The Champions League is the most famous club competition in the world, transforming triumphant players into legends.
Set up in 1955 as the European Cup, the tournament was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.
A variety of teams have etched their names into the trophy – from Ajax and Celtic to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football. The best teams in Europe compete to lift the coveted trophy yearly, carving their names on the famous trophy and into football history. From Ajax and Celtic to Real Madrid and Barcelona, the list of Champions League winners is prestigious.
Set up in 1955 as the European Cup, it has seen a wide range of winners, yet the football played in the 1950s is drastically different to the modern-day game. Up until 1991, it was a knockout format with one club per country (the league champion), plus the defending champion. From 1992 onwards, that was when football in Europe changed and it gave birth to the Champions League. UEFA created this to prevent the continent’s elite clubs from breaking away and creating their own league.
This list goes through every winner of the Champions League and how many times they have won it. There are 24 teams that have won the competition, with several having the joy of winning it on multiple occasions.
Teams that won the competition before 1992 captured the ‘European Cup’. After that, they would have won the Champions League.
UEFA Champions League Winners List
Season
Winners
Runners-up
Venue
Attendance
2024/25
Paris Saint-Germain
Inter Milan
Allianz Arena
64,327
2023/24
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Wembley
86,212
2022/23
Manchester City
Inter Milan
Ataturk Olympic Stadium
71,412
2021/22
Real Madrid
Liverpool
Stade de France
75,000
2020/21
Chelsea
Manchester City
Estadio do Dragao
14,110
2019/20
Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain
Estadio da Luz
0
2018/19
Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur
Metropolitano Stadium
63,272
2017/18
Real Madrid
Liverpool
NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium
61,561
2016/17
Real Madrid
Juventus
Millenium Stadium
65,842
2015/16
Real Madrid
Atlético Madrid
San Siro
71,942
2014/15
Barcelona
Juventus
Olympiastadion
70,442
2013/14
Real Madrid
Atlético Madrid
Estadio da Luz
60,976
2012/13
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Wembley
86,298
2011/12
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Allianz Arena
62,500
2010/11
Barcelona
Manchester United
Wembley
87,695
2009/10
Inter Milan
Bayern Munich
Santiago Bernabeu
73,490
2008/09
Barcelona
Manchester United
Stadio Olimpico
62,467
2007/08
Manchester United
Chelsea
Luzhniki Stadium
67,310
2006/07
Milan
Liverpool
Olympic Stadium
63,000
2005/06
Barcelona
Arsenal
Stade de France
79,610
2004/05
Liverpool
Milan
Ataturk Olympic Stadium
69,000
2003/04
Porto
Monaco
Arena AufSchalke
53,053
2002/03
Milan
Juventus
Old Trafford
62,315
2001/02
Real Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Hampden Park
50,499
2000/01
Bayern Munich
Valencia
San Siro
71,500
1999/00
Real Madrid
Valencia
Stade de France
80,000
1998/99
Manchester United
Bayern Munich
Camp Nou
90,245
1997/98
Real Madrid
Juventus
Amsterdam Arena
48,500
1996/97
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Olympiastadion
59,000
1995/96
Juventus
Ajax
Stadio Olimpico
70,000
1994/95
Ajax
Milan
Ernst-Happel-Stadion
49,730
1993/94
Milan
Barcelona
Olympic Stadium
70,000
1992/93
Marseille
Milan
Olympiastadion
64,400
1991/92
Barcelona
Sampdoria
Wembley
70,827
1990/91
Red Star Belgrade
Marseille
Stadio San Nicola
56,000
1989/90
Milan
Benfica
Praterstadion
57,558
1988/89
Milan
Steaua Bucureşti
Camp Nou
97,000
1987/88
PSV
Benfica
Neckarstadion
68,000
1986/87
Porto
Bayern Munich
Praterstadion
57,500
1985/86
Steaua Bucureşti
Barcelona
Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
70,000
1984/85
Juventus
Liverpool
Heysel
58,000
1983/84
Liverpool
Roma
Stadio Olimpico
69,693
1982/83
Hamburg
Juventus
Olympic Stadium
73,500
1981/82
Aston Villa
Bayern Munich
De Kuip
46,000
1980/81
Liverpool
Real Madrid
Parc des Princes
48,360
1979/80
Nottingham Forest
Hamburg
Santiago Bernabeu
51,000
1978/79
Nottingham Forest
Malmö FF
Olympiastadion
57,500
1977/78
Liverpool
Club Brugge
Wembley
92,500
1976/77
Liverpool
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Stadio Olimpico
57,000
1975/76
Bayern Munich
Saint-Etienne
Hampden Park
54,864
1974/75
Bayern Munich
Leeds United
Parc des Princes
48,374
1973/74
Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid
Heysel
48,722
1973/74 (replay)
Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid
Heysel
23,325
1972/73
Ajax
Juventus
Red Star Stadium
89,484
1971/72
Ajax
Inter Milan
De Kuip
61,354
1970/71
Ajax
Panathinaikos
Wembley
83,179
1969/70
Feyenoord
Celtic
San Siro
53,187
1968/69
Milan
Ajax
Santiago Bernabau
31,782
1967/68
Manchester United
Benfica
Wembley
92,225
1966/67
Celtic
Inter Milan
Estadio Nacional
45,000
1965/66
Real Madrid
Partizan
Heysel
46,745
1964/65
Inter Milan
Benfica
San Siro
89,000
1963/64
Inter Milan
Real Madrid
Praterstadion
71,333
1962/63
Milan
Benfica
Wembley
45,715
1961/62
Benfica
Real Madrid
Olympisch Stadion
61,257
1960/61
Benfica
Barcelona
Wankdorf Stadium
26,732
1959/60
Real Madrid
Eintracht Frankfurt
Hampden Park
127,621
1958/59
Real Madrid
Stade de Reims
Neckarstadion
72,000
1957/58
Real Madrid
Milan
Heysel
67,000
1956/57
Real Madrid
Fiorentina
Santiago Bernabeu
124,000
1955/56
Real Madrid
Stade de Reims
Parc des Princes
38,239
24 Red Star Belgrade
1991
Red Star Belgrade aren’t exactly one of the biggest teams in Europe nowadays, but, in 1991, they completed the ultimate goal in football, winning the European Cup on penalties against Marseille, the year before the competition evolved into the Champions League as we know it today. They beat Grasshopper, Rangers, Dynamo Dresden and Bayern Munich on their way to the final, before dramatically beating the French side in Bari. This was only the second time that an Eastern European side had won and the last time the competition used a solely knockout tournament. The Serbian side will always be remembered for their heroic achievement, even if they aren’t fighting at the top anymore.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1991
Final
Red Star 0-0 Marseille (5-3 on pens)
Win
23 PSV
1988
PSV may have only won the European Cup once, but, in 1988, they dominated European football, defeating two-time winners Benfica in the final at Neckarstadion in Stuttgart. PSV became the first Dutch team to win the title in 15 years. They also set a record by winning only three matches on their route to victory, including no wins from the quarter-final onwards. A remarkable outcome for one of the smaller teams in Europe. Nowadays, they are consistently in the Champions League and Europa League, but they often struggle to compete against Europe’s major teams.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1988
Final
PSV 0-0 Benfica (6-5 on pens)
Win
22 Aston Villa
1982
Aston Villa fans consistently belt out ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’ to rival fans at Villa Park. It’s part of their DNA after their European Cup success in 1982. Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final at De Kuip to complete their dominance in the competition. It was the sixth consecutive year that an English club won the competition. Aston Villa had never competed in the rebranded competition until Unai Emery let them back to the promised land in 2024. The glory days of Aston Villa might be returning soon, but nothing will ever match the year of ’82.
Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Thomas Muller all feature in the top 15 for most Champions League assists ever.
21 Feyenoord
1970
Feyenoord have also won the European Cup on one occasion in their history, beating Celtic 2-1 in the final at the San Siro. It was the first time the title had been won by a club from the Netherlands, and sparked a period of Dutch dominance in the competition, as Ajax won the next three titles. Feyenoord are not one of the best clubs in Europe anymore, but they are continually in the group stages of the Champions League. With a passionate fanbase and an exciting squad, there is hope they might be able to defy the odds again one year.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1970
Final
Feyenoord 2-1 Celtic
Win
20 Manchester City
2023
Manchester City’s Rodri celebrates after winning the Champions League
Manchester City, despite spending over one billion pounds since being taken over in 2008, have won the Champions League just once. In 2023, they narrowly beat major underdogs Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to complete a historic treble, matching their arch-rivals Man United in completing the feat. Man City will be expected to continue their dominance in the coming years, especially with Pep Guardiola at the helm. It showcased the dark reality of modern football with all of Man City’s major success coming after being bankrolled by Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, Rodri’s goal in the final will go down in history forever.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
2023
Final
Man City 1-0 Inter
Win
2021
Man City 0-1 Chelsea
Loss
19 Paris Saint-Germain
2025
Paris Saint-Germain’s appearances in the Champions League were limited in the 1990s and 2000s, but they have become a mainstay since the 2010s, thanks, in no small part, to the muscular financial backing they get from their Qatari owners. Indeed, the Champions League trophy became something of a holy grail for the club and they pulled out the stops, recruiting the best players in the world, including Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Ironically, though, when they eventually won the title for the first time in their history in 2024/25, it was without the aforementioned star power – the tactical nous of Luis Enrique helping to elevate the squad to a higher plain. PSG reached the final in 2019 for the first time in the club’s history, but lost out to Bayern Munich on that occasion. They have been knocked out at the semi-final stage on three occasions.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
2025
Final
Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Inter Milan
Win
2019
Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich
Loss
18 Dortmund
1997
Borussia Dortmund are one of Europe’s most famous clubs. The famous ‘Yellow Wall’ epitomises that. In 1997, their European dreams came true as they beat defending champions Juventus 3-1 in the final to win the Champions League. It remains their only title in the tournament to date, and it was the first title for Germany since its reunification in 1990. They’ve come close to winning more since, most notably losing the 2013 final to domestic rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley before suffering the same fate at the same stadium when coming up against an all-conquering Real Madrid side in 2024.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1997
Final
Dortmund 3-1 Juventus
Win
2013
Dortmund 1-2 Bayern
Loss
2024
Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid
Loss
17 Marseille
1993
Bernard Tapie, the former chairman of the French soccer team Olympique de Marseille
Marseille beat AC Milan in the first-ever Champions League final in 1993, thanks to a 1-0 win which sent a section of France into delight. However, it wasn’t without controversy. A match-fixing scandal involving a league game that took place six days before the final colours their European triumph. Marseille had allegedly fixed a title-clinching Division 1 game against Valenciennes so they could concentrate on the final against Milan. It is believed that the club owned by the controversial figure of Bernard Tapie bribed Valenciennes to lose so that they would win the French league earlier and above all so that they would not injure the Marseille players before the final against Milan. This resulted in Marseille being stripped of their league title by the French Football Federation but not the Champions League.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1993
Final
Marseille 1-0 Milan
Win
1991
Marseille 0-0 Red Star (3-5 on pens)
Loss
16 FC Steaua Bucuresti
1986
Steaua Bucuresti have won the European Cup on one occasion in 1986, beating Barcelona via spot-kicks in the final thanks to penalty shootout specialist, Helmuth Duckadam. The showpiece, held in Seville, showcased the talent of Eastern European football despite the social struggles. This was epitomised as Steaua Bucuresti became the first Eastern Bloc side to win the tournament. Nowadays, a version of Steaua are meandering in the lower depths of Romanian football (FCSB remain in the top flight), but whatever their outcome has in store, they will always have that special night in 1986, beating one of Europe’s biggest teams in dramatic fashion. It will likely not be repeated by any Romanian side.
Champions League Record
Year
Round
Scoreline
Win/Loss
1986
Final
Steaua București 0-0 Barcelona (2-0 on pens)
Win
1989
Steaua București 0-4 Milan
Loss
15 Hamburg
1983
Hamburger SV fans celebrate after the team’s victory.
Hamburg may be struggling to get out of the German second division now, but they used to be one of Europe’s biggest and most entertaining teams. In 1983, they beat Juventus 1-0 in the final at Athens’ Olympic Stadium. It was the first time since 1976 that the trophy did not go to a club from England. They had to get past BFC Dynamo, Olympiacos, Dynamo Kyiv and Real Sociedad to reach the final, but they eventually had the delight of lifting the world-famous trophy. Now Hamburg are a sleeping giant, knowing they will likely never replicate the feat again.
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Plus, Benjamin Sesko speaks exclusively about his first season at Manchester United, and Porto manager Francesco Farioli reflects on a title-winning campaign and his growing reputation across Europe.
Marcus Rashford is facing an uncertain future as there are doubts over whether the England international will make a permanent switch to Barcelona this summer.
The Manchester United forward joined the Blaugrana last summer on a season-long loan, impressing with 14 goals and 14 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.
The 28-year-old helped Barcelona on the way to becoming La Liga title winners, filling in on either wing in the absence of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
While a permanent move for Rashford appeared possible, that has since become complicated with other transfer activity, which is now creating doubt over his future at the Nou Camp.
With that in mind, Barcelona have seemingly made their final decision on signing the forward permanently.
That doesn’t stop the possibility of negotiating better terms, or perhaps even another loan deal, but it appears as though that ship may well have sailed.
According to local outlet RAC 1, Rashford isn’t in Barcelona’s plans and any possibility of a return will only happen if the club fail to land other targets in the transfer market.
With the strength of Raphinha and Yamal also in the frontline, it means there may not be room for Rashford, who may have to go back to the drawing board.
It’s a blow for the England international, who seemed to enjoy his time in Spain, as well as a conundrum for Manchester United to consider in the market.
Where Could Marcus Rashford Go Next?
There’s a new challenge for Rashford to consider this summer when it comes to his options, following an impressive showing in La Liga over the past campaign.
The winger will have to think once again about his next steps, which could include a return to Manchester United to impress under new permanent boss Michael Carrick.
Having shown plenty of quality before, and playing under a manager who will know how to get the best out of him, it’s an option that could be attractive.
The difficulty comes in the size of his deal, and whether both parties would be willing to re-open a chapter that appeared to be closed 18 months ago.
Fabrizio Romano has shared a big update on the future of Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
In terms of other clubs, there will no doubt be some interest in the Premier League if he wishes to stay in England, with a return to Aston Villa potentially on the cards, while any of the big clubs will at least take a cursory glance at a move.
Elsewhere in Europe there may be challenges, especially when it comes to financial power, as sides in Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga could find it tough to put together a competitive package.
That said, the allure of a move to somewhere new could help reduce the figures involved, but it will all be determined by what Rashford wants to do next.
For the third year on the bounce, Luke Littler and Luke Humphries locked horns in the Premier League Darts final, but this time it was The Nuke who seized the title from his rival with a nailbiting 11-10 victory.
The 19-year-old has finished top of the league standings in every tournament he has been involved in, but this year was perhaps his most turbulent yet, as the world number one suffered a slow start to the season and got himself on the wrong side of the crowd following a heated match with Gian van Veen in Manchester.
Humphries, likewise, struggled to get going this season, but a surge of strong performances late on coupled with his first and only night win on night 15 in Birmingham propped him up behind his rival once again.
The top four for finals night was rounded off by the Welsh duo of Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price, and the event certainly lived up to the hype with all three matches being decided by one-leg margins.
But after a climactic finale, who took home the most in earnings across the season? Below is a full breakdown of what each participant earned. Alongside the standard prize money available, any player who won a league phase night also collected an additional £10,000 bonus.
8 Josh Rock
£80,000
Selected as a wildcard for his maiden Premier League season, the Northern Irishman impressed in 2025, winning the World Cup of Darts alongside compatriot Daryl Gurney and reaching a semi-final in the World Matchplay.
His Premier League season has unfortunately been one to forget, though, as he finished bottom of the standings on eight points and no nightly wins. The 25-year-old seemed low on confidence early in the season and did not make it past the quarter-final stage until night 8 in Berlin following a 6-3 victory over Jonny Clayton.
Rock did produce one of the most memorable moments of the whole season, however, when he hit a nine-darter at his home event in Belfast and backed it up with rapturous celebrations.
7 Gian van Veen
£85,000
Coming off the back of his impressive runner-up finish at the World Championship, there were high hopes for Van Veen heading into his maiden Premier League season. However, he rounded off a poor season for the newcomers as he finished second to last in the standings, five points ahead of Rock.
Despite some strong performances, he could not get over the line to win a night, losing in Newcastle, Glasgow, Belfast, and Manchester at the final hurdle. The young Dutchman was by no means out of his depth, and pushed the top players on multiple occasions, with his most notable victory coming in Manchester, where he beat Littler in a last-leg decider.
6 Michael van Gerwen
£100,000
Van Gerwen has taken a tumble from the exemplary standards fans have held him to for so many years. The Dutchman started the season hot, winning on night one in Newcastle and reaching the final of night two in Antwerp.
The night one win would be his only one as his form then severely dropped off, with points in the next five nights only coming via a bye after Van Veen withdrew from Dublin with kidney stones.
Despite an upturn in form once more, it wasn’t enough for the seven-time Premier League champion, who finished fifth and failed to qualify for finals night for the second year in a row.
5 Stephen Bunting
£115,000
Fan-favourite Bunting was one of the more controversial wildcard picks for the Premier League, after the Englishman finished dead last in the 2025 standings and fell in a shocking third-round defeat to James Hurrell at the World Championship.
The 41-year-old struggled early on, before an impressive victory on night four in Belfast, which included a 6-0 semi-final against Jonny Clayton, who led the standings at the time.
His second win came on the final night in Sheffield, with the bonuses from his two nightly wins enough to pip Van Gerwen in the earnings charts despite finishing below the Dutchman in the league standings.
4 Gerwyn Price
£130,000
Price was having a solid 2025 season until a shocking World Championship campaign saw him fall in the second round at the hands of Wesley Plaisier.
After falling in the PDC Order of Merit, Price was one of four wildcard picks, and did that pick justice with a second Premier League finals appearance in a row.
Midway through his match with Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price was spoken to by the match referee.
The Iceman beat Van Gerwen on night two in Antwerp and Van Veen on night nine in Manchester on his way to finishing fourth, and despite a spirited comeback, he eventually lost 10-9 to Littler in the Premier League finals.
The 2021 world champion has enjoyed an illustrious career, but is still yet to add a Premier League title to his resume.
3 Jonny Clayton
£150,000
Clayton has been knocking on the door of the Premier League for a few years and was a standout performer on his first return since 2023.
The Welshman was a surprising pace setter, winning on night three in Glasgow and coupling it with multiple semi-final appearances. In fact, the 51-year-old only faced defeat six times in the quarter-final stage in a consistent campaign, with second and third nightly wins coming back-to-back in Brighton and Rotterdam.
The 2021 champion finished the season third, but was defeated in his finals semi-final in nail-biting fashion, with Humphries edging it 10-9.
2 Luke Humphries
£180,000
Reigning champion Humphries looked down and out halfway through the season and was at one point second from bottom in the standings.
Cool Hand rallied at the latter end, though, reaching the final in each of the final four nights, finishing runner-up in Aberdeen, Leeds, and Sheffield, and grabbing his sole win in Birmingham, where he defeated Gerwyn Price 6-4.
Humphries reached the final on finals night following a 10-9 victory over Clayton with the hope of becoming a Premier League champion for the second time. Instead, it was his rival and 2024 champion Littler who completed that feat with an 11-10 victory in a usually tense affair.
1 Luke Littler
£410,000
The teenage sensation has added yet another title to an illustrious resume reflecting a man with at least 30 years in the sport, not three.
Every season he has been involved in the Premier League he has finished top of the standings, including a record 45-point haul last season which ultimately ended in defeat to Humphries.
Littler met Humphries in the final for the third year in a row, but this time came out on top to regain the Premier League title, but he did not have it all his own way this season.
The conclusion of the Premier League was all too much for Luke Littler, who broke down during his post-match interview.
The 19-year-old started slowly by his standards and did not pick up his first win until night five in Cardiff. He then went on a tear until the end of the season, winning in Dublin, Berlin, Aberdeen, and Leeds, with his most notable victory coming in Liverpool, where he silenced a hostile crowd and dispatched Clayton 6-1 in the final.
A modern trailblazer in the sport, The Nuke continues to rewrite the history books and tops this year’s earnings table for another title seized from Humphries!