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:
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AC Milan - 49 trophies
AC Milan are renowned for their success in European competitions. The club has won the prestigious UEFA Champions League (formerly European Cup) seven times, making it one of the most successful clubs in the history of the competition.
The club has consistently participated in continental competitions, solidifying its reputation as a European football powerhouse.
AC Milan's trophy list:
- x19 Scudetti
- x5 Coppe Italia
- x7 Supercoppe Italiane
- x7 Champions League
- x5 Supercoppe Europee
- x2 Coppe delle Coppe
- x3 Coppe Intercontinentali
- x1 FIFA Club World Cup.
Manchester United - 66 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:
- 2X Champions League Winner
- 1X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 1X FIFA Club World Cup Winner
- 20X English Champion
- 1X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 1X Europa League Winner
- 1X Cup Winners Cup Winner
- 12X FA Cup Winner
- 6X English League Cup Winner
- 21X English Supercup Winner
- 1X Intercontinental Cup Winner
- 2X English 2nd Tier Champion
Liverpool - 66 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:
- 2X Champions League Winner
- 4X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 1X FIFA Club World Cup Winner
- 19X English Champion
- 4X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 3X UEFA Cup Winner
- 8X FA Cup Winner
- 9X English League Cup Winner
- 16X English Supercup Winner
- 4X English 2nd Tier Champion
FC Porto - 81 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:
- 1X Champions League Winner
- 1X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 1X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 1X UEFA Cup Winner
- 1X Europa League Winner
- 30X Portuguese Champion
- 19X Portuguese Cup Winner
- 1X Portuguese League Cup Winner
- 2X Intercontinental Cup Winner
- 24X Portuguese Supercup Winner
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:
- 36X Italian Champion
- 1X Champions League Winner
- 1X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 2X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 3X UEFA Cup Winner
- 1X Cup Winners Cup Winner
- 14X Italian Cup Winner
- 9X Italian Super Cup Winner
- 1X Italian Serie B Champion
- 2X Intercontinental Cup Winner
FC Bayern Munich - 80 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:
- 3X Champions League Winner
- 3X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 2X FIFA Club World Cup Winner
- 33X German Champion
- 2X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 1X UEFA Cup Winner
- 1X Cup Winners Cup Winner
- 20X German Cup Winner
- 10X German Super Cup Winner
- 2X Intercontinental Cup Winner
- 6X League Cup Winner
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:
- 1X Champions League Winner
- 3X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 3X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 1X UEFA Cup Winner
- 1X Cup Winners Cup Winner
- 36X Dutch Champion
- 20X Dutch Cup Winner
- 9X Dutch Super Cup Winner
- 1X Intertoto-Cup Winner
- 2X Intercontinental Cup Winner
FC Barcelona - 103 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:
- 4X Champions League Winner
- 1X European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 3X FIFA Club World Cup Winner
- 27X Spanish Champion
- 5X UEFA Supercup Winner
- 4X Cup Winners Cup Winner
- 31X Spanish Cup Winner
- 14X Spanish Super Cup Winner
- 3X Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Winner
- 9X Copa Catalunya Winner
- 3X Copa Eva Duarte Winner
SL Benfica - 82 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 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 38x Portuguese Champion
- 26x Portuguese Cup Winner
- 7x Portuguese League Cup Winner
- 9x Portuguese Supercup Winner
Real Madrid - 98 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:
- 8x Champions League Winner
- 6x European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
- 5x FIFA Club World Cup Winner
- 35x Spanish Champion
- 5x UEFA Supercup Winner
- 2x UEFA Cup Winner
- 20x Spanish Cup Winner
- 13x Spanish Super Cup Winner
- 3x Intercontinental Cup Winner
- 1x Copa Eva Duarte Winner
Stats Source: Transfermarkt