The Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football. Only the best teams from each nation can qualify, as they go head-to-head from the league to the final – one of the most watched sporting events of the year. The glory that comes with victory lasts forever, but – for the losers – it is a day to forget. The excitement and anticipation that builds up to the final is quickly crashed down by the misery and pain of defeat.

23 teams have won the Champions League – formerly the European Cup – since it was created in 1955. Real Madrid have won it a record 14 times, whilst several English clubs have conquered mainland Europe in dramatic circumstances. But, on the other side of the story are the losers.

The 2025/2026 Champions League season is proving to be a dramatic one, with Napoli, Ajax and Marseille crashing out in the league phase. Paris Saint-Germain’s defense of their European crown hasn’t gone exactly as many envisioned as they require a play-off tie to advance to the last 16.

Here is an updated list of the 12 biggest clubs to never win European football’s biggest prize. Will any of these teams end their hoodoo this season?

Ranking Factors

• Size of the fanbase – Clubs that have bigger fanbases, and more support, have been ranked higher, and takes into consideration their history.
• How close they’ve come to success – If they came closer to Champions League glory, they have been ranked higher, whether it being losing in the final or being knocked out in the semis.
• Financial power – Teams that are richer, and are thus capable of signing players for extenuate fees, have been ranked higher.

12

Rangers

A 1-0 loss against Johan Cruyff’s Ajax in the final back in 1971-72 prevented Rangers from winning the European Cup. The Gers boast arguably the most passionate fanbase in European football, but their supporters have never seen them win the Champions League.

That will always be a blight on their rivalry with Celtic regarding who is truly the powerhouse of Scotland. It seems wrong for a club of such iconic status not to have reached the pinnacle of European football, and it doesn’t look likely to happen anytime soon.

The Teddy Bears won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972, becoming the first British club to reach a UEFA final. But European finals just aren’t a good match for the Scots, who also came up short in the UEFA Cup final in 2008 and the Europa League final in 2022.

11

Olympiacos

It’s usually the norm for the biggest team in major European nations to have at least claimed the Champions League once, but Greece still awaits a European champion. While Olympiacos have been regular participants in the tournament, the furthest they have reached is the quarter-finals, which came in the 1998-99 campaign.

Thrylos crashed out against Italian heavyweights Juventus and haven’t returned to the quarter-final round since. But that doesn’t mean the Greek outfit hasn’t had success in UEFA competition, and they won the Europa Conference League in 2024.

With Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis calling the shots and backing the Greeks with his financial muscle, he might be plotting European dominance in the long term. But for now, his club will likely be settling for continued domestic dominance.

10

Dynamo Kyiv

One of the giants of Ukrainian football, Dynamo Kyiv have not missed a single season of European competition since 1990, albeit not all of those years have been in the Champions League. Their greatest success in the tournament came in the second-half of the 20th century, where they managed to reach the semi-finals on three occasions in 1977, 1987 and 1999.

Dynamo have had some legendary players turn out for them over the years, including the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, who of course did manage European success by winning the Champions League while with Milan. Meanwhile, Sergei Rebrov is their most prolific goal-scorer in European football’s biggest competition, by netting 31 times.

9

Galatasaray

One of Turkish football’s biggest sides, Galatasaray have long been a formidable opponent in European competition, not least for the incredible atmosphere created at their home ground when some Champions League giants come calling. But while their fans have done their best to give their side the advantage, they haven’t yet gone close to winning European football’s biggest prize.

The club only have a a couple of quarter-final finishes to their name as their best performance in the Champions League. Despite having won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2000, Galatasaray will be hoping that the future holds them in better stead for winning the biggest one of them all.

8

Schalke

One of the most historic clubs in German football, Schalke have been one of the most followed teams despite their recent struggles. The first German club to win the double back in 1937, their performances on the European stage though have left a lot to be desired. One UEFA Cup and two Intertoto Cups are all that they have to show for their rich history, while their fans – who based off just membership alone constitute the fourth-largest support in the world – haven’t had much to cheer about. Their relegation from the Bundesliga in the 2022/2023 campaign has simply left a big hole in the top-flight of German football.

7

Valencia

Kickstarting the list, Valencia are one of the biggest clubs in Spain, famous for their passionate support and quality on the pitch. They’ve reached the UCL final on two occasions, most recently in 2001. On that occasion, they were facing Bayern Munich and took the lead through Gaizka Mendieta three minutes in. However, the German giants equalised through Stefan Effenberg and then won 5-4 on penalties. It came a year after Valencia lost 3-0 to Real Madrid in their first-ever Champions League final. Legendary Spanish footballer Raúl scored the third goal to seal victory and leave Valencia in pain for years to come.

6

Bayer Leverkusen

In the 2023/2024 season, Bayer Leverkusen are flying at the top of German football under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, clinching the Bundesliga title ahead of their rivals Bayern Munich in incredible fashion. In 2002, they faced Real Madrid in the final but lost 2-1. A stunning strike from Zinedine Zidane, widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in the competition’s history, sealed their fate. It was a spectacular ‘Man of the Match’ display from the Frenchman. Painfully for them, Bayer Leverkusen became the second club to finish runner-up in both the Champions League, domestic league and cup competitions in the same season after Barcelona in 1986, with a potential treble unravelling in the final couple of weeks of the season. It was the only time they had reached further than the quarter-finals.

5

Lyon

Only one French club has ever won the Champions League – Marseille. Lyon, alongside PSG and Monaco, have suffered years of pain, including two semi-final defeats. In 2020, they lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich. It was a one-leg contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing matches to be played in Portugal. However, ten years earlier, they lost their first semi-final. It was against Bayern Munich at that time as well. Similarly to 2020, they lost 3-0 on one night to take it to 4-0 on aggregate. A hat-trick by Ivica Olic sent Lyon packing for another year — and their chances of winning it seem to be narrowing every year.

Related

UEFA Champions League Winners List

Established in 1955, the Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, with every winner writing themselves into history.

4

Roma

Roma are full of history and tradition as one of Italy’s biggest clubs. However, their success has yet to be replicated in the Champions League. They have reached the final once, in 1984, but they lost to Liverpool. The Italian giants went into it as favourites because they were hosting the match at the Stadio Olimpico, yet Liverpool won on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Alan Kennedy scored the deciding kick to send Italian hearts into pieces. They recently reached the semi-finals in 2018, but – once again – Liverpool stopped them. The Reds dramatically won 7-6 on aggregate after winning the first leg 5-2. Talk about drama.

3

Tottenham Hotspur

If you ask a Tottenham fan what the most depressing match was as a fan, they would probably say the Champions League final. In 2019, they defied the odds to reach the final, beating Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate, Man City on away goals and Ajax also on away goals. Lucas Moura scored a dramatic second-half hat-trick in Amsterdam to see them face Liverpool in Madrid. However, they lost 2-0 through Mohamed Salah’s first-minute penalty and Divock Origi’s late strike. It was a cruel match as the Lilywhites had the better of the chances, but their trophy drought continued for another year. It is the only time they’ve reached the final.