The Champions League is an annual competition organized by the European organization UEFA. This tournament is contested by the best clubs in Europe and it is one of the world's most-watched tournaments.
Each year, some of the world's most famous soccer clubs compete in this competition. It is the hope of any team that participates to win the UEFA Champions League and to write their name on the coveted trophy at least once in their history.
The competition was founded in 1955, as the European Champion Clubs' Cup (European Cup), which was later rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. Since then, 22 different clubs have won a trophy at least once, while another 19 have participated in a final at least once, but failed to win the prize.
21. Valencia – 2 finals, 0 wins
Valencia have participated in two consecutive UEFA Champions League finals so far. The first was the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final, when they faced Real Madrid on May 24, 2000, at the Stade de France, Paris. The final score was 3-0 for Madrid.
The Bats returned to feature in the next season’s final. This time, they faced Bayern, and the Spaniards were an equal opponent for 120 minutes. However, the Bavarians won 5-4 on penalties. Thus, Valencia are yet to lift the Champions League trophy.
20. Reims – 2 finals, 0 wins
Reims were a very dominant European soccer side during the ‘50s. They have also featured in two finals so far but to no avail. In the 1956 European Cup Final, they came against Real Madrid, and even though they were holding up just fine, the French club eventually lost 4-3.
Then, three years later, the two outfits met once again from the 1959 European Cup Final. This time, Reims weren’t quite the equal opponent, as they lost 2-0, at the Neckarstadion, in Stuttgart, Germany.
19. Chelsea – 2 finals, 1 win
It’s really disappointing to see Chelsea having managed only two finals in the Champions League. It was on May 21, 2008, when Premier League arch-rivals Chelsea and Manchester United clashed to determine the 2008 UEFA Champions League winner.
Up to this date, Chelsea are trying to forget this game as they lost 6-5 on penalties. Luckily, four years later, they returned to get their revenge, when they faced Bayern Munich on May 19, 2012, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. Luck was on the Blues’ side then, as they won 4-3.
18. Borussia Dortmund – 2 finals, 1 win
Borussia Dortmund have played twice in a Champions League final, but they only got to lift the trophy once. The German side and Serie A club Juventus met in the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany. Borussia were the better side then, thanks to a 3-1 win.
Then in 2013, they featured in another Champions League final, this time against another German giant, Bayern. Dortmund were very close to going into extra time when they were shocked by Arjen Robben in the 89th minute. As a result, Bayern won 2-1.
17. Marseille – 2 finals, 1 win
Marseille have played a Champions League final on two occasions now. They lost their first final ever when they came across the most dangerous ex-Yugoslavian team, Red Star Belgrade in 1991. The winner had to be decided on penalties, as Marseille missed one, and Red Star converted all of their penalty-kicks.
Two years later, Marseille even managed to upset the great Milan as they returned for another final. The game was played on May 26, 1993, at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany. They eventually won 1-0.
16. Steaua Bucuresti – 2 finals, 1 win
Steaua Bucuresti won their first European Cup in the 1985-86 season. It was on May 7, 1986, when they faced the grand Barcelona. The game ended 0-0 in regular time, but Barca players managed to miss all of their penalty-kicks, letting Steaua celebrate their first title.
In 1989, the Romanian side came back to play in another final, this time against Milan. The game was played on May 24, 1989, at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. Steaua was trashed by the Rossoneri 4-0.
15. Hamburger SV – 2 finals, 1 win
Just like the others before, Hamburger SV have played in two finals so far. In their first one, they met with Nottingham Forrest on May 28, 1980, at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. The game ended in a 1-0 loss for Hamburg.
Three years later, they faced Juventus on May 25, 1983, at the Athens' Olympic Stadium in Greece. That is when they got their first Champions League triumph, battling the Italian side 1-0.
14. Celtic – 2 finals, 1 win
Celtic also have two European Cup finals, and they have prevailed in only one of them. The Scottish club beat Inter 2-1 in the 1967 European Cup Final, which was played on 25 May 1967, at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal.
The following year, Celtic were also present in another final. However, this time, it didn’t end quite well for them, as the Hoops were defeated 2-1 after extra time on May 6, 1970, at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.
13. Porto – 2 finals, 2 wins
Porto have played in two Europan Cup/Champions League finals, and they turned out to be the better side in both of them. They featured in a European Cup final for the first time in 1987 when the Portuguese side faced Bayern at the Prater Stadium in Wien, Austria. The final score was 2-1, in favor of Porto.
Then, in the 2003-04 season, they reached their second final when they had to play vs Monaco, on May 26, 2004, at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Porto were very convincing in this game, as they triumphed 3-0.
12. Nottingham Forest – 2 finals, 2 wins
Another team with two successful attempts out of two tries is Nottingham Forest. They even lifted both titles successfully. They clashed off against Malmo on May 30, 1979, at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany, and won 1-0.
Then, the following 1979-80 season, on May 28, 1980, Nottingham Forest and Hamburger SV face off at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. The final score was also 1-0 even this time.
11. Atletico Madrid – 3 finals, 0 wins
Atletico Madrid are perhaps the club with the most negative record in the UEFA Champions League. So far, they have played in three different Europen Cups/Champions League finals but unfortunately, they never got to win it. Atleti faced Bayern in a two-legged final in 1974, and they lost 5-1 on aggregate.
They met with their city rivals Real Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, and they were again defeated with a 4-1 result. It didn’t take much for them to come back and give it another shot, again against Real Madrid. Atletico were an equal opponent this time, but they lost on penalties.
10. Manchester United – 5 finals, 3 wins
In 1968, Manchester United won their first Champions League trophy against Eusebio's Benfica (4-1). The Red Devils’ second title came in 1999 when they scored two extra-time goals after Bayern led for almost 85 minutes (2-1). The third one came after a penalty-kicks roulette in 2008 when in the final in Moscow they faced fellow English team, Chelsea.
United reached the UCL final the next year as well. However, Barcelona was a much stronger side for them at the time as they lost 2-0 on May 27, 2009. These two sides met again in a Champions League final on May 28, 2011, when Barca triumphed again (3-1).
9. Inter – 5 finals, 3 wins
Inter have also played in five finals. They managed to grab two successive European Cup titles in 1964 and 1965, respectively. In the 1964 European Cup Final, the Nerazzurri won 3-1 vs Real Madrid, while in 1965, they beat Benfica 1-0. The third title came under Jose Mourinho, as they defeated Bayern 2-0 in 2010.
Inter also have two lost finals, as their first one was played on May 25, 1967, at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal. They lost 2-1 to Celtic. Meanwhile, the second defeat came in 1972, when Ajax beat them 2-0 at the De Kuip in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
8. Ajax – 6 finals, 4 wins
Ajax have managed to enter into six finals so far in their history. During the 1970s, they celebrated three straight European Cup victories. In 1971, Ajax beat Panathinaikos 2-0; then in 1972, they won 2-0 over Inter, and in 1973, Ajax triumphed 1-0 against Juventus.
On May 24, 1995, they won their fourth title after beating Milan 1-0. The Dutch side failed to lift the trophy on two occasions: When Milan beat them 4-1 in the 1969 European Cup Final, and when they lost on penalties to Juventus in the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final.
7. Benfica – 7 finals, 2 wins
Benfica are one of the rare clubs to have reached seven finals but won in only two of them. The first one came after they beat Barcelona with a dramatic 3-2 victory in the 1961 European Cup Final. The second time was during the next 1961-62 season when the Portuguese side saw Real Madrid off (5-3).
However, Benfica have failed to register wins in five final appearances. They played Milan in 1963 and lost 2-1, then two years later, they were defeated 1-0 by the other Milan club, Inter. Also, Manchester United were the better side in the 1968 European Cup Final with a 4-1 win, in addition to the defeat against PSV Eindhoven in 1988 on penalties. Their latest defeat came from Milan in 1990 (1-0).
6. Barcelona – 8 finals, 5 wins
Barcelona have emerged victorious in five finals out of the eight they have played so far. The Blaugrana beat Sampdoria 1-0 after extra time in 1992, then in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, they won 2-1 vs Arsenal. In 2009, they face Manchester United and won 2-0, only to meet them again two years later, and again, defeat them (3-1).
Their most recent win came against Juventus, 3-1 in 2015. The Catalan club have also lost three finals: 3-2 to Benfica in the 1961 European Cup Final; 2-0 on penalties to Steaua Bucuresti in 1986, and 4-0 to Milan in 1994.
5. Juventus – 9 finals, 2 wins
Just like Benfica, Juventus also have a negative record between their final appearances and the titles they have won. Their first title came in after triumphing 1-0 over Liverpool in the 1985 European Cup Final. Then, in 1996, the Bianconeri played against Ajax in the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final, and they won 4-2 on penalties. Juve have seven unsuccessful attempts to win the trophy.
First, they lost 1-0 to Ajax in 1973, then they failed to win vs Hamburger SV (1-0) in 1983, in addition to losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund in 1997. In the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final, they faced Real Madrid and lost 1-0, only to lose 3-2 on penalties to Milan in 2003. Juve were also defeated 3-1 to Barcelona in 2015, and 4-1 vs Real Madrid two seasons later.
4. Liverpool – 9 finals, 6 wins
Liverpool won the European Cup/Champions League six times in nine total attempts. The first one came after beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in 1977, followed by a back-to-back 1-0 win in the 1978 European Cup Final over Club Brugge. Two years later, they faced Real Madrid and won 1-0, as well as beating 4-2 on penalties vs Roma in 1984.
The Reds prevailed 3-2 on penalties in the 2005 UEFA Champions League thriller Final vs Milan, and their latest win came after beating Tottenham 2-0 in 2019. On the other hand, Liverpool lost 1-0 to Juventus in 1985; 2-1 to Milan in 2007, as the Rossoneri got their revenge; and 3-1 to Real Madrid in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final.
3. Bayern – 11 finals, 6 wins
Bayern won three straight European Cups titles in 1794, 1975, and 1976: They first faced Atletico Madrid and won 5-1 on aggregate, then came a 2-0 win over Leeds, and a 1-0 win vs Saint-Etienne. Also, the Bavarian club can boast triumphing over Valencia on penalties in 2001; 2-1 over Borussia Dortmund in 2013, and 1-0 vs PSG in the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final.
Bayern also have five unsuccessful finals: 1-0 loss against Aston Villa in the 1982 European Cup Final; 2-1 defeat to Porto five years later and another 2-1 loss to Manchester United in 1999. In the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, Inter won 2-0. Bayern returned for another final in 2012, but they were again defeated, this time 4-3 on penalties to Chelsea.
2. Milan – 11 finals, 7 wins
The Rossoneri have celebrated seven titles from 11 possible chances. Milan won 2-1 in 1963 vs Benfica, and 4-1 against Ajax in 1969. It took two full decades to lift a trophy again in 1989, thanks to a 4-0 win over Steaua Bucuresti, and a 1-0 win against Benfica the following year.
The remaining trophies came after beating Barcelona 4-0 in 1994, Juventus on penalties in 2003, and Liverpool 2-1 in 2007. Milan have also lost four finals: In 1958 vs Real Madrid (3-0), in 1993 against Marseille (1-0). They suffered a 1-0 loss to Ajax in 1995, and a defeat to Liverpool on penalties in 2005.
1. Real Madrid – 16 finals, 13 wins
From the 1956-57 season to 1959-60 season, Real Madrid won five straight Champions League titles: 4-3 vs Reims in 1956; 2-0 vs Fiorentina in 1957; 3-2 against Milan in 1958; 2-0 against Reims again in 1959, and 7-3 vs Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960. Their next titles came in: 1966, after beating Partizan 2-1; 1998, with a 1-0 win over Juventus; 3-0 vs Valencia in 2000, followed by a 2-1 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen two years later.
They also managed a 4-1 win vs Atletico Madrid in 2014. These two sides met again in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, but Madrid was again the better club, winning 5-3 on penalties. Madrid also beat Juventus 4-1 in 2017, and Liverpool 3-1 the following season. The Whites lost only three finals: vs Benfica in 1962 (5-3), vs Inter in 1964 (3-1), and vs Liverpool in 1981 (1-0).
