Sporting Lizbon Ajax
European football is the most competitive for clubs. Spread across the continent and dominated mostly by six countries- the domestic clubs fight for local and European glory every campaign. There are only a handful of clubs who have risen about the rest and have truly cemented themselves as true European giants.
The greatest clubs in the world have won the Champions League. However, few have been able to achieve the feat more than once. Here are ten of the most successful European football clubs of all time based on major trophies won:
AC Milan - 52 trophies
One of only two Serie A sides to make it to this list is Milanese giants AC Milan.
AC Milan have won 52 trophies. They are second only to Real Madrid when it comes to the number of European Cup/Champions League victories. They have been crowned champions of Europe on seven occasions. Their first victory in the competition came in 1963. Their most recent Champions League final victory was in 2007. Until Real's success in 2017, Milan had been the last club to successfully defend the European Cup, winning back-to-back trophies in 1989 and 1990.
AC Milan's trophy list:
x FIFA Club World Cup
7x Champions League
19x Serie A
5x Italian Cup
7x Italian Super Cup
2x Italian Serie B
3x Intercontinental Cup
2x Cup Winners Cup x Mitropacup
5x UEFA Supercup
Manchester United - 69 trophies
The giants of the Premier League have redefined success in recent decades thanks to their former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United have won 68 trophies – The Red Devils are one of the most successful clubs in England, with 20 top flight titles, including 13 in the Premier League era. United have won 12 FA Cups, five League Cups and a record 21 Charity/Community Shields.
They have won the Europa League in 2017 to add to their three European Cups/Champions Leagues, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup. United are the only English club to win a treble of Champions League, domestic title and main domestic cup. The Red Devils are the only English club to win any global titles. In 1999 they won the Intercontinental Cup and in 2008 claimed the Club World Cup.
Manchester United's trophy list:
x FIFA Club World Cup
3x Champions League
20x Premier League
12x FA Cup
6x English League Cup
x Europa League
x Intercontinental Cup
x Cup Winners Cup
x UEFA Supercup
21x English Supercup
2x English 2nd tier Championship
Liverpool - 70 trophies
The only other English team to make it on this list after Manchester United is their arch-rival, Liverpool. The Reds have won 69 trophies. They are the most successful English club in European football six European Cups.
The Reds have also claimed three UEFA Cups and four UEFA Super Cups. On the domestic front, Liverpool have won 19 top-flight English titles, eight FA Cups, a record nine League Cups and 15 Charity/Community Shields. The Reds won their Premier League title in the 2019/20 season after a 30-year wait. They have also won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019.
Liverpool's trophy list:
x FIFA Club World Cup
6x Champions League
19x Premier League
8x FA Cup
9x English League Cup
3x UEFA Cup
4x UEFA Supercup
16x English Supercup
4x English 2nd tier Championship
FC Porto - 71 Trophies
Porto are one of the “Big Three” teams in Portugal, alongside Lisbon-based rivals Benfica and Sporting CP. They are the second most decorated team in Portugal, with a total of 71 official trophies.
Most of them were achieved in domestic competitions that include 30 league titles (five of which were won consecutively between 1994–95 and 1998–99, a Portuguese football record).
Their most recent UEFA Champions League triumph came in 2003/04 when they beat Monaco 3-0 in the final.
Porto's trophy list:
2x Champions League
30x Primeira Liga
18x Portuguese Cup
x UEFA Cup
x Europa League
2x Intercontinental
x UEFA Supercup
24x Portuguese Supercup
Juventus - 70 trophies
The most successful Italian football club in the history of the sport is Turin's Juventus.
Juventus have won 70 trophies- 36 Serie A titles. They have also claimed 14 Italian Cups and 9 Italian Super Cups. In Europe, the Old Lady has the complete set of honors: winning two European Cups, three UEFA Cups, one Cup Winners' Cup and two UEFA Super Cups.
They have also been crowned world champions twice, winning the Intercontinental Cup in 1985 and 1996.
Juventus' trophy list:
2x Champions League
36x Serie A
14x Italian Cup
9x Italian Super Cup
3x UEFA Cup
x Serie B
2x Intercontinental Cup
x Cup Winners Cup
2x UEFA Supercup
FC Bayern Munich - 81 trophies
Germany's FC Bayern Munich are a club that have various records to their name.
Bayern Munich have won 81 trophies – The kings of German football have won the Bundesliga title a record 32 times and the German Cup on a record 20 occasions.
They also won the now-defunct German League Cup six times and the German Super Cup 9 times. Outside Germany, Bayern boasts six European Cups/Champions Leagues, including three-in-a-row in the mid-1970s.
They have won every European trophy, with one Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup and two UEFA Super Cup triumph to their name.
Bayern have also won the Intercontinental Cup twice and two Club World Cups, and are the only German club to complete the treble.
Bayern Munich's trophy list:
2x FIFA Club World Cup
6x Champions League
32x Bundesliga
20x German Cup
9x German Super Cup
6x League Cup
x UEFA Cup
2x Intercontinental Cup
x Cup Winners Cup
2x UEFA Supercup
AFC Ajax - 76 trophies
The only Dutch club on this list is none other than the incredibly famous AFC Ajax. They are the club with the second-highest number of domestic league titles on this list, as they have won the Eredivisie 36 times. Add that to 20 Dutch Cups, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues and 1 UEFA Cup.
The Dutch giants won the domestic title four years in a row from 2011 to 2014 under manager Frank de Boer. The last time they won the UEFA Champions League title was in 1994/95.
Ajax's trophy list:
4x Champions League
36x Eredivisie
20x Dutch Cup
9x Dutch Super Cup
x UEFA Cup
2x Intercontinental Cup
x Cup Winners Cup
3x UEFA Supercup
FC Barcelona - 92 trophies
The second most recognizable football club in the world today and the third most successful football club in the history of the sport are FC Barcelona. They have won 92 trophies. It's the most successful club based on the number of trophies won, Barcelona are the only club to win the treble twice.
They own five European Cup/Champions League victories, to go alongside four wins in the Cup Winners' Cup, three in the old Fairs Cup and five UEFA Super Cup triumphs. In Spain, Barca have been crowned champions 27 times, won the Spanish Cup a record 31 times, the Spanish Super Cup on 14 occasions and the Spanish League Cup twice. They have also claimed the Club World Cup three times, and in 2009 became the first club to win six trophies in a calendar year.
Barcelona's trophy list:
3x FIFA Club World Cup
5x Champions League
27x La Liga
31x Spanish Cup
14x Spanish Super Cup
3x Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
4x Cup Winners Cup
5x UEFA Supercup
SL Benfica - 81 Trophies
SL Benfica won the most domestic league titles in Portugal- 38 titles. Haven’t been able to replicate the kind of domestic form in Europe of late, they’ve only won the European Cup 2 times and that was back in 1960/61 and 1961/62.
Benfica and Porto remain two of the best sides in Europe to regularly produce some of the best young South American footballers in the world. Their scouting system in the Latin American leagues is unmatched and they thrive domestically from the money they make selling off incredibly talented footballers.
Benfica's trophy list:
2x Champions League
38x Primeira Liga
26x Portuguese Cup
7x Portuguese League Cup
8x Portuguese Supercup
Real Madrid - 100 Trophies
Real Madrid have won 100 trophies. They are the most successful club in the history of the European Cup/Champions League, Real Madrid have won the tournament on 14 occasions, including the first five editions and eight more in the Champions League era.
The Spanish giants won back-to-back UEFA Cups in the 1980s and also boast four UEFA Super Cups on their honors list.
Madrid claimed the Intercontinental Cup three times and have won the Club World Cup five times. They have a record of 35 domestic titles, plus 20 Spanish Cups, 12 Spanish Super Cups, and one victory in the defunct Spanish League Cup.
Real Madrid's trophy list:
5x FIFA Club World Cup
14x Champions League
35x La Liga
20x Spanish Cup
12x Spanish Super Cup
2x UEFA Cup
3x Intercontinental Cup
5x UEFA Supercup
