The Champions League is UEFA’s biggest competition and arguably the most important club competition in the world. The competition as it is today is a rebranding of the old European Cup, with the 2015/16 Champions League the 24th season in the new format, and the 61st in the history of the tournament. Champions League final history is vast with many dramatic clashes taking place all over Europe in some of the most prestigious stadiums.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will play in the 2016 Champions League final on May 28th at the San Siro in Milan, Italy – a repeat of the 2014 final in which Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra time to win their tenth European crown.
Real are the most successful team in the history of the Champions League with their ten titles, with the Spanish side three ahead of AC Milan on seven titles. Atletico are still looking for their maiden Champions League title, having finished as runners up in both 2014 and 1974.
Check out our guide to Champions League final history below:
European Cup/Champions League Final Winners
The Champions League has been won by 22 different teams throughout its history, with 12 of those winning the title more than once. Real Madrid have the most titles to date and can stretch their lead to eleven with a win over Atletico on May 28th. The country with the most successful participating teams is Spain with 15 winners. Italy and England are joint second with 12 wins apiece.
Real Madrid – Titles: 10 – Runners-Up: 3
Years Won: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014
Years Runners-Up: 1962, 1964, 1981
AC Milan – Titles: 7 – Runners-Up: 4
Years Won: 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
Years Runners-Up: 1958, 1993, 1995, 2005
Bayern Munich – Titles: 5 – Runners-Up: 5
Years Won: 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013
Years Runners Up: 1982, 1987, 1999, 2010, 2012
Barcelona – Titles: 5 – Runners-Up: 3
Years Won: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
Years Runner-Up: 1961, 1986, 1994
Liverpool – Titles: 5 – Runners Up: 2
Years Won: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005
Years Runners Up: 11985, 2007
Ajax – Titles: 4 – Runners Up: 2
Years Won: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
Years Runners Up: 1969, 1996
Inter Milan – Titles: 3 – Runners-Up: 2
Years Won: 1964, 1965, 2010
Years Runners-Up: 1967, 1972
Manchester United – Titles: 3 – Runners-Up: 2
Years Won: 1968, 1999, 2008
Years Runner-Up: 2009, 2011
Juventus – Titles: 2 – Runners-Up: 6
Years Won: 1985, 1996
Years Runners-Up: 1973, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015
Benfica – Titles: 2 – Runners-Up: 5
Years Won: 1961, 1962
Years Runners-Up: 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990
Nottingham Forest – Titles: 2 – Years Won: 1979, 1980
Porto – Titles: 2 – Years Won: 1987, 2004
Celtic – Titles: 1 – Runners Up: 1 – Years Won: 1967 – Years Runners Up: 1970
Hamburg – Titles: 1 – Runners-Up: 1 – Years Won: 1983 – Years Runners-Up: 1980
Steaua București – Titles: 1 – Runners-Up: 1 – Years Won: 1986 – Runners-Up: 1989
Marseille – Titles: 1 – Runners-Up: 1 – Years Won: 1993 – Runners-Up: 1991
Chelsea – Titles: 1 – Runners-Up: 1 – Years Won: 2012 – Runners-Up: 2008
Borussia Dortmund – Titles: 1 – Runners-Up: 1 – Years Won: 1997 – Runners-Up: 2013
Feyenoord – Titles: 1 – Years Won: 1970
Aston Villa – Titles: 1 – Years Won: 1982
European Cup/Champions League Record Scorers
Some of the greatest players in the history of the game have graced the Champions League, with many having outstanding scoring records. However, two stand out as being the greatest European goalscorers of all time: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The pair lead the way in terms of goals scored and have done since 2014, with Messi overtaking Real Madrid legend Raul at the top after scoring a hat-trick against lowly APOEL in the group stage. Current Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo has not only joined Messi in beating Raul’s record since then, but the Portuguese talisman has stormed out in front of his Argentinian rival, establishing a ten goal cushion before the 2016 final.
Barcelona’s Messi has been the Champions League top scorer in a record five editions of the tournament, while Ronaldo has been top in four. No player has topped the Champions League goalscoring charts other than the pair since before the 2008/09 season (with Neymar sharing the award with both Ronaldo and Messi with 10 goals last season). With Ronaldo on 16 goals so far this season (an amazing seven ahead of Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski in second), that record should roll on for a ninth straight season.
If Ronaldo scores in the final he will equal the record for most goals scored in a Champions League campaign (17) – a record he is already the holder of.
Of the top ten all time scorers in the competition, only Ronaldo’s teammate Karim Benzema and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic are still active.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 93 goals – 126 games
2. Lionel Messi – 83 goals – 106 games
3. Raul – 71 goals – 142 games
4. Ruud van Nistelrooy – 56 goals – 73 games
5. Thierry Henry – 50 goals – 112 games
6. Alfredo Di Stephano – 49 goals – 58 games
7= Andriy Shevchenko – 48 goals – 100 games
7= Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 48 goals – 119 games
9= Eusebio – 46 goals – 65 games
9= Karim Benzema – 46 goals – 80 games
9= Filippo Inzaghi – 46 goals – 81 games
Europa League Final History
Below are the previous ten Champions League final results, starting with Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Juventus last year and ending with the Catalan side’s 2-1 win over Premier League side Arsenal in 2006 at the Stade de France.
Barcelona 3-1 Juventus – 2015 Final – Olympiastadion, Berlin (70,442 crowd)
Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid – 2014 Final – Estadio da Luz, Lisbon (60,976)
Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund – 2013 Final – Wembley, London (86,298)
Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich (4-3 pens) – 2012 Final – Allianz Arena, Munich (62,500)
Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United – 2011 Final – Wembley, London (87.695)
Inter Milan 2-0 Bayern Munich – 2010 Final – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid (73,490)
Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United – 2009 Final – Stadio Olimpico, Rome (62,467)
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 pens) – 2008 Final – Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow (67,310)
AC Milan 2-1 Liverpool – 2007 Final – Olympic Stadium, Athens (63,000)
Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal – 2006 Final – Stade de France, Saint-Denis (79,610)
Click here for video highlights of all the last ten Champions League finals
Most Champions League Appearances
Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas holds the record for the most appearances is the Champions League, with the goalkeeper on 156. The Spaniard still plays for Portuguese side Porto and is able to stretch his lead in coming seasons, as are both Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic who are still active.
Iker Casillas – 156 appearances – Clubs: Real Madrid, Porto
Xavi – 151 appearances – Club: Barcelona
Raul – 142 appearances – Clubs: Real Madrid, Schalke 04
Ryan Giggs – 141 appearances – Club: Manchester United
Paolo Maldini – 128 appearances – Club: AC Milan
Cristiano Ronaldo – 126 appearances – Clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid
Clarence Seedorf – 125 appearances – Clubs: Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan
Paul Scholes – 124 appearances – Club: Manchester United
Roberto Carlos – 120 appearances – Clubs: Real Madrid, Fenerbahce
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 119 appearances – Clubs: Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG
Champions League Manager Records
Carlo Ancelotti and former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley jointly hold the record for the most Champions League wins for a manager with three. Paisley won three European crowns for Liverpool between 1977 and 1981, while former Chelsea and PSG boss Ancelotti has won the competition in 2003, 2007 and 2014 – the first two while manager of AC Milan, and the last with Real Madrid.
Ancelotti, who takes over as Bayern Munich manager in the summer, was a runner-up in 2005 and also won the European Cup twice as a player, in 1979 and 1980, along with six others.
Click here to head to Soccerlens’ home hub for the 2016 Champions League final
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
