UEFA Champions League: Most team titles

Having dominated the early years of the European Cup, winning the trophy in the first five years it was contested, Real Madrid are unsurprisingly the most successful team in the competition's history.

Below, we look at the teams with three or more European Cup and UEFA Champions League wins to their name.

Manchester United - 3 (1968, 1999, 2008)

After the Munich air disaster of 1958, stripping Manchester United of the majority of its best young talents, Matt Busby went about rebuilding the team.

A decade later, United were kings of Europe, beating Benfica at Wembley. It took more than three decade for a second crown, won in the most dramatic style, beating Bayern Munich 2-1 after two stoppage-time goals, before their third win, coming in similarly dramatic fashion, beating Chelsea on penalties in 2008.

Inter - 3 (1964, 1965, 2010)

After back-to-back titles in 1964 and 1965, it wasn't until the arrival of Jose Mourinho that Inter were champions of Europe for a third time.

After missing out in the 1967 and 1972 finals, Inter's treble winners made it three titles after beating Bayern Munich 2-0.

Ajax - 4 (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995)

Perhaps not one of the modern behemoths, Ajax took full advantage of their golden era in the 1970s.

The legendary side featuring Johan Neeskens and Johan Cruyff, led by Rinus Michels and then Stefan Kovacs beat Panathinaikos, Inter and Juventus respectively in three consecutive years, before their second great side, featuring a host of present and future greats including Edwin van der Sar, Frank Rijkaard, Frank de Boer, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Ronald de Boer, Marc Overmars and Patrick Kluivert downed Milan 1-0 in Vienna.

Barcelona - 5 (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014)

For so long underachievers in Europe, it took Barcelona until the mid-2000s to win a second European title. Ronaldinho was running things then with Lionel Messi his understudy, but the Argentinian soon took over, inspiring Barca to victories over Manchester United in 2009 and 2011, before winning his fourth and the club's fifth against Juventus in 2014.

Liverpool - 6 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019)

All of the world's biggest clubs have had their spells of dominance and Liverpool are no different. After Bill Shankly laid the foundations in the 1960s, Bob Paisley took the Merseyside club to the next level, winning the European Cup four times in eight years, beating Borussia Monchengladbach, Club Brugge, Real Madrid and Roma.

Overcoming the odds, Liverpool produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in the competition's history when 3-0 down to a formidable Milan side, only to get back to 3-3 and win on penalties, before beating Tottenham 2-0 in 2019.

Bayern Munich - 6 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020)

After Ajax won three consecutive European Cups between 1971 and 1973, it was Bayern Munich's turn between 1974 and 1976.

With Franz Beckenbauer orchestrating things from the back, and Gerd Muller plundering goals up front, Bayern were unstoppable. First beating Atletico Madrid, albeit via a replay, the German giants controversially beat Leeds United before making it three in a row against Saint-Etienne.

They'd then bounce back from heartbreak against Manchester United in 1999, winning two years later, adding a fifth in 2013 and a sixth in 2020.

Milan - 7 (1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)

The year before rivals Inter conquered Europe, Milan become the first Italian side to win the European Cup.

A second trophy followed in 1969, but after years in the wilderness, the takeover by Silvio Berlusconi brought about a period of change in Milan. Building a superstar team, Milan won in 1989 and 1990, winning again in 1994 with runner-up finishes coming the year before and after.

The rebuilding of another great Milan side saw them win a sixth in 2003 before being cruelly denied by Liverpool in 2005, but getting revenge two years later to make it seven.

Real Madrid - 15 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024)

Considering the records the club and their players hold, it's hard to believe Real Madrid went through such a lengthy period of European anonymity.

The Spanish giants won the first five editions of the European Cup, winning again in 1966, but it took 32 years to conquer Europe again, only reaching one final in 1981.

After the drought was ended in 1998, another success followed in 2000. The Galacticos era was supposed to see Real conquer Europe again but it bore little fruit, with a win in 2002 being surrounded by years of failures.

What now feels like an eternity - though was only 12 years - split Real's ninth and 10th titles as their new era of dominance was being ushered in.

Incredibly, just two managers - Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane - have been responsible for the six titles they've won in the last 11 years, in what has been an unprecedented spell of success in the UEFA Champions League era.