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Founded | 1955 |
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Region | UEFA (Europe) |
Number of teams | 36 (league stage) 2 (finalists) |
Current champions | ![]() (15th title) |
Most successful club(s) | ![]() (15 titles) |
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The UEFA Champions League is a seasonal football competition established in 1955.[1] Prior to the 1992–93 season, the tournament was named the European Cup.[1] The UEFA Champions League is open to the league champions of all UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) member associations (except Liechtenstein, which has no league competition), as well as to the clubs finishing from second to fourth position in the strongest leagues.[2] Originally, only the champions of their respective national league and the defending champions of the competition were allowed to participate. However, this was changed in 1997 to allow the runners-up of the stronger leagues to compete as well, and again in 1999 when third and fourth-placed teams of the said leagues also became eligible.[3] In the Champions League era, the defending champions of the competition did not automatically qualify until the rules were changed in 2005 to allow title holders Liverpool to enter the competition.[4]
Teams that have won the UEFA Champions League three consecutive times, or five times overall, receive a multiple-winner badge.[5] Six teams have earned this privilege: Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Liverpool, and Barcelona.[6] Until 2009, clubs that had earned that badge were allowed to keep the European Champion Clubs' Cup and a new one was commissioned;[7] since 2009, the winning team each year has received a full-size replica of the trophy, while the original is retained by UEFA.[8]
A total of 23 clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup. Real Madrid holds the record for the most victories, having won the competition 15 times, including the inaugural edition. They have also won the competition the most consecutive times, with five straight titles from 1956 to 1960. Juventus have been runners-up the most times, losing seven finals. Atlético Madrid is the only team to reach three finals without having won the trophy while Reims and Valencia have finished as runners-up twice without winning. Spain has provided the most champions, with twenty wins from two clubs.[9] England have produced fifteen winners from a record six clubs and Italy have produced twelve winners from three clubs. English teams were banned from the competition for five years following the Heysel disaster in 1985.[10] The current champions are Real Madrid, who beat Borussia Dortmund 2–0 in the 2024 final.[11]
While the venue for the final is chosen well in advance, on four occasions clubs have reached a final scheduled to be played in their own stadium; Real Madrid won their second European Cup in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in 1957, while in 1965 Inter Milan also won their second title in the final at the San Siro. In 1984, the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was the venue and saw Roma defeated on penalties by Liverpool, while 2012 saw the Allianz Arena host the final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, which the English club also won on penalties.
List of finals
† | Match was won during extra time |
* | Match was won on a penalty shoot-out |
& | Match was won after a replay |
- The "Season" column refers to the season the competition was held, and wikilinks to the article about that season.
- The wikilinks in the "Score" column point to the article about that season's final game.
Performances
By club
By nation
Teams from thirteen nations have appeared in a Champions League final, and teams from ten of those have won the competition. Since the 1995–96 season, other than Porto's win in 2003–04, the winners have come from one of only four nations – Spain (13), England (7), Germany (4) and Italy (4) – and other than Monaco in 2003–04 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2019–20, the runners-up have all come from the same four nations.
England has produced the most winning teams, with six clubs having won the trophy. Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands have produced three winners, while Spain and Portugal have produced two winning clubs. Scotland, Romania, Yugoslavia, and France have produced one winner each.
Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
---|---|---|---|
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20 | 11 | 31 |
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15 | 11 | 26 |
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12 | 17 | 29 |
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8 | 11 | 19 |
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6 | 2 | 8 |
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4 | 5 | 9 |
![]() |
1 | 6 | 7 |
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1 | 1 | 2 |
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1 | 1 | 2 |
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1 | 1 | 2 |
![]() |
0 | 1 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 1 |
See also
- List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup and Europa League finals
- List of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals
- List of UEFA Super Cup matches
- List of UEFA Conference League finals
- List of UEFA Intertoto Cup winners
- List of UEFA Women's Cup and Women's Champions League finals
Notes
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Liverpool won the penalty shoot-out 4–2.[16]
- ^ Score was 0–0 after 90 minutes and extra time. Steaua București won the penalty shoot-out 2–0.[17]
- ^ Score was 0–0 after 90 minutes and extra time. PSV Eindhoven won the penalty shoot-out 6–5.[18]
- ^ Score was 0–0 after 90 minutes and extra time. Red Star Belgrade won the penalty shoot-out 5–3.[19]
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Juventus won the penalty shoot-out 4–2.[20]
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Bayern Munich won the penalty shoot-out 5–4.[21]
- ^ Score was 0–0 after 90 minutes and extra time. Milan won the penalty shoot-out 3–2.[22]
- ^ Score was 3–3 after 90 minutes and extra time. Liverpool won the penalty shoot-out 3–2.[23]
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Manchester United won the penalty shoot-out 6–5.[24]
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Chelsea won the penalty shoot-out 4–3.[25]
- ^ Score was 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. Real Madrid won the penalty shoot-out 5–3.[26]
- ^ The 2020 final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.[27]
- ^ The 2021 final was played with limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.
- ^ Includes clubs representing West Germany. No clubs representing East Germany appeared in a final.
- ^ Both Yugoslav final appearances were by clubs from SR Serbia
References
- ^ a b "Competition history". UEFA. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "Access list" (PDF). UEFA. 30 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "1997/98: Seventh heaven for Madrid". UEFA. 30 April 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ "Liverpool get in Champions League". BBC Sport. 10 June 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ "UEFA Champions League Museum" (PDF). UEFA. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ Vieli, André, ed. (October 2005). "A brand-new trophy" (PDF). UEFA Direct (42). UEFA: 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2007/08" (PDF). UEFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions' League 2009/10" (PDF). UEFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ^ Haslam, Andrew (27 May 2009). "Spain savour European pre-eminence". UEFA. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "1985: English teams banned after Heysel". BBC News. 31 May 1985. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
- ^ Pettit, Mark (1 June 2024). "Real Madrid win Champions League: Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior see off Dortmund". UEFA. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Champions League Finals 1956–2021". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "European Champions' Cup". RSSSF. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
- ^ "UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook" (PDF). UEFA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- "2022–23 Season Update" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2023.
- ^ "UEFA Champions League – Statistics Handbook 2012/13" (PDF). UEFA. p. 141. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ^ "1983/84: Kennedy spot on for Liverpool". UEFA. 30 May 1984. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Steaua stun Barcelona with spot-kick masterclass". UEFA. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
- ^ "1987/88: PSV prosper from Oranje boom". UEFA. 25 May 1988. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "1990/91: Crvena Zvezda spot on". UEFA. 29 May 1991. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "1995/96: Juve hold their nerve". UEFA. 22 May 1996. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "2000/01: Kahn saves day for Bayern". UEFA. 23 May 2001. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "2002/03: Shevchenko spot on for Milan". UEFA. 28 May 2003. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "2004/05: Liverpool belief defies Milan". UEFA. 25 May 2005. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "2007/08: Fate favours triumphant United". UEFA. 21 May 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Shoot-out win ends Chelsea's long wait for glory". UEFA. 19 May 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Spot-on Real Madrid defeat Atlético in final again". UEFA. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "Venues for Round of 16 matches confirmed" (Press release). UEFA. 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.