The Champions League is European football’s ultimate prize—the one every team dreams of lifting one day.
Since its inception as the European Cup in 1955, no fewer than 24 clubs have claimed the trophy—some more than others.
Real Madrid, for example, are the tournament’s most frequent winners, lifting it an astonishing 15 times, while the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, and Paris Saint-Germain—who lifted it for the first time in 2024-25—have only won it once.
But what about English teams? Here, we take a look at every English club to win the European Cup/Champions League, detailing when and how they did it.
1. Manchester United (1967-68)
Manchester United were the first-ever English team to lift the European Cup, doing so in 1967-68.
Managed by the legendary Matt Busby, the Red Devils thrashed Benfica—with Eusebio leading the line—4–1 at Wembley Stadium in London. A brace from Bobby Charlton, along with goals from George Best and Brian Kidd, sealed a historic victory.
2. Liverpool (1976-77)
It would be nine years before another English club lifted the European Cup, when Liverpool beat German side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to claim their first-ever title.
The triumph came a year after they had won the UEFA Cup, making Bob Paisley the first manager to win both the UEFA Cup and the European Cup in successive seasons.
3. Liverpool (1977-78)
Clearly not content with his achievement, Paisley guided Liverpool to back-to-back European Cups by winning it again in 1977–78, this time beating Club Brugge 1–0 at Wembley.
4. Nottingham Forest (1978-79)
The late 1970s and early 1980s were a golden era for English teams in the European Cup.
After Liverpool’s back-to-back triumphs, Nottingham Forest claimed their first-ever European Cup in 1978–79, defeating Swedish side Malmö 1–0 in the final thanks to a goal from Trevor Francis.
5. Nottingham Forest (1979-80)
A year after their first triumph, Nottingham Forest repeated the feat, winning the European Cup again by defeating Hamburg 1–0 in the final at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
This time, it was John Robertson who emerged as the hero of the day.
6. Liverpool (1980-81)
The 1980–81 season saw Liverpool win the European Cup once again under Bob Paisley, cementing their status as the best side on the continent with a 1–0 victory over Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
7. Aston Villa (1981-82)
Another year, another English winner, and yet another 1–0 final.
This time, it was Aston Villa claiming the top of European football, edging past Bayern Munich thanks to a lone strike from Peter Withe.
8. Liverpool (1983-84)
In the 1983–84 final, Liverpool faced Roma on the Italians’ home turf at the Stadio Olimpico.
Despite the hosts’ advantage, the match ended 1–1, and Liverpool secured their fourth European Cup with a penalty shootout victory, Alan Kennedy slotting home the decisive kick.
9. Manchester United (1988-89)
After years of English dominance in Europe, no club would win the tournament—now rebranded as the Champions League—again until 1998–99, when Manchester United defeated Bayern Munich 2–1 in the final.
Both of United’s goals came in stoppage time, with Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in the tournament’s history.
10. Liverpool (2004-05)
Talking of dramatic comebacks, none have been bigger or better than Liverpool’s in the 2004–05 Champions League final against AC Milan.
The Reds fell 3–0 behind, only to storm back in the second half with three goals in six minutes, eventually triumphing in a penalty shootout.
11. Manchester United (2007-08)
The 2007–08 season produced the first-ever all-English Champions League final, pitting Manchester United against Chelsea.
The sides remained deadlocked at 1–1 after normal time, but United ultimately triumphed on penalties, with John Terry and Nicolas Anelka famously missing their spot-kicks for the Blues.
12. Chelsea (2011-12)
Four years after their heartbreak against United, Chelsea finally clinched their first-ever Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich on penalties at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Despite fielding a weakened side due to injuries—including Ryan Bertrand deployed out of position at left wing—the Blues still managed to secure a dramatic and memorable victory.
13. Liverpool (2018-19)
The 2018-19 season featured another all-English Champions League final, this time between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Jürgen Klopp’s side emerged victorious, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and cult hero Divock Origi.
14. Chelsea (2020-21)
In 2020-21, Chelsea once again defied the odds, defeating fellow English side Manchester City 1-0 in the final, courtesy of a goal from Kai Havertz.
15. Manchester City (2022-23)
After their defeat to Chelsea in 2021, Manchester City didn’t have to wait long to finally lift the Champions League—the elusive title that had escaped them despite years of domestic dominance.
In 2022-23, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, with a decisive goal from Rodri, making them the sixth English club to lift the prestigious trophy.
English Teams Who Have Won the Most Champions League Titles
| Team | No. of Champions Leagues/European Cups |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | 6 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019) |
| Manchester United | 3 (1968, 1999, 2008) |
| Chelsea | 2 (2012, 2021) |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 (1979, 1980) |
| Manchester City | 1 (2023) |
| Aston Villa | 1 (1982) |
| Total | 15 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Many English Teams Have Won the Champions League?.
