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From the beginning, Europe has been the football powerhouse. The intensity, glamor, high-profile players, money and the fan following enjoyed by European football are unmatchable.
Apart from the top-six leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Primeira Liga, Ligue 1), competitions like UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League up the ante further. We have been fortunate enough to be treated to spectacular clashes over the course of years and we know it's just getting better.
European football houses far too many heavyweights in the form of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, among others. There have also been teams like PSG, Ajax, etc., from outside Europe's top-five leagues but they are still putting up a show.
As the clubs and the fans of the sport ready themselves ahead of the new Champions League season, let's take a look into the history books to find the most successful team in Europe.
Ranking the five most successful European clubs in football history.
#5 S.L.Benfica (80 trophies)
S.L.Benfica — the most successful club in Portugal — occupies the fifth spot on our list. From its birth in 1904 to this date, Benfica boasts 80 trophies in total.
After being the dominant force during the 40s and 80s, Benfica's downfall coincided with the rise of FC Porto during the 90s and 2000s. However, the club bounced back brilliantly to once again conquer the Primeira Liga.
Benfica's trophy cabinet houses — 2 x UEFA Champions League, 37 x Primeira Liga, 26 x Portuguese Cup, 7 x Portuguese League Cup and 8 x Portuguese Super Cup.
#4 Real Madrid (92 trophies)
Even though the mighty Los Blancos are fourth in terms of most trophies earned in Europe, the club of the century is considered arguably the strongest and the most successful team in the world at the moment.
Winning UEFA Champions League (13) and La Liga trophies (34) a record number of times, Real Madrid lead their competitors by a distant margin. Even though from the start of the 90s, the Galacticos have seen a dip in their form in La Liga, Real Madrid are an entirely different force when it comes to continental fixtures.
Having won the European Cup for the first 5 times in a row, Real Madrid went on to create another record. They won the trophy back-to-back three times between 2016 and 2018 in the Champions League era.
Let's take a look at Los Blanco's trophy list — 13 x UEFA Champions League, 34 x La Liga, 19 x Copa del Rey, 4 x FIFA Club World Cup, 11 x Spanish Super Cup, 2 x UEFA Cup, 3 x Intercontinental Cup, 4 x UEFA Supercup, 1 x Copa Eva Duarte and 1 x Copa de la Liga.
#3 Barcelona (95 trophies)
Despite being shadowed by Real Madrid's glamor and form throughout the 20th century, Barcelona have edged past their bitter rivals in terms of trophy count.
The first team to have won the treble twice (2009 and 2015), the Catalan club has housed few of the best players in the history of football. Unlike Real Madrid, who splashed money fearlessly to rope in the best footballers from around the world, Barcelona often flourished with their academy recruits.
During their champion player Leo Messi's stint, Barcelona turned out to be an unstoppable team within Spain's top-flight football.
However, the Camp Nou-based club lag eight La Liga and UEFA Champions League trophies behind record holders Real Madrid (34 La Liga and 13 UCL). They edge past their rivals with a whopping 31 Copa del Rey titles (12 more than the Blancos).
#2 Celtic (111 trophies)
Even though Celtic play in a relatively smaller league compared to the others on our list, they rightfully earn second spot when numbers are taken into the equation.
The Hoops have dominated the Scottish top-tier in the past decade. They were crowned champions nine times in a row from 2012 to 2020, before Rangers won it back just last season.
Celtic have also won the European Cup (presently known as the UEFA Champions League) in 1967. They also ended up as the runners-up of the competition in 1970.
Celtic are the winners of — 51 x Scottish Premiership, 40 x Scottish Cup, 19 Scottish League Cup and 1 x UEFA Champions League.
#1 Rangers (120 trophies)
With a record 120 trophies under their belt, the Glasgow-based Rangers occupy the top spot. The club is currently thriving under their new manager and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard's guidance.
Unlike its fellow league rivals Celtic, Rangers have had to play in the lower divisions as well. In return, the ascending process helped the club add more trophies to its collection.
Rangers boast — 55 x Scottish Premiership, 33 x Scottish Cup, 27 Scottish League Cup, 1 x Scottish Challenge Cup, 1 x Scottish Fourth League Trophy, 1 x Scottish Third League Trophy, 1 x Scottish Second League Trophy, 1 x European Cup Winners' Cup.
