Most Champions League Titles by a Club

Real Madrid holds the record for the most European Cup and Champions League titles, with 15, a total more than double that of any other club. Their reign began at the very start of the competition, with five consecutive victories between 1956 and 1960, and continued right through to their 15th crown in 2024.

The Champions League, and the European Cup that preceded it, is club football’s most coveted prize. Winning it once cements a club’s place in history; winning it repeatedly is the mark of a genuine dynasty. Only a small circle of clubs have lifted the trophy more than twice, and one stands far above the rest. Here is the full leaderboard of Europe’s most successful clubs, the eras behind their titles, and why Real Madrid’s lead looks unassailable. All figures are as of the 2025 season.

The record holder: Real Madrid and 15 titles

Real Madrid’s relationship with this competition is unlike any other. They won the first five European Cups in a row, led by Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, establishing an aura that has never fully faded. After a long gap, they returned to the summit with their sixth in 1966, a seventh in 1998, and then an unprecedented modern run.

Between 2014 and 2018 the club won four titles in five seasons, a feat no one had managed in the Champions League era. Further triumphs in 2022 and 2024 took them to 15, cementing a lead that would take a rival decades of sustained success to close.

The full leaderboard of Champions League-winning clubs

The table below ranks clubs by total European Cup and Champions League titles.

Rank	Titles	Club	Country
1	15	Real Madrid	Spain
2	7	AC Milan	Italy
3	6	Bayern Munich	Germany
3	6	Liverpool	England
5	5	Barcelona	Spain
6	4	Ajax	Netherlands
7	3	Manchester United	England
7	3	Inter Milan	Italy
9	2	Juventus	Italy
9	2	Benfica	Portugal

Other clubs level on two titles include Porto, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. The list spans the competition’s entire history, from the pioneering sides of the 1950s and 1960s to the modern powerhouses, but Real Madrid’s 15 tower over the field.

AC Milan, Bayern and Liverpool

AC Milan’s seven titles, built across the great teams of the late 1980s, early 1990s and mid-2000s, make them the second-most successful club and Italy’s finest in Europe. Bayern Munich and Liverpool follow on six apiece, each with its own dynasties, Bayern in the 1970s and again in the 2010s and 2020s, Liverpool in the late 1970s and 1980s before their modern revival. These three sit clearly ahead of Barcelona’s five but remain a long way behind Real Madrid.

The chasing pack and the domestic picture

Beyond the top five, Ajax’s four titles headline a group of clubs whose European heights often coincided with golden generations. Domestic dominance does not always translate to European success, a contrast our leaderboard of the most Premier League titles makes clear. For the individual side of European greatness, see our ranking of the most Champions League goals ever.

Why the record matters

The Champions League rewards clubs that combine squad depth, elite recruitment and big-game temperament over a grueling knockout format. Real Madrid’s 15 titles reflect a culture of expectation that has spanned generations of players and coaches. It is the club equivalent of the individual milestones tracked on our most World Cup goals leaderboard, a record built on sustained excellence at the very top.

The short version: Real Madrid holds the Champions League and European Cup record with 15 titles, ahead of AC Milan (7), Bayern Munich (6) and Liverpool (6). As of the 2025 season, no other club has reached double figures, leaving Real Madrid’s lead the most commanding in European club football.