Real Madrid remain the undisputed leaders in European club football, with a record 15 European Cup and UEFA Champions League titles. AC Milan are second with seven, while Liverpool and Bayern Munich are tied on six. Barcelona complete the top five with five trophies. UEFA’s records include both the European Cup, which began in 1955/56, and the competition after it was renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992/93.
The gap at the top is striking. Real Madrid have won more than twice as many titles as AC Milan, while only five clubs have reached five or more overall victories.
Champions League Titles Key Facts
- Real Madrid: 15 titles
- AC Milan: 7 titles
- Liverpool: 6 titles
- Bayern Munich: 6 titles
- Barcelona: 5 titles
- First European Cup: 1955/56
- Champions League name introduced: 1992/93
- Most recent champion (2026): Paris Saint-Germain
- Total clubs to have won the competition: 24
1. Real Madrid: 15 Champions League Titles
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No club comes close to Real Madrid's European Cup and Champions League record.
Real Madrid have won the trophy 15 times, including five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960. Their first triumph came in the inaugural European Cup season, and that extraordinary early run established the Spanish club as the competition's first great dynasty.
Their winning years are:
1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024.
The most recent victory came in the 2023/24 final at Wembley. Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0, with Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior scoring the goals. It was the club's 15th European crown.
Madrid's dominance has also continued in the Champions League era. They won three consecutive titles from 2016 to 2018, becoming the first club to achieve that feat since the competition adopted the Champions League name. UEFA records Real Madrid with nine Champions League-era titles and 15 overall European Cup and Champions League victories.
There is another remarkable statistic behind the number. Real Madrid have won every Champions League-era final they have reached, according to UEFA's all-time records.
2. AC Milan: 7 Champions League Titles
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AC Milan are the second-most successful club in European Cup and Champions League history, with seven titles.
The Italian club first lifted the trophy in 1963 and added another European Cup in 1969. Their next great period arrived in the late 1980s, when Milan won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.
Milan's seven winning seasons are:
1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2007.
The 1989 and 1990 victories came during an era when Arrigo Sacchi's Milan became famous for its highly organised defensive structure and intense pressing. Players such as Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard helped turn that side into one of European football's> most recognisable teams.
Milan added their sixth title in 2003 before winning again in 2007. Their seven trophies leave them eight behind Real Madrid but three ahead of Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
3. Liverpool: 6 Champions League Titles
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Liverpool share third place with Bayern Munich on six European Cup and Champions League titles.
The English club's first four victories came during a remarkable period between 1977 and 1984. Liverpool won in 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1984, establishing themselves as one of Europe's dominant clubs of the era.
Their six winning years are:
1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019.
Liverpool's fifth European crown in 2005 remains one of the competition's most memorable finals. At half-time in Istanbul, they were 3-0 down against AC Milan. Liverpool then scored three times in the second half to level the match before winning the penalty shootout.
Fourteen years later, Liverpool returned to the summit. Jürgen Klopp's side defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the 2019 final in Madrid to claim the club's sixth European title.
Liverpool have also appeared in 10 European Cup and Champions League finals overall, according to UEFA's current honours board.
4. Bayern Munich: 6 Champions League Titles
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Bayern Munich have won Europe's biggest club competition six times, matching Liverpool's total.
Their first period of European dominance came in the 1970s. Bayern won three consecutive European Cups in 1974, 1975 and 1976, with a team featuring legendary figures such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier.
Bayern's six winning years are:
1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013 and 2020.
The club had to wait 25 years for its fourth title. In 2001, Bayern defeated Valencia on penalties in the final after a 1-1 draw.
Their next triumph arrived in 2013 under Jupp Heynckes. Bayern defeated Borussia Dortmund in an all-German final at Wembley and completed a historic treble that season.
The sixth title followed in 2020. Hansi Flick's Bayern defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Lisbon, with Kingsley Coman scoring the only goal of the final. UEFA's records list Bayern alongside Liverpool on six European Cup and Champions League victories.
5. Barcelona: 5 Champions League Titles
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Barcelona occupy fifth place with five European Cup and Champions League titles.
Unlike the other four clubs above them, Barcelona's first triumph came relatively late. They finally won the European Cup in 1992, defeating Sampdoria at Wembley.
Their five winning years are:
1992, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.
The club's greatest European period came in the 21st century. Barcelona won four Champions League titles between 2006 and 2015, with the 2009 and 2011 teams particularly associated with Pep Guardiola's possession-based football.
Lionel Messi became the defining figure of that era, while Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta formed the creative heart of the midfield.
Barcelona's fifth title arrived in 2015, when Luis Enrique's team defeated Juventus 3-1 in Berlin. That victory made Barcelona only the fifth club at the time to win the European Cup five times.
Champions League Titles: Top 5 Compared
| Club | Titles | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 15 | 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 |
| AC Milan | 7 | 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
| Bayern Munich | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 |
| Barcelona | 5 | 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
UEFA's current all-time rankings confirm the order: Real Madrid first with 15, AC Milan second with seven, Liverpool and Bayern Munich tied on six, and Barcelona fifth with five.
Why Real Madrid Have So Many Champions League Titles
The most striking part of the Champions League title race is not simply that Real Madrid are first. It is the size of the gap.
Madrid's 15 titles are more than double AC Milan's seven. They also have nine Champions League-era titles, meaning victories since the competition was renamed in 1992/93.
That dominance has appeared in different generations.
Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás were central figures in the early European Cup era. Decades later, Cristiano Ronaldo became the attacking symbol of Madrid's modern European dominance. More recently, Carlo Ancelotti has guided the club to titles in 2014, 2022 and 2024.
Ancelotti also holds the record for the most European Cup and Champions League triumphs as a coach, with five victories: two with AC Milan and three with Real Madrid.
When Did the European Cup Become the Champions League?
The competition began as the European Cup in the 1955/56 season. It was renamed the UEFA Champions League from the 1992/93 season. For records, UEFA counts the two eras together.
That distinction matters when comparing historical records.
For example, Real Madrid have 15 titles overall but nine in the Champions League era. Barcelona have five overall, with four coming after the rebrand. AC Milan have seven overall, including three Champions League-era victories.
So, when people ask which clubs have won the most "Champions League titles," the standard all-time answer is based on the combined European Cup and Champions League record.
Who Won the Latest Champions League?
Paris Saint-Germain are the most recent club to join the competition's multiple-title winners.
After winning their first European crown in 2025, Paris retained the trophy in 2026. PSG defeated Arsenal 1-1 (4-3 on penalties) in the 2025/26 final in Budapest on May 30, 2026. PSG became only the second club to successfully defend a Champions League-era title.
That means PSG now have two European Cup and Champions League titles, placing them among the competition's multiple-time winners, but still outside the current top five.
Champions League Titles FAQs
Which club has won the most Champions League titles?
Real Madrid have won the most European Cup and UEFA Champions League titles, with 15 overall. Their latest victory came in 2024 against Borussia Dortmund.
Which club is second in Champions League titles?
AC Milan are second with seven European Cup and Champions League titles.
Who has won six Champions League titles?
Liverpool and Bayern Munich have both won the European Cup and Champions League six times.
How many Champions League titles has Barcelona won?
Barcelona have won five European Cup and Champions League titles: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.
Has the Champions League always been called the Champions League?
No. The competition began as the European Cup in 1955/56 and was renamed the UEFA Champions League from the 1992/93 season. UEFA combines both periods when compiling its all-time winners' records.
Which club won the latest Champions League?
Paris Saint-Germain won the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, defeating Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final. It was PSG's second consecutive European title.
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