After several pan-continental competitions came and went during the first half of the 20th century, UEFA launched the European Cup in 1955. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – which is considered the forerunner to the UEFA Cup and subsequent Europa League – arrived later that same year, while the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup was established in 1960.
All three of those aforementioned competitions have played a key role in the evolution of our continent’s footballing history, but one continues to enjoy an elevated status amongst those who follow the beautiful game. Only the very best participated in the European Cup, a precedent that didn’t change when the competition was re-branded to the Champions League on the eve of the 1992/93 campaign. Although multiple representatives from the same league are now permitted to participate, the European Cup was exclusively contested between reigning national champions until 1997, when Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund triumphed.
Since being given a major facelift just over three decades ago, the Champions League has developed into one of the most lucrative sporting events on the planet. However, if you strip back the glitz and glamour, you’ll see that the competition serves the exact same purpose as its predecessor. Just like the European Cup, the Champions League is used to determine who is the continent’s top team – that’s why it’s so absorbing.
A total of 24 different clubs have won this competition – let’s find out who these are…
Unparalleled domination
Having been crowned European champions on an eye-watering 15 previous occasions, Real Madrid are the undisputed Kings of UEFA’s flagship competition. Los Blancos won each of the first five editions of the European Cup before establishing their hegemony in the Champions League at the turn of the millennium.
1955/56 – Inaugural winners
The competition’s first-ever final produced a seven-goal thriller, with Real Madrid securing a 4-3 victory over French outfit Reims at the Parc des Princes. Having only needed to travel 150km to attend the final in Paris, it was perhaps unsurprising that Reims raced into an early two-goal lead. However, Madrid hit back through the legendary Alfredo Di Stéfano – who would remarkably also score in each of the next four European Cup finals – before a brace from Héctor Rial and Marquitos’ 67th-minute strike propelled the Spaniards to victory.
1956/57 – Home comforts
Real Madrid successfully defended their title on home soil, beating Serie A giants Fiorentina 2-0 at a packed Santiago Bernabéu. Six second-half minutes after Alfredo Di Stéfano converted from the spot to break the deadlock, Paco Gento fired home his eighth goal of the season to ensure the European Cup remained in the Spanish capital.
1957/58 – Bliss in Brussels
Another Italian opponent awaited Real Madrid in the 1958 European Cup final, although AC Milan arguably posed a much greater threat to their early dominance than Fiorentina. The Rossoneri led twice during the regulation 90 minutes, but Madrid eventually prevailed in extra time.
1958/59 – Reims re-match
Although Real Madrid would continue to be routinely involved in the latter stages of the European Cup/Champions League, Reims’ two early appearances in the final of this competition remain the club’s greatest achievement by some distance. Following their 2-0 defeat to Madrid in the 1959 showpiece, the two-time Coupe de France winners have only participated in three further European campaigns.
1959/60 – A historic night at Hampden
Widely considered to be one of the greatest matches of all-time, the 1960 European Cup final is inscribed in footballing folklore. Close to 128,000 spectators crammed into Hampden to watch Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás stage an attacking masterclass, as Madrid’s deadly duo netted seven goals between them in a ruthless hammering of reigning German champions Eintracht Frankfurt.
1965/66 – Familiar surroundings
Following their 1958 success in the Belgian capital, Real Madrid returned to the Heysel Stadium eight years later to claim yet another European Cup. Miguel Muñoz’s decision to leave a 39-year-old Ferenc Puskás out of the final appeared to be backfiring, as Partizan looked to protect a fragile 1-0 lead heading into the last 20 minutes. However, Madrid recovered without the help of their Hungarian hero, netting twice in quick succession to reverse the deficit.
1997/98 – Back to winning ways
More than three decades would pass before Los Blancos once again got their hands on Europe’s greatest prize, but it was undoubtedly worth the wait. Having procured their last continental honour by beating a team from Belgrade, it was perhaps fitting that Yugoslav striker Predrag Mijatović netted Real Madrid’s winning goal in the 1998 final.
1999/2000 – A Spanish takeover in Paris
Less than two years after staging several key matches during the 1998 World Cup, the Stade de France hosted an all-Spanish Champions League final. Goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman, and Raúl handed Real Madrid a comfortable victory over LaLiga rivals Valencia.
2001/02 – The rise of the Galácticos
Almost exactly 42 years on from their famous 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, Real Madrid found themselves back at Hampden facing German opposition. With Florentino Pérez’s first presidential term in full swing, Vicente del Bosque’s star-studded squad had managed to navigate its way to the 2002 Champions League final, where Bayer Leverkusen lay in wait. Zinedine Zidane’s sublime left-footed volley proved to be the difference between the two teams.
2013/14 – The beginning of Ronaldo’s reign
No player has ever scored more goals in a single Champions League campaign than Cristiano Ronaldo, who found the net on no less than 17 occasions during the 2013/14 campaign. The last strike in this incredible sequence came in the 120th minute of the final, enabling Real Madrid to rub salt in the wounds of their cross-city rivals Atlético.
2015/16 – Ronaldo’s continuing influence
Having registered 16 goals en route to the 2016 Champions League final, Cristiano Ronaldo netted the decisive spot-kick in the San Siro as Real Madrid broke Atlético hearts for the second time in quick succession. The Portuguese’s penalty also handed his manager the first of three consecutive Champions League crowns, as Zinedine Zidane followed up his iconic playing career with a glittering first stint in the Bernabéu hotseat.
2016/17 – More of the same from Cristiano
Ronaldo netted a further 12 goals during the 2016/17 campaign, ensuring he became the competition’s top scorer for the fifth consecutive season. The Madeira-born superstar grabbed a brace in the final, helping Real Madrid to ease past Juventus at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
2017/18 – Chaos in Kyiv
Thanks to Bale’s brilliance and a couple of clangers from Karius, the 2018 Champions League final will live long in the memory. After Karim Benzema pounced on his misjudged throw to deflect the ball home, the Liverpool goalkeeper allowed Gareth Bale’s dipping drive to squirm past him. In between those two moments of madness, Bale’s sensational bicycle kick – arguably one of the best goals in the competition’s history – sent Real Madrid on the path to victory.
2021/22 – Klopp denied for a second time
Liverpool were once again the victims four years later, as Real Madrid added further silverware to their bustling trophy cabinet with a narrow triumph in Paris. Thibaut Courtois received the Man of the Match award after producing a string of outstanding saves to deny the Reds an equaliser, ensuring Vinícius Júnior’s back-post finish remained the only goal of the tie.
2023/24 – A fifteenth title
The latest chapter of Real Madrid’s incredible Champions League success story came in 2024, as second-half goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior put fellow finalists Borussia Dortmund to the sword. Since that landmark 2-0 win at Wembley, Los Blancos have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the competition in successive seasons.
Honourable mentions
Although Real Madrid deservedly hog the limelight during discussions about previous Champions League triumphs, there are plenty of clubs that have won this competition on more than one occasion.
Here’s a full list of repeat Champions League winners (number of titles in brackets):
Real Madrid (15), AC Milan (7), Bayern Munich (6), Liverpool (6), Barcelona (5), Ajax (4), Inter Milan (3), Manchester United (3), Juventus (2), Benfica (2), Chelsea (2), Nottingham Forest (2), Porto (2)
Most successful nations
Representatives from the following countries have enjoyed the most success in this competition:
1. Spain (20 titles): See previous section for multiple Spanish winners
2. England (15 titles): See previous section for multiple English winners, plus Manchester City (1) and Aston Villa (1)
3. Italy (12 titles): See previous section for multiple Italian winners
4. Germany/West Germany (8 titles): See previous section for multiple German/West German winners, plus Borussia Dortmund (1) and Hamburg (1)
5. Netherlands (6 titles): See previous section for multiple Dutch winners, plus Feyenoord (1) and PSV Eindhoven (1)
Award recipients
Since the 2021/22 campaign, the Champions League’s top performers have been formally recognised. The recipient of the Player of the Season award is determined by a mixed group of stakeholders, consisting of respected journalists and coaching representatives from participating clubs. Meanwhile, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel decides who should be given the Young Player of the Season award.
Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the only player to win either of these awards while not being a current member of a Champions League-winning squad. Meanwhile, Vinícius Júnior is the only player to have received both of these awards. Having taken the junior gong two years prior, the Brazilian attacker was proclaimed Champions League Player of the Season at the conclusion of the 2023/24 campaign.
Champions League Player of the Season recipients
2021/22: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
2022/23: Rodri (Manchester City)
2023/24: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
2024/25: Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain)
Young Champions League Player of the Season recipients
2021/22: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
2022/23: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
2023/24: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
2024/25: Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain)
Past winners
Find a complete list of European Cup/Champions League winners below:
2025 (reigning champions): Paris Saint-Germain (France)
2024: Real Madrid (Spain)
2023: Manchester City (England)
2022: Real Madrid (Spain)
2021: Chelsea (England)
2020: Bayern Munich (Germany)
2019: Liverpool (England)
2018: Real Madrid (Spain)
2017: Real Madrid (Spain)
2016: Real Madrid (Spain)
2015: Barcelona (Spain)
2014: Real Madrid (Spain)
2013: Bayern Munich (Germany)
2012: Chelsea (England)
2011: Barcelona (Spain)
2010: Inter Milan (Italy)
2009: Barcelona (Spain)
2008: Manchester United (England)
2007: AC Milan (Italy)
2006: Barcelona (Spain)
2005: Liverpool (England)
2004: Porto (Portugal)
2003: AC Milan (Italy)
2002: Real Madrid (Spain)
2001: Bayern Munich (Germany)
2000: Real Madrid (Spain)
1999: Manchester United (England)
1998: Real Madrid (Spain)
1997: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
1996: Juventus (Italy)
1995: Ajax (Netherlands)
1994: AC Milan (Italy)
1993 (first winners of Champions League era): Marseille (France)
1992 (last winners of European Cup era): Barcelona (Spain)
1991: Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
1990: AC Milan (Italy)
1989: AC Milan (Italy)
1988: PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
1987: Porto (Portugal)
1986: Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
1985: Juventus (Italy)
1984: Liverpool (England)
1983: Hamburg (West Germany)
1982: Aston Villa (England)
1981: Liverpool (England)
1980: Nottingham Forest (England)
1979: Nottingham Forest (England)
1978: Liverpool (England)
1977: Liverpool (England)
1976: Bayern Munich (West Germany)
1975: Bayern Munich (West Germany)
1974: Bayern Munich (West Germany)
1973: Ajax (Netherlands)
1972: Ajax (Netherlands)
1971: Ajax (Netherlands)
1970: Feyenoord (Netherlands)
1969: AC Milan (Italy)
1968: Manchester United (England)
1967: Celtic (Scotland)
1966: Real Madrid (Spain)
1965: Inter Milan (Italy)
1964: Inter Milan (Italy)
1963: AC Milan (Italy)
1962: Benfica (Portugal)
1961: Benfica (Portugal)
1960: Real Madrid (Spain)
1959: Real Madrid (Spain)
1958: Real Madrid (Spain)
1957: Real Madrid (Spain)
1956: Real Madrid (Spain)