Real Madrid has won the most number of times in the UEFA Champions League, making them the most successful club in Europe’s premier tournament. They won their first title in the inaugural European Cup in 1956.
Real Madrid’s greatness is directly proportional to the number of titles it has achieved.
Los Blancos may not possess the same literary and political aspirations as some other clubs, particularly their intense adversaries from Catalonia. Nevertheless, they compensate for this with a plethora of accolades and awards. The Champions League holds utmost significance for Madrid, surpassing all other silverware.
Real Madrid has been the most successful club in the history of the European Cup since its inception in the 1950s.
How many UEFA Champions League Titles Real Madrid have?
Real Madrid has a historical record of winning the European Cup 14 times. The team has achieved the highest level of success in the Champions League, surpassing AC Milan’s record of seven victories and Liverpool and Bayern Munich’s record of six victories.
Real Madrid secured their 14th European crown in the 2022 Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris, thanks to Vinicius Junior’s decisive goal.
Carlo Ancelotti successfully navigated through the knockout rounds against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Manchester City, with a come-from-behind strategy. The final against Liverpool was relatively drama-free, which was a welcome change for Ancelotti, who has experienced his fair share of dramatic moments in the past.
The European success of Madrid is not a recent occurrence. The initial five editions of the tournament from 1956 to 1960 were secured by Los Blancos, led by the renowned Alfredo Di Stefano and supported by a remarkable cast of stars who emerged as the original galacticos.
Prior to the 1960 final at Hampden Park versus Eintracht Frankfurt, the team’s president Santiago Bernabeu, who the current stadium is named after, conveyed to his players: “The human being possesses five senses and five fingers on each hand…whereas you possess four European Cups.” A hat-trick was scored by Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas plundered four goals in a 7-3 thrashing, which is still considered by some as the club’s greatest moment.
Kyle Walker discloses amusing rationale behind his embrace of Vinicius Junior following their Champions League encounter. The scoring tally of a Real Madrid legend has been equaled by Marco Asensio. A Napoli player has expressed interest in joining Manchester United, according to football transfer rumours. Meanwhile, Arsenal are reportedly planning to break their transfer record.
Real Madrid’s unprecedented dominance in the competition was challenged by their arch-rivals Barcelona in the 1961 semi-finals, who emerged victorious. However, Barcelona failed to clinch the title, losing to Benfica in the final. The sole survivor from the initial victory, which occurred ten years prior, was Paco Gento. Madrid emerged victorious in 1966, securing their sixth title, with Partizan Belgrade as their opponent.
The duration until a Real Madrid captain raised the trophy again was a remarkable 32 years. The sole goal of the 1998 final was scored by Pedja Mijatovic, who had foreseen it the previous night. This led to the triumph of Madrid in their first-ever European Cup that was televised in colour, by defeating Juventus.
The individual known as Raul Gonzalez, who was likened to Di Stefano by Valdano, successfully scored the third goal against Valencia, resulting in the acquisition of the initial Champions League title of the 21st century. In 2002, Raul replicated the feat for Madrid, increasing their cumulative count to nine during the club’s centenary year. They emerged victorious against Bayer Leverkusen, a German team, at Hampden Park.Upon Ancelotti’s initial appointment as Madrid’s manager in 2013, the concept of achieving La Decima, the club’s tenth European Cup, had transformed into a detrimental fixation. Capello, Pellegrini, and Mourinho were unsuccessful, while Ancelotti succeeded in his first season by defeating Atletico Madrid in extra time.
The individual known as Zinedine Zidane, who is credited with producing what many consider to be the most exceptional goal in any Champions League final (for Madrid in 2002), held the position of manager during the time when Gareth Bale presented a competing attempt for that title. The execution of an acrobatic overhead kick by the Welshman contributed to Madrid’s third consecutive Champions League title under Zidane’s supervision in 2018. This feat had not been accomplished by any other club since the 1970s, when Bayern Munich achieved a similar feat. The victory secured a 3-1 win over Liverpool.
The club achieved their inaugural triumph in the European Cup during the 1955/56 season, thereby becoming the pioneering team to secure the championship following its establishment in 1955.
A new era of supremacy was initiated, as Zinedine Zidane spearheaded the team to three consecutive victories in the Champions League from 2015/16 to 2017/18. The most recent victory for Real Madrid came against Liverpool in 2021–2022, and Ancelotti oversaw the victory in Paris to win his second championship with the team.
Real Madrid’s History in UEFA Champions League
The historical data of Madrid’s performance indicates a team that has consistently achieved success in the competition, or at minimum, has posed a formidable challenge in the later rounds.
The ability to surpass Madrid in European matches indicates proficiency: their players possess exceptional calibre and quality. However, there exists a prevailing notion that the competition is inherently Madrid’s. The reason for their numerous victories in the past and their potential for future successes is evident.
Season | Stage Reached | Eliminated By |
---|---|---|
1955-56 | Winners | N/A |
1956-57 | Winners | N/A |
1957-58 | Winners | N/A |
1958-59 | Winners | N/A |
1959-60 | Winners | N/A |
1960-61 | First Round | Barcelona |
1961-62 | Final | Benfica |
1962-63 | Preliminary Round | Anderlecht |
1963-64 | Final | Inter |
1965-66 | Winners | N/A |
1966-67 | Quarter-Final | Inter |
1967-68 | Semi-Final | Manchester United |
1968-69 | Second Round | Rapid Wien |
1969-70 | Second Round | Standard Liege |
1972-73 | Semi-Final | Ajax |
1975-76 | Semi-Final | Bayern Munich |
1976-77 | Second Round | Club Brugge |
1978-79 | Second Round | Grasshopper |
1979-80 | Semi-Final | Hamburger SV |
1980-81 | Final | Liverpool |
1986-87 | Semi-Final | Bayern Munich |
1987-88 | Semi-Final | PSV |
1988-89 | Semi-Final | Milan |
1989-90 | Second Round | Milan |
1990-91 | Quarter-Final | Spartak Moscow |
1995-96 | Quarter-Final | Juventus |
1997-98 | Winners | N/A |
1998-99 | Quarter-Final | Dynamo Kyiv |
1999-00 | Winners | N/A |
2000-01 | Semi-Final | Bayern Munich |
2001-02 | Winners | N/A |
2002-03 | Semi-Final | Juventus |
2003-04 | Quarter-Final | Monaco |
2004-05 | Round of 16 | Juventus |
2005-06 | Round of 16 | Arsenal |
2006-2007 | Round of 16 | Bayern Munich |
2007-2008 | Round of 16 | Roma |
2008-2009 | Round of 16 | Liverpool |
2009-2010 | Round of 16 | Lyon |
2010-2011 | Semi-Final | Barcelona |
2011-2012 | Semi-Final | Bayern Munich |
2012-2013 | Semi-Final | Borussia Dortmund |
2013-2014 | Winners | N/A |
2014-2015 | Semi-Final | Juventus |
2015-2016 | Winners | N/A |
2016-2017 | Winners | N/A |
2017-2018 | Winners | N/A |
2018-2019 | Round of 16 | Ajax |
2019-2020 | Round of 16 | Manchester City |
2020-2021 | Semi-Finals | Chelsea |
2021-2022 | Winners | N/A |