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The Champions League is club football's biggest tournament, with clubs of the highest caliber competing to get their hands on the trophy. Fans are treated to spectacular matches that involve top teams across Europe's top leagues. Reaching the tournament in itself is no mean feat, and winning it is even more laborious.
The Champions League round of 16 is underway
The much-anticipated round of 16 began this week with blockbuster matchups across Europe. Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Liverpool were on the winning side while Bayern Munich endured a frustrating 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg.
Real Madrid are the kings of the Champions League with the most title wins (13). But several other clubs have also managed to find recognition and glory in the Champions League. They might not have won the most number of titles. But these clubs on the list are the most successful in terms of total matches won in the history of the tournament.
Let's now take a look at the five teams that have the won the most number of games in the Champions League.
#5 Juventus
While Juventus have always been title-winning giants in Serie A, they have fallen short often in the Champions League. They have lost twice in the finals in the last decade. The Bianconeri have been knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16 in the past two seasons. They will hope to break the cycle this time around when they take on Villarreal.
Juve have won the Champions League title twice: in the 1984-85 and 1995-96 editions of the tournament. They have played 293 matches, out of which they have won 152. Juventus’ leading goalscorer in the competition is Alessandro Del Piero, who has scored 43 of the 469 total goals. They have conceded close to one goal per game on average, letting in 284 so far.
Much to the bewilderment of fans, Juve’s form in Europe is in stark contrast to their domestic competition this season. The Bianconeri topped their group and only lost to Chelsea once in the group stages. While in Serie A, they are fighting for a Top 4 spot.
#4 Manchester United
Manchester United are the second-most successful English team in the competition. The Red Devils have been a fairly regular feature in the tournament and have won the title on three occasions. Their most recent title success was in the 2007-08 season.
The Red Devils have played in 291 UCL games and won 160 of them. The United forwards have scored a total of 532 goals and let in 282. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney have scored the majority of these, with 35 and 30 goals respectively.
Although United have been lackluster in the Premier League, they managed to top their group in the group stages. This was largely due to the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has proven to be their saving grace on multiple occasions, scoring six goals. United will travel to Madrid later this month on Februayr 23rd where they face a rugged Atletico Madrid side.
#3 Barcelona
It feels strange to see Barcelona missing from the knockout stages this season, given their rich history in the tournament. They dominated European football, especially in the late 2000s with world-class talents such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta. They have five Champions League titles to their name.
Out of a total of 333 matches, Barca have won 195. Masters of tiki-taka style of play, they have created innumerable eye-catching goals. Barca have scored 655 goals in the tournament and conceded 331. Messi has scored an incredible 120 goals for the club, nearly five times more than Rivaldo and Luis Suarez, with 25 each.
Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League group stage this season following a 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich. This is the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Blaugrana have failed to make it into the knockout stages. Barca drew 1-1 against Napoli in the Europa League first leg playoffs on Thursday.
#2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have always boasted some of the strongest teams across Europe. This has led to them being a major threat in the Champions League, especially in recent seasons. The Bavarians have won the title six times and are the joint-third most successful side in the tournament along with Liverpool.
The German behemoths have made 368 appearances in the competition and won 220 times. There has never been a lack of goal threat from any Bayern side, and they have scored 773 Champions League goals in total. Prolific striker Robert Lewandowski leads the club rankings with 65 goals. Their robust defense has conceded 363 goals over the years.
Bayern were ruthless as usual in the group stages this season, keeping a perfect record of six wins. Although their opponents in the group stages weren't the strongest, Bayern’s reputation and form still makes them serious contenders for the title. They drew 1-1 against Red Bull Salzburg in the first leg of the R16 match in the Champions League.
#1 Real Madrid
The top spot is claimed by Real Madrid, the undisputed kings of the Champions League. Los Blancos have won the title a whopping 13 times, a record which will remain for years to come. Real created history in 2018 by winning the Champions League for a third consecutive season.
Real Madrid have won 273 out of the 458 matches they have played so far in the tournament. They are the only club to have crossed 1000 Champions League goals, scoring 1006 in total. Los Blancos have conceded 498 goals so far.
With 105 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo ranks first in the European goalscoring charts for Real in the competiton. Karim Benzema is on 64 goals and should easily overtake Raul Gonzalez' tally of 66.
