions League.

1986

Steaua București have won the Champions League on one occasion in 1986, beating Barcelona on penalties in the final. The final, held in Seville, showcased the talent of Eastern European football despite the social struggles. This was epitomised as Steaua București became the first Eastern Bloc side to win the tournament. Nowadays, Steaua București are now meandering in the lower depths of Romanian football, but whatever their - likely bleak - outcome has in store, they will always have that special night in 1986, beating one of Europe's biggest teams in dramatic fashion. It will likely not be repeated by a Romanian side.

1983

Hamburg may not be struggling to get out of 2. Bundesliga now, but they used to be one of Europe's biggest and most entertaining teams. In 1983, they beat Juventus 1-0 in the final at Athens' Olympic Stadium. It was the first time since 1976 that the trophy did not go to a club from England. They had to get past BFC Dynamo, Olympiacos, Dynamo Kyiv and Real Sociedad to reach the final, but they eventually had the delight of lifting the world-famous trophy. Now Hamburg are a sleeping giant, knowing they will likely never replicate the feat again.

14 Celtic

1967

Celtic's famous stands in Celtic Park are iconic within Europe. Not only for its atmosphere but also for its famous appearance. There are very few stadiums in the world better, yet they've not had much European success to celebrate since 1967. Celtic became the first British club to win the competition - continuing their reputation as one of Europe's most successful clubs - after they beat Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon. A late 85th-minute goal from Stevie Chalmers secured victory for the Scottish giants, who had to beat Dukla Prague in the semi-finals beforehand. It was a different period to the thrills and prestige of modern-day football, but just as iconic.

13

1987, 2004

The first team to win two Champions Leagues. Porto won the prestigious competition in 1987 and 2004, beating Bayern Munich on the first occasion and Monaco on the second. Porto led to the dominance of José Mourinho at the start of the 2000s, famously beating Manchester United at Old Trafford on their way to glory. Porto are still one of Europe's most well-known names, yet they've struggled to replicate their success in recent years. Their journey usually ends in the group stages or quarter-finals, unlike their previous journeys. There is hope one day they will replicate their 2004 success.

12 Nottingham Forest

1979, 1980

Just like Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest fans always sign 'champions of Europe, you'll never sing that' to opposition fans. Whether it's Arsenal, Tottenham or Leicester fans, they'll always be there to remind them. Nottingham Forest's success came in back-to-back years in 1979 and 1980, beating Malmö and Hamburg in consecutive years. It was at the heart of England's dominance in the competition, whilst Nottingham Forest are still the only side to have won the European Cup more times than their domestic top flight. Brian Clough led the team to victory, but it's unlikely they will replicate the feat anytime soon.

11 Chelsea

2012, 2021

Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but their European success has been very recent. Before Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, transforming the playing side with incredible wealth. Despite a season of chaos in 2012, they defied the odds to beat Bayern Munich - in their home yard - in the final. Didier Drogba's header is written into fans' heads, whilst the winning penalty sent West London into chaos. They replicated the success in 2021 with a dramatic win against Man City in Porto, thanks to a Kai Havertz solo goal. It's scenes fans will never forget.

10 Benfica

1961, 1962

Benfica won back-to-back Champions Leagues in 1961 and 1962, just the sixth and seventh competitions ever. Benfica won the first trophy 3-2 against Barcelona, becoming the first Portuguese team to reach the final and win the tournament. They won the trophy again a year later, beating Real Madrid 5–3 in the final at the Olympisch Stadion in Amsterdam. The help of Eusebio led Benfica to glory, with the attacker strongly considered one of the greatest players of all time. They remain one of the most competitive teams in Europe, but they often struggle to threaten Europe's modern-day greats.

9 Juventus

1985, 1996

Juventus have been one of the most successful clubs in world football over the years, famous for their financial controversies in recent years but their domestic success in Europe. Although they have not been as successful in the Champions League, they have still won it twice in 1985 and 1996. On the first occasion, they beat Liverpool, but the fixture was overshadowed by the Heysel stadium disaster in the buildup. On the second occasion, they beat Ajax on penalties in Rome. It was an iconic moment to win the competition in one of their rival's stadiums, but they'll be hoping to replicate it again soon.

8 Manchester United

1968, 1999, 2008

Manchester United have won the Champions League on three occasions, most recently in 2008. The most recent final was played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, where they played against Chelsea, making it an all-English final for the first time in the history of the European Cup. Manchester United won the match 6–5 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time. John Terry famously slipped whilst taking a crucial penalty to send the travelling Red Devils home in delight. The club will be hoping to replicate that success in the coming years, but they are currently marred by poor mistakes.

7 Inter Milan

1964, 1965, 2010

Inter Milan are steeped in history in every inch of the club's stadium - the San Siro. Alongside spells of domestic dominance, they have also won the Champions League three times. They won it back-to-back in 1964 and 1965, beating Real Madrid and Benfica respectively. Meanwhile, in their most recent success, they beat Bayern Munich in the final as Mourinho led the club to a historic treble. The manager quickly left the city, but he will always be remembered as one of the club's greatest managers. Currently, near the top of Serie A, there is hope they will be able to bring the trophy home soon.

6 Ajax

1971, 1972, 1973, 1995

Ajax are famous within European football for their success in the Champions League in the 1970s. They won the competition three times in a row in 1971, 1972 and 1973, helped by the genius footballing talent of Cruyff. In 1973, the win by Ajax resulted in the fourth consecutive championship by a Dutch team. Since Ajax had won the cup for a third time, they got to keep the full-size copy of the cup - a rare occasion at the time. Although they have not been successful recently, they came close in 2019 - only to be denied by Spurs' heroics in the semi-final.

5 Barcelona

1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015

When you think about Barcelona, you think about Pep Guardiola's famous time and the joy of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi. The team famously destroyed Man United to win the competition in 2011 at Wembley, potentially going down as one of the greatest team performances in the competition's history. They won the competition again in 2015 to take their tally to five after the success of 'MSN' - Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez. Barcelona have struggled in Europe recently, mainly due to poor performances and financial struggles, but they will be hoping La Masia can lead the club to glory again.

4 Liverpool

1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019

Liverpool's first European success came in 1977 when they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in Rome. It started years of dominance from Liverpool, winning the competition again in 1978, 1981 and 1984. The club are famous for their Istanbul comeback in 2005, coming from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win on penalties, whilst their recent success against Spurs in Madrid made them six-time champions. They are one of Europe's greatest clubs, but there is hope they will soon win the competition for a seventh time as the Liverbird continues to soar among Europe's greatest clubs in the Champions League.