The Union of European Football Associations organizes an annual club football competition called the UEFA Champions League. It is widely considered as Europe's most prestigious club football competition. The tournament was founded in 1955 and was formerly known as the European Cup until being renamed the Champions League in 1992.
According to the current structure, 32 teams compete in the group stage, with 16 moving on to the first knockout round. Teams must compete in the Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, and Semifinals in the knockout round to get to the final. Real Madrid are the current champions after defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the 2022 Champions League final. Let's have a look at the complete list of competition winners from 1956 to 2022.
European Cup and Champions League: The List of Winners
Twenty-two clubs have won the Champions League in 67 seasons. Thirteen of them have won the championship several times. Real Madrid of Spain have won the most UCL titles, with 14 to their credit. AC Milan of Italy is the second-most successful club in Champions League history. They have won the championship seven times. Liverpool are the most successful English club in the tournament's history, having won it six times.
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Winners of the European Cup/Champions League in each season (Updated - May 30, 2022)
|
Club |
Titles |
Seasons Won |
|
Real Madrid |
14 |
1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
|
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 |
2 |
1987, 2004 |
|
Celtic |
1 |
1967 |
|
Hamburger SV |
1 |
1983 |
|
Steaua Bucuresti |
1 |
1986 |
|
Marseille |
1 |
1993 |
|
Borussia Dortmund |
1 |
1997 |
|
Feyenoord |
1 |
1970 |
|
Aston Villa |
1 |
1982 |
|
PSV Eindhoven |
1 |
1988 |
|
Red Star Belgrade |
1 |
1991 |
Source: https://www.uefa.com/
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Performances by nation in the European Cup and Champions League
So far, clubs from 10 different nations have won the UEFA Champions League trophy. Spanish clubs have won a total of 19 titles among them. English clubs have won 14 UCL titles, while Italian clubs have won 12.
Winners by nation (Updated - May 30, 2022)
|
Nation |
Titles |
|
Spain |
19 |
|
England |
14 |
|
Italy |
12 |
|
Germany |
8 |
|
Netherlands |
6 |
|
Portugal |
4 |
|
France |
1 |
|
Romania |
1 |
|
Scotland |
1 |
|
Yugoslavia |
1 |
Source: https://www.uefa.com/
Read Real Madrid vs Liverpool: UEFA Champions League Final 2022 Preview
Aftermath
Winning the UEFA Champions League trophy is the ultimate goal for every elite team in Europe. European heavyweights typically invest a large amount of money in building their squads to achieve a competitive edge over their opponents. It's even difficult for teams like PSG and Manchester City to win their first UCL championship, despite spending a lot of money.
In contrast, Real Madrid, who were voted the best club in the twentieth century, have a habit of winning the competition quite often. The Spanish giants have won the championship five times in the previous nine years.
UEFA is contemplating restructuring the championship in order to allow more teams to participate in this premier competition. Therefore, a significant change may happen in future editions, potentially increasing fan excitement. On the whole, the competition is often dominated by clubs with a long and illustrious history, as seen by UEFA Champions League analysis from 1956 to 2022.
Read UEFA Champions League 2022 Final: Vinicius Jr.'s Strikes Secure Real Madrid's 14th UCL Title