Throughout the years, the Champions League has changed in multiple ways giving a chance to more teams to participate in the tournament. Back then, the championship was known as European Cup (until 1992) and was structured by 16 teams competing in four knockout rounds.
A few seasons later, in 1960 the European Cup expanded to 32 teams and kept the same structure until today.
The Champions League represents the best football clubs in Europe, making it the most prestigious championship. No wonder why it has become the primary goal for most football players.
Let’s highlight the top 5 football clubs with the most Champions League trophies.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid is cemented at the top of the leaderboard for most Champions League trophies, way ahead of its competitors. That’s why they are always on top of the soccer betting predictions to win the cup every season.
Over the years, Real Madrid won 13 Champions League trophies, which proves their domination of the league.
But this is not the only record the Spanish team has achieved in Champions League history. They have also managed the most consecutive continental crowns, calming five in a row from 1956 to 1960.
Six of the thirteen Champions League trophies, Real Madrid lifted since 2000 alone, with four of them happening in the past five seasons.
Years when Real Madrid won the Champions League: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Even though they lost against PSG in their last match, maybe they will manage to win the Champions League this season too.
AC Milan
Although AC Milan is not in the spotlight in the past couple of seasons, they have been a dominant force in the Champions League. They have managed to lift the Champions League trophy on seven occasions.
The last winning AC Milan team was quite impressive with names like Shevchenko, Kaka, Seedorf, Dida, Pirlo, Cafu, and many more football legends.
It’s been 14 years since AC Milan has been crowned Champions, and who knows, maybe next year they will return on the big stage.
Years when AC Milan won the Champions League:1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007.
Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC is another important name in the Champions League history. They’ve managed to lift the trophy on six occasions, and from what we’ve seen so far, they have a good chance of getting to the final this season.
Their last win was against Tottenham in an English final back in 2019. They are in good form this season, making them one of the most feared opponents that teams wouldn’t want to face.
Years when Liverpool FC won the Champions League:1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019.
FC Bayern Munchen
Just like Liverpool FC, Bayern has also acquired six Champions League trophies to their name. The German side has been ruthless on the field, especially after the incredible win against the star-studded PSG in 2020.
Bayern is another great football team that also has a big chance of winning this year’s Champions League.
Years when FC Bayern Munchen won the Champions League:1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
FC Barcelona
Finally, we have Barcelona, who has proven to be one of the unluckiest teams when it comes to the UEFA Champions League tournament. Even though their five Champions League trophies should be respected, they are still far away from the 13 trophies lifted by their domestic arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
Their most recent win was in 2015 after they defeated Juventus 3-1. FC Barcelona has run into some problems in the past couple of years, and with Messi missing, they were eliminated from this year’s tournament in the group stage.
Years when FC Barcelona won the Champions League:1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015.