3 minute read

The European Cup changed into the UEFA Champions League for the 1992-93 season and since then Real Madrid have clearly been the most successful club in the competition.

The Bernabeu club have won a record 15 titles in the competition's full history and nine of those have come since the UEFA Champions League came into being.

Five Real successes have come in the last decade, including three in a row between 2016 and 2018, while they are also the current holders, having beaten Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 final at Wembley Stadium.

 Most club titles 

 1990s 

French side Marseille were the first winners of the UEFA Champions League in 1993, with Basile Boli scoring the only goal of the game against AC Milan in Berlin's Olympiastadion.

That was the first of three successive finals for the Rossoneri, would thrash Barcelona 4-0 12 months later, before being edged out 1-0 by Ajax in 1995.

Juventus would then fly the flag for Italy in the next three finals, but their sole success was a penalty shootout victory over holders Ajax in 1996.

The last final of the 1990s is one of the most famous of all-time, with Manchester United scoring twice in injury time to stun Bayern Munich in a 2-1 win in Barcelona's Camp Nou.

 2000s 

The 2000s began with Valencia losing back-to-back finals to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, while the 2004 final saw Jose Mourinho rise to prominence by leading FC Porto to a 3-0 final success against Monaco in Gelsenkirchen.

Twelve months later Liverpool famously fought back from a 3-0 half-time deficit to draw level with AC Milan in Istanbul, before eventually prevailing 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Harry Kewell started in that game for the Reds, but was forced off just 23 minutes in, having become the first and still only Australian to win the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal's sole final appearance to date ended in a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Barcelona in 2006 and two years later a disappointing first all-English final - played in Moscow - went all the way to a penalty shootout, where Manchester United edged out Chelsea 6-5 for a second UEFA Champions League era success.

United would then suffer a 2-0 final loss to Barcelona 12 months later in Rome.

 2010s 

The 2010s opened with 'Special One' Mourinho winning his second title as Inter Milan shocked Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Bernabeu, with the German giants suffered an even more heart-breaking loss two years later.

Playing in their own Allianz Arean, Bayern were seconds from victory when Chelsea equalised and the Blues would go on to win a penalty shootout 4-3 to become champions of Europe for the first time.

Real Madrid then began a period of sustained dominance by claiming four victories in five seasons - twice denying city rivals Atletico - while a Gareth Bale double helped them see off Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 final.

A year later the Reds enjoyed better fortunes against Bale's former club Tottenham, as they secured a 2-0 victory in the Metropolitano in Madrid.

 2020s 

Paris Saint-Germain reached their first final in 2020, but a goal from Frenchman Kinglsey Coman downed them as Bayern Munich edged a 1-0 victory in Lisbon.

The next three finals all involved English clubs, with Chelsea denying Manchester City a first crown with a 1-0 success in Porto in 2021 and Real Madrid edging Liverpool thanks a Vinicius Junior goal 12 months later.

The Citizens would lift the UEFA Champions League Trophy for the first time in 2023, as a fourth successive final was settled by a single goal.

Rodri netted the matchwinner against Inter Milan in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, the scene of Liverpool's famous 2005 triumph.

2024 would see Real Madrid triumph for the sixth time in the last 11 years, defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley thanks to goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior.