Most clubs dream of winning a major European trophy even once – but a select group have claimed such silverware twice, thrice or considerably more times.
Each of the famous old clubs you’re about to see has won the European Cup / Champions League or UEFA Cup / Europa League on multiple occasions, with the majority of them picking up both of those trophies.
Let’s get into our rundown of the continent’s most decorated outfits…
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest’s astonishing rise under Brian Clough took them from the second tier of English football to the European Cup final – which they won in 1979 and 1980.
Forest’s back-to-back triumphs make them the only club to have been crowned European champions more times than champions of their own domestic league.
Benfica
Benfica asserted their status as continental top dogs by winning two successive European Cups at the start of the 60s.
However, at the time of writing, the Lisbon giants have yet to lift another piece of major UEFA silverware – after they were apparently cursed by legendary manager Bela Guttmann, who furiously left the club when he was denied a pay rise following that pair of European Cup victories.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid claimed their first Europa League crown in 2010, Diego Forlan bagging a brace as Quique Sanchez Flores’ side edged out Fulham after extra time in the final.
Atleti won their next two, in 2012 and 2018, under club legend Diego Simeone, sweeping aside Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in an all-Spanish final then beating Marseille by the same scoreline.
Feyenoord
Feyenoord became the first Dutch club to lift the European Cup when they got their hands on the famous trophy in 1970, a year before arch-rivals Ajax claimed their first continental crown.
Rotterdam’s finest clinched their first UEFA Cup four years later and their second in 2002 – when the final took place at their home ground, De Kuip.
Porto
Portugal’s second European champions, Porto claimed the honour for the first time in 1987, as Artur Jorge’s team mounted a late comeback to beat Bayern Munich in the final.
Seventeen years later, they won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho, triumphing in an underdog final against Monaco.
Porto lifted the UEFA Cup for the first time in 2003 and won it again in 2011.
Chelsea
Champions League winners for the first time in 2012, winning a dramatic final against Bayern Munich on penalties at the Germans’ own stadium, Chelsea failed to even make it beyond the group stage as they attempted to retain their crown the following campaign.
But the Blues did at least win the Europa League for the first time, defeating Benfica in the final through a stoppage-time winner from Branislav Ivanovic.
The West London giants’ next two major European triumphs came after all-English finals: they beat Arsenal to win the 2018/19 Europa League and Manchester City to seal 2020/21 Champions League glory.
Manchester United
Historically one of the dominant forces in English football, Manchester United won the 1967/68 European Cup to become England’s first continental champions, thrashing Benfica 4-1 after extra time in the Wembley final.
That historic victory came under Matt Busby; their next two were masterminded by another legendary Scottish manager: Alex Ferguson, who oversaw that treble-securing comeback against Bayern Munich in 1999 and a shootout triumph over Chelsea in the first all-English Champions League final nine years later.
United won their first Europa League in 2017 with Jose Mourinho at the helm.
Juventus
Italy’s most successful club, Juventus got their hands on UEFA’s two most prestigious trophies in both the 80s and 90s.
The Bianconeri lifted the UEFA Cup for the first time in 1977, defeating Athletic Bilbao on away goals in a two-legged final, before sealing their maiden European Cup success with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in 1985 – in a match overshadowed by the tragedy of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Ajax
Easily the Netherlands’ most successful club, Ajax dominated continental football at the start of the 70s by winning three European Cups on the spin and doing the treble in 1971/72 – helped in no small part by the sheer brilliance of Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens et al.
The iconic Amsterdam outfit later won the 1994/95 Champions League, defeating favourites Milan with a late goal by 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert.
Ajax sealed their maiden UEFA Cup success in 1992 by beating Torino on away goals.
Barcelona
After losing European Cup finals in 1961 and 1986, Barcelona made it third time lucky as Ronald Koeman’s free-kick sunk Sampdoria in 1992.
That long-awaited glory was delivered by Johan Cruyff and the Catalan giants’ next Champions League triumph 14 years later came courtesy of another Dutchman, Frank Rijkaard.
Barca reached their mesmerising peak with two Champions League wins under Pep Guardiola in the 2010s – doing the treble in 2009/10 – before lifting the trophy for a fifth time in 2015 – also as part of a treble, this time with Luis Enrique holding the reins.
Inter
The great Helenio Herrera’s fearsome ‘Grande Inter’ side won back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965 – following each of those victories up with Intercontinental Cup glory.
Not that they knew it then, but the Nerazzurri would have to wait 45 years to be crowned champions of Europe again, winning the 2009/10 Champions League as they did the treble under Jose Mourinho.
Inter lifted the UEFA Cup three times in eight years during the 90s, triumphing in all-Italian finals against Roma in 1991 and Lazio in 1998.
Sevilla
The only club on this list who haven’t won the Champions League / European Cup, Sevilla hadn’t won any European trophy until 2006 – when they thrashed Middlesbrough 4-0 to seal UEFA Cup glory. They retained it by defeating Rangers the following year.
By 2023, the Spanish outfit had clinched their record-extending seventh Europa League crown, having triumphed in UEFA’s second-tier competition three years running during the mid-2010s.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich kicked off their glittering European Cup history in style by lifting the trophy three years running from 1974 to 1976, with Franz Beckenbauer captaining them to all three victories.
The Bavarian giants won the Champions League as part of the treble in 2013 under Jupp Heynckes – when they beat Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German final – and in 2020 under Hansi Flick.
Bayern also lifted the 1995/96 UEFA Cup, with Beckenbauer as manager on that occasion.
Milan
Italy’s first continental kings, Milan lifted their first of many European Cups as Jose Altafini’s brace completed a comeback win over Benfica in the 1963 final at Wembley.
In 1994, they made it five with an emphatic 4-0 victory against Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium in Athens – which would later be the scene of their seventh Champions League success, which they secured by defeating Liverpool 2-1 in 2007 under Carlo Ancelotti.
Liverpool
England’s most decorated club in the continental game, Liverpool were crowned Europe’s top dogs for the sixth time in 2019.
But the Reds’ most memorable triumph was undoubtedly their fifth in 2005, when Rafa Benitez masterminded an unbelievable comeback from 3-0 down against Milan to win the final on penalties, on a night which went down in history as the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.
Liverpool’s first two major European successes came in the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976. They lifted that trophy for the third time in 2001, doing an all-cup treble also comprising both big domestic cups.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid are way, way out in front as the most successful club in the history of European football, winning UEFA’s top two competitions almost 20 times combined.
The dominant force at the European Cup’s outset, triumphing in its first five editions, Real went 32 years without lifting the trophy between 1966 and 1998 (although they did clinch back-to-back UEFA Cups in the mid-80s).
They restored their former glories with three Champions League victories from 1998 to 2002, though, before claiming six more between 2014 and 2024 – including three on the bounce under Bernabeu legend Zinedine Zidane.
