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Next week sees the return of Europe’s biggest football competition – the UEFA Champions League – and the tournament promises to be one of the most competitive of all time, with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris St. Germain and Real Madrid all looking to claim the famous trophy.
Since the tournament was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992/93, a total of 13 different teams have won the trophy, with 7 countries producing the various winning teams. Some of the most dramatic games of all time have been played in the final – a match usually considered the centrepiece of club football for the season.
Here is a look at every Champions League winner since the tournament was rebranded in 1992/93.
1992/93 – Marseille
French champions Marseille won the first tournament under the new UEFA Champions League branding after the old European Cup format was retired at the end of the 1991/92 season. The tournament featured a strange format with knockout games that led to a group stage to decide the two finalists, who turned out to be Marseille and AC Milan.
A relatively tight final saw Marseille triumph over Milan 1-0 thanks to a goal from defender Basile Boli, but controversy later ensued when it emerged that Marseille’s president Bernard Tapie had fixed a domestic game against Valenciennes in order to focus on the final against Milan. Marseille were subsequently stripped of their French title, and although they were not stripped of their Champions League victory, they were banned from defending their title in the next edition of the tournament.
1993/94 – AC Milan
Fabio Capello’s AC Milan side made history in the 1993/94 edition of the tournament by thumping Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona side by 4 goals in the final. Cruyff’s famous Barca side – commonly known as ‘The Dream Team’ – had waltzed to a domestic title that year, propelled by the incredible attacking talents of Romario, Michael Laudrup and Hristo Stoichkov.
They were thoroughly destroyed in one of the most one-sided Champions League finals in history though, as Milan dismantled them in a major shocker. Fascinatingly, despite winning the final 4-0, Milan’s success was built upon an incredibly tight defence – Capello’s side conceded just 2 goals in the whole tournament across 12 games.
1994/95 – Ajax
Defending champions Milan made it to the final again in 1994/95, but this time they were beaten by a much-beloved Ajax side that featured a blend of unsung heroes like Finidi George and Jari Litmanen, veterans like Danny Blind and Frank Rijkaard, and outstanding youngsters such as Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert – who scored the winning goal in their 1-0 final victory.
Louis Van Gaal’s side were so good that they went through the entire Champions League run unbeaten – a feat they also matched in their domestic league, meaning they were undefeated for a wild total of 48 matches across the season. Interestingly, 1994/95 marks the last time a side from the Netherlands won the famous trophy.
1995/96 – Juventus
Like the previous season, the holders made it all the way to the final in 1995/96, but like Milan before them Ajax were unable to successfully retain their title, as they were beaten by Italian champions Juventus in the final. The game ended 1-1, and Marcello Lippi’s side triumphed after a penalty shoot-out that saw Edgar Davids and Sonny Silooy miss for Ajax.
The victory was the Old Lady’s first European title since the 1984/85 season – where they defeated Liverpool in a final overshadowed by the infamous Heysel Stadium Disaster. 1995/96 though was Juventus – and Italian football in general – at the peak of their 1990s powers, fuelled by the attacking talents of Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluca Vialli, and Fabrizio Ravanelli, who scored Juve’s goal in the final.
1996/97 – Borussia Dortmund
1996/97 saw a surprising winner in the form of Borussia Dortmund, who became the first German side to win the Champions League since Germany’s reunification in 1990. The victory remains Dortmund’s only Champions League triumph to date, too. They overcame holders Juventus 3-1 in the final, marking the third season in a row that the reigning champions fell at the final hurdle.
Dortmund’s run in the tournament was driven by their goalscoring exploits, as Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side scored 23 goals across their 11 games, more than any other side entered into the competition. Strikers Lars Ricken and Karl-Heinz Riedle scored 4 each throughout, including the 3 goals in the final that led Dortmund to victory.
1997/98 – Real Madrid
Spanish giants Real Madrid won their first European title for 32 years in 1997/98, beating Juventus 1-0 in the final thanks to a goal from striker Predrag Mijatovic. The winning goal remains one of the Champions League’s most controversial, as Mijatovic appeared to be offside when the ball fell to him to fire home midway through the second half.
The tournament as a whole was a precursor to the bloated Champions League we know and love today, as for the first time, it was opened up to include the runners-up from 7 leagues – England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. This meant a slight change to the format – 6 groups instead of the usual 4, with only the 2 best runners-up qualifying for the knockout stages.
1998/99 – Manchester United
In one of the most famous Champions League finals of all time, Manchester United left it late to overcome Bayern Munich, beating them 2-1 with both of their goals coming in added time after they’d trailed to a Mario Basler goal scored in the 6th minute. Legend has it that Bayern’s ribbons were even tied onto the trophy at the time of United’s first goal.
The victory made United the first English club to win the tournament since 1984, and was their first triumph in the competition since 1968. Alex Ferguson’s side – built around his ‘Class of 1992’ players like Ryan Giggs and David Beckham – won the trophy without losing a single match, notably overcoming Italian giants Internazionale and Juventus in the knockout stages.
1999/00 – Real Madrid
The 1999/00 edition of the Champions League saw yet another format change; this time there were two group stages, with the winners and runners up of the 8 groups in the first one going through to a second that eventually decided the 8 sides in the knockout stages. And for the first time, Spain, Italy and Germany could enter 4 sides, while England, France and the Netherlands could enter 3.
And it turned out that Spanish sides dominated the tournament – Real Madrid won the final, beating Valencia 3-0 in a relatively one-sided final that marked the first to feature both sides from a single country. Fellow Spaniards Barcelona also made the semi-finals before being beaten by Valencia – meaning La Liga sides were clearly the best in Europe that year.
2000/01 – Bayern Munich
2000/01 saw German giants Bayern Munich win their first Champions League trophy since the tournament had been rebranded, as they overcame Valencia after a dramatic penalty shoot-out that followed a 1-1 draw in the final. Both sides ended up taking 7 penalties before Bayern finally came out on top following Mauricio Pellegrino’s miss.
It was Bayern’s 4th victory in the tournament overall, and their first since 1976, while poor Valencia suffered the agony of losing two finals in a row after overcoming Arsenal and Leeds to make it to the San Siro. The tournament overall was dominated by sides from England and Spain – who made up 6 of the 8 quarter-finalists.
2001/02 – Real Madrid
Real Madrid claimed their 9th European title in 2001/02, as a goal from Zinedine Zidane – who had been signed from Juventus the previous summer for a world record transfer fee of €77.5m – allowed them to run out 2-1 winners over Bayer Leverkusen in the final. The victory was arguably the peak of Madrid’s Galactico era, as Los Blancos wouldn’t win another Champions League for over a decade despite continuing to sign some of the world’s best players.
Leverkusen’s run to the final was almost as stirring as Real’s eventual triumph; not only did they become the first side to reach the Champions League final without ever having won their domestic league in their history, but they also eliminated English sides Liverpool and Manchester United in the knockout phase – after helping to dispatch of Arsenal in the second group stage.
2002/03 – AC Milan
The 2002/03 edition of the tournament ended with an all-Italian final, as AC Milan defeated Juventus to claim their first Champions League since 1993/94. If that final had been inspiring, though, this one was anything but – a dull game ended 0-0 and the subsequent penalty shoot-out was not without controversy, as Milan goalkeeper Dida appeared to be way off his line when he saved 3 of Juventus’ 5 penalties.
It was a Champions League of glory for Italian football overall, as 3 of the 4 semi-finalists hailed from Serie A, with Milan defeating Internazionale in a Milan derby semi-final; strangely Milan won on away goals despite both legs taking place in the same stadium! And in a major coincidence, Milan captain Paolo Maldini lifted the famous trophy exactly 40 years after his father Cesare had done the same thing for the same club.
2003/04 – FC Porto
Perhaps the most surprising final in Champions League history took place in 2003/04, as Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto defeated Monaco 3-0 in the final, winning the trophy for the second time in their history following their triumph in 1986/87. Neither Porto nor Monaco were expected to reach the final, as both clubs were relatively low on star power in comparison to some of the other teams, and neither side has made it as far since.
The format of the tournament was changed in this edition too, as the dual group stages were scrapped in favour of a single group stage leading into a knockout competition comprising 16 teams – giving us the classic Champions League that we know and love today.
2004/05 – Liverpool
Arguably the most dramatic final of any Champions League took place in Istanbul in 2004/05, as Liverpool somehow overcame AC Milan after a penalty shoot-out. The Reds had trailed 3-0 at half-time, but an inspired comeback – with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso –enabled them to draw level, and goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek eventually saved the decisive penalty from Milan’s star striker Andriy Shevchenko.
The victory was Liverpool’s 5th in the competition, meaning they kept the trophy, with a new one being made ready for the 2005/06 edition. It was Liverpool’s first Champions League win since 1983/84, and was made even more incredible by the fact that they were nearly eliminated in the group stages – before a late Gerrard goal in the final game against Olympiakos sent them through on goal difference.
2005/06 – Barcelona
Barcelona won their first Champions League since the rebranding – and their first since the Johan Cruyff era – in 2005/06, overcoming Arsenal in a final that for a long time, it looked like they would lose. Despite goalkeeper Jens Lehmann becoming the first man to ever be sent off in a Champions League final, Arsenal took the lead through Sol Campbell late in the first half – only for late goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti to win it for Barca.
Fascinatingly, both Arsenal and Barcelona progressed to the final without losing a single game – both sides won their groups comfortably and then defeated some true giants of the European game – Real Madrid, Juventus, Villarreal, Chelsea, Benfica and Milan – to set up their clash. Barca’s win was also the first for a Spanish team since Real Madrid’s victory 5 seasons prior.
2006/07 – AC Milan
AC Milan won their 7th Champions League and their 3rd since the rebranding by overcoming Liverpool in the 2006/07 final, although the match was far less dramatic than the meeting between the two sides two seasons beforehand. This time it was a relatively comfortable win for the Italian side, as Filippo Inzaghi scored late in both halves of the game and Dirk Kuyt’s 89th-minute goal was no more than a consolation for the Reds.
Outside of the final result, it was an excellent season for English sides in the Champions League, as for the first time the Premier League provided 3 of the 4 semi-finalists; Manchester United were beaten by Milan, and Liverpool overcame the challenge of Chelsea after a penalty shoot-out. It was a precursor of what was to follow in the next season.
2007/08 – Manchester United
English sides again dominated the Champions League in 2007/08, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool again making it to the semi-finals while Arsenal were eliminated by Liverpool in the quarter-finals. In the end it was the Red Devils who came out on top, winning their first Champions League title since 1998/99 and their third overall.
The dramatic final between United and Chelsea took place on a rain-soaked evening in Moscow, and saw Alex Ferguson’s side take the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo, only for a Frank Lampard goal to peg them back. A red card for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba didn’t help to separate the sides, and in the end United won a wild penalty shoot-out that saw both teams take 7 kicks before Nicolas Anelka’s penalty was saved by Edwin Van Der Sar to send the trophy to Manchester.
2008/09 – Barcelona
A new era began in 2008/09’s edition of the Champions League, as a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona claimed the trophy for the third time, defeating the defending champions Manchester United 2-0 in the final with goals from Messi and Samuel Eto’o. The triumph was made more dramatic by the fact that Barca had overcome Chelsea in controversial fashion in the semi-finals, winning on away goals after some controversial refereeing decisions from Tom Henning Ovrebo.
Overall though, most fans agreed that Barcelona had been the best side throughout the tournament. This was the beginning of Pep Guardiola’s famous reign as Barca manager during which he put together one of the best club sides of all time – and the fact that they became the first Spanish side to win a treble of La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Champions League was evidence of this.
2009/10 – Internazionale
The Champions League returned to Italy in 2009/10, with Internazionale winning their first title since 1964/65. It was a huge triumph for the Milan side and a huge triumph for boss Jose Mourinho in particular, as he won his second Champions League with a second club following his victory with Porto in 2003/04.
Once again Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona dominated proceedings, winning their group easily before smashing Stuttgart and Arsenal in the knockout stages – beating them 5-1 and 6-3 on aggregate respectively. But a defensive masterclass from Mourinho’s Inter managed to defeat the juggernaut in the semi-finals, before the Italian side overcame Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final with a pair of goals from Diego Milito. Incredibly, no Italian side has won the Champions League since.
2010/11 – Barcelona
Barcelona again proved their greatness in 2010/11, with Pep Guardiola’s side winning their second Champions League in 3 seasons by beating Manchester United in a rematch of the 2008/09 final. United were again largely outclassed by their Spanish opposition, as goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa offset a goal from Wayne Rooney to ensure Barca won the game 3-1 – in London, too.
Messi was the standout player throughout the tournament, plundering 12 goals to finish as top scorer, and his side only lost a single game throughout – the first leg of their round of 16 tie with Arsenal. Outside of that, Barca were perfect; Shakhtar Donetsk were smashed 6-1 in the quarters and bitter rivals Real Madrid defeated 3-1 in the semi-finals before United were dispatched in the final. Essentially, this Barca side were one of the best to ever win the famous trophy.
2011/12 – Chelsea
When billionaire Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003, his long term goal for the club was always to win the Champions League. It took almost a decade, but in 2011/12 the Blues finally made good on that goal – and incredibly, it was caretaker boss Roberto Di Matteo who led them to the victory.
Not that it was easy – after a tricky route to the final, Chelsea overcame Bayern Munich – in their own stadium to boot – after a penalty shoot-out to claim the trophy, with outgoing striker Didier Drogba scoring the winning kick as well as the equaliser to ensure the game ended 1-1.
Prior to their victory in the final, Chelsea had already made a bit of history by overcoming Barcelona in the semi-finals after a titanic effort, going some way to avenge their controversial loss at the same stage in 2009.
Chelsea took a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the tie at the Nou Camp, but Barcelona took the lead 2-0 with Chelsea reduced to 10 men. But somehow the Blues hit back, and after Ramires scored, Lionel Messi missed a penalty before Fernando Torres equalised to send Chelsea through. It was a win almost as big as their one in the final itself.
2012/13 – Bayern Munich
After missing out on the Champions League via a penalty shoot-out in 2011/12, Bayern Munich came back with a vengeance in 2012/13, winning the trophy in the tournament’s first-ever all-German final. Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund – who won the Champions League back in 1996/97 – were their opponents in the final, but an 89th-minute goal from Arjen Robben gave Bayern a 2-1 victory, and their first Champions League triumph since 2000/01.
The dominance of Bayern was summed up by their tremendous victory over Barcelona in the semi-finals, as the German side won 7-0 on aggregate – the heaviest two-legged defeat Barca had ever suffered in the competition. And that win was preceded by a 4-0 aggregate hammering of Juventus in the quarter-finals – making Jupp Heynckes’ side one of the best in Champions League history.
2013/14 – Real Madrid
After a fallow period of more than a decade, Real Madrid found themselves at the top of the European game once again following the 2013/14 Champions League final. Driven by a ludicrous amount of attacking talent – including Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 17 goals, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria – Real scored 41 goals throughout the competition, and even hammered holders Bayern Munich 5-0 over two legs in the semi-finals.
Their final victory wasn’t without a fight, though – faced with city rivals Atletico Madrid, Los Blancos trailed for 57 minutes in normal time before captain Sergio Ramos popped up with an equaliser. Atletico suddenly looked spent, and in extra-time they were taken apart and ended up losing the game 4-1. It was horrendous bad luck for Diego Simeone’s side, but really, the win – their 10th in the competition overall - was nothing more than Real Madrid deserved for their tremendous performances throughout.
2014/15 – Barcelona
Despite Pep Guardiola being long gone at this stage, Barcelona rose back to the top of the game in 2014/15, winning the Champions League yet again and securing another treble in identical fashion to the one they’d achieved in 2008/09. Lionel Messi was once again at the forefront of their triumph, scoring 10 goals, but this time he was joined by strike partners Neymar and Luis Suarez, who also hit 10 and 7 goals respectively.
Juventus were the defeated side in the final, beaten cleanly in a final that ended 3-1 to Barca following goals from Ivan Rakitic, Suarez and Neymar. Prior to this the Italians had knocked out holders Real Madrid in the semi-finals, preventing the Champions League final from also being a Spanish El Clasico.
2015/16 – Real Madrid
The Champions League trophy remained in Spain in 2015/16, as Real Madrid claimed their 11th title by winning the final in Milan. The final was a rematch of the 2013/14 edition of the tournament, as city rivals Atletico again pushed Los Blancos to the limit but once again fell at the final hurdle.
This time the game ended with a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw – and unsurprisingly it was Cristiano Ronaldo who netted the winning kick. It was the first time that a shoot-out had been required in the final since the 2011/12 season.
The edition once again displayed the dominance of Spanish sides in Europe, as while Real and Atletico defeated Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, Barcelona also made the quarters before being eliminated by Atletico, while Sevilla – who crashed out in the group stages – went on to win the Europa League.
2016/17 – Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side became the first team in the Champions League era to retain their title in 2016/17, defeating Italian champions Juventus in the final. Despite a spirited performance, the Old Lady were largely outclassed and ended up losing 4-1 to Los Blancos, with Cristiano Ronaldo firing two goals and once again starring in the match. It was Real’s 12th victory in the competition.
Despite Madrid’s record-breaking victory, the neutrals’ favourite in this edition were Monaco, who roared to the semi-finals fuelled by young talent like Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Bernardo Silva. They fell to a veteran Juve side in the semis, though – depriving us of what would’ve been a classic underdog story against Real in the final.
2017/18 – Real Madrid
2017/18 saw Real Madrid become the first team since Bayern Munich in 1975/76 to win a third title in a row, as they overcame the challenge of 5-time winners Liverpool in a dramatic final in Kiev. Zinedine Zidane’s side took the lead through Karim Benzema after a goalkeeping blunder from Loris Karius – all after Liverpool’s star man Mohamed Salah was controversially injured.
The Reds hit back through Sadio Mane, only for a pair of unforgettable goals from Gareth Bale to seal the victory for Los Blancos. The first was arguably the best goal in Champions League final history – an acrobatic overhead kick from the edge of the area – while the second was caused by another blunder from Karius. It was an unforgettable final that made Real – with 13 titles – by far the most successful side in the history of the competition.
