Paris Saint-Germain have been installed as favourites to maintain their UEFA Champions League stranglehold this season and it's easy to see why.
The French giants finally ended their long wait for European dominance in 2025, capturing the one trophy that had long evaded them courtesy of a thumping 5-0 victory over Inter.
Luis Enrique's side then went on to make a successful defence of their crown in 2026, holding their nerve to see off Premier League champions Arsenal in a nerve-jangling penalty shootout in Budapest.
Now, they have made an emphatic start to their quest for a rare UEFA Champions League three-peat, with a 4-2 win on the road at 2023 victors Manchester City further strengthening their title-winning credentials.
As the Parisian side chase the coveted silverware for a third successive time, we take a look at how many other sides have achieved that feat -- both prior to and following the UEFA Champions League re-branding in 1992.
How many teams have won three successive UEFA Champions League titles?
- Real Madrid (2016, 2017 & 2018)
Since the re-branding of the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid are the only club to have reigned supreme on three successive occasions.
They achieved the feat back in 2018 when they overcame Liverpool 3-1 in the Kyiv final -- following hot-on-the-heels of previous successes in the competition's showpiece against Atletico Madrid (2016) and Juventus (2017).
Managed by French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, the Galacticos saw off all who stood before them, with Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a remarkable 43 times across the three campaigns.
How many teams have won three successive European Cups?
- Real Madrid (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 & 1960)
- Ajax (1971, 1972 & 1973)
- Bayern Munich (1974, 1975 & 1976)
Three teams won the European Cup on three successive occasions or more prior to the competition's rebrand and format change in the early 1990s, including Real Madrid.
Real Madrid (1956 - 1960)
Spearheaded by Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and Francisco Gento, Los Blancos terrorised the continent in the late 1950s, winning an unprecedented five successive titles.
Their dominance, which started in 1956, culminated in a breathtaking 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 final, a match still widely regarded as one of the greatest footballing exhibitions of all time.
Ajax (1971 - 1973)
The fabled Ajax team of the 1970s followed in Real Madrid's steps by becoming just the second team to ever complete a European Cup three-peat.
The Dutch heavyweights didn't just win, they did so in a fashion that had never been seen before.
Revolutionising the game with their swashbuckling and flabuoyant style -- earning the moniker 'Total Football' -- Rinus Michels masterminded successes in 1971, 1972 and 1973 with the sublime Johan Cruyff spearheading that now iconic side.
Bayern Munich (1974 - 1976)
As the Ajax cycle faded, Bayern Munich immediately took the mantle.
Anchored by the great Franz Beckenbauer, the clinical finishing of Gerd Muller and the creativity of Uli Hoeness, the German giants executed their own European Cup treble.
They overcame Atletico Madrid in a 1974 replay, overcame English side Leeds United in 1975 and then defeated Saint-Etienne 12 months later to cement their place in footballing immortality.
