this season, Champions League This competition format has undergone the biggest change since the cancellation of the second group stage of the 2003/04 season.

In 20 seasons, the 32 participating teams were divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. The top two advanced to the knockout stage. UEFA reformed the competition system before the 2024/25 season.

There are now 36 teams competing in a group stage, playing eight matches instead of the previous six. The top eight teams advance to the knockout stage, while teams ranked between 9th and 24th participate in the play-offs to reach the top 16.

The bottom eight teams will be eliminated and will not fall into the main draw. european league. The new format seems to be working quite well and is likely to be a huge success.

Big names such as real Madrid and paris saint germain As we enter the new year, we are already way behind the curve. Both clubs have a history of winning at this level, but they will need to be at full strength to stay in this year’s competition.

In this list, we take a look at the top ten clubs with the most wins in the Champions League since the last change in 1992.

10

liverpool

86 wins

liverpool It was not until the 2001/02 season that they made their first appearance in the Champions League and reached the quarterfinals that season. In 2005, they won the tournament with a miraculous comeback against Milan in the final, and reached the final again two years later, where the Rossoneri got revenge with a 2-1 victory.

Anfield did not reach the final again until 2018. Jurgen Klopp’s side lost to Real Madrid before beating Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 to claim a sixth continental title.

Another final Lose to Madrid in 2022 This is the last time they have reached this stage of the competition since 2001, with 86 wins.

9

arsenal

92 wins

although arsenal One of England’s most decorated teams, their record in Europe has been relatively disappointing.

In fact, since winning the Champions League in the 1998/99 season, they have only reached the final once, in 2006.

The Gunners lost 2-1 barcelona In Paris, Wenger almost won the game.

However, the club’s consistency in the competition has been outstanding, reaching the group stages for 17 consecutive seasons and recording 92 wins since its debut.

8

Milan

93 wins

It may sound surprising Milan The team’s 93 wins in the competition’s history place them just eighth on this list, especially considering they have won the title three times in the post-European Cup era and reached the finals in three more. .

They have failed to qualify multiple times in recent years, which is a key reason why they don’t win as many games as teams like Real Madrid and Real Madrid. Bayern Munich.

In fact, Milan has only reached the semi-finals once since winning the Champions League in 2007, with Inter Milan beating them over two legs in 2023.

7

Porto

101 wins

Porto They were no strangers to Europe before the Champions League began, having won it in 1987 by beating Bayern Munich.

Jose Mourinho Leading them to their second continental championship in 2004, the whole of Europe was surprised.

Since that glorious victory, they have reached the group stage 20 times but have yet to reach the quarter-finals, stopping at that particular stage four times.

Despite this, the club has still won a total of 101 games in the competition since the 1992/93 season.

6

chelsea

101 wins

Just like Liverpool, chelsea The team entered the Champions League relatively late, not making its debut until 1999.

The Blues suffered heavy losses to Monaco and Liverpool in the semi-finals in 2004 and 2005 respectively, and did not reach the final for the first time until 2008.

They lost to Manchester United at the time, but glory finally arrived four years later. Beat Bayern in their own backyard Win the game for the first time.

surprising victory Manchester City In 2021, the Stamford Bridge side won the title for the second time and they are sixth with 101 wins and have played fewer games (197) than Porto (228).

5

juventus

113 wins

No European club has lost so many European Cup/Champions League finals juventusbetween 1973 and 2017, seven losses occurred at the final level.

Two of those defeats came before the start of the Champions League, but the Old Lady have tasted defeat at least five times since 1993.

They last won the tournament in 1996, beating defending champions Ajax in the final, but lost the next two finals to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

It looked like they would end their 2003 slump, but Milan prevailed at Old Trafford. Since then, both Madrid and Barcelona have defeated Serie A teams in this exhibition match.

Despite this, they have won an impressive 113 games in the Champions League, although they will certainly be hoping to win another title in the coming years.

4

Manchester United

127 wins

it took Manchester United And Sir Alex Ferguson took a while to deal with the Champions League.

Domestic dominance was fairly easy to achieve between 1993 and 2001, but Europe was a different story. Of course, no one will forget the stunning comeback win with two injury-time goals in 1999, but that was their only final appearance between 1993 and 2007.

United won the Champions League again in 2008 and reached the finals in 2009 and 2011, losing both times to Barcelona and Guardiola.

The Red Devils have qualified for Europe’s top club competition just seven times since Ferguson retired, failing to reach the quarter-finals.

They rank fourth in the Champions League victory list with 127 wins.

3

barcelona

175 wins

In 1992, Barcelona won the last European Champions League, the first time in their history to win this award.

Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ reached the final in 1994 but were beaten 4-0 by Milan – their last appearance until 2006.

They beat Arsenal 2-1 that year, then won in 2009 and 2011 under Guardiola’s mercurial guidance, with Barcelona becoming one of the best club teams ever in the process.

Led by Luis Enrique, the La Liga side reached the final again in 2015, with Juventus winning 3-1 in Berlin to claim their fourth Champions League title in just nine years.

They have the third-highest number of wins in the Championship, with a staggering 175 wins since their first game in 1993.

2

Bayern Munich

177 wins

Bayern Munich has won the continental title six times, becoming the third-best team in European Cup/Champions League history. Bayern has won three Champions League titles since its inception in 1992, although the Bavarian club lost three more in the finals.

The German side have won the title in 2001, 2013 and 2020, but given their status among Europe’s elite, the club perhaps should have won more, especially under Guardiola’s success from 2013 to 2020. When he took charge of the team in 2016.

Since their last title, Bayern has only reached the semi-finals once, losing to Real Madrid in the 2023/24 season. In Vincent Kompany they have a dynamic and ambitious young coach. Could this lead to a seventh European victory in 2025?

They rank second on the competition’s all-time wins list with 177 wins since the first game in 1994.

1

real Madrid

194 wins

It’s no surprise that Real Madrid top the competition’s win-win table, with 194 wins since the start of the 1995/96 season.

Madrid is the winner of the Champions League in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024 and is the undisputed king of the Champions League.

Combined with a further six European Cups, the club’s 15 continental titles will be a record they will hold for the foreseeable future.

It is because of their consistency that Real Madrid have only failed to reach the semi-finals twice since 2011, making them masters of top club competitions.

This season has been even more challenging, with the club suffering three consecutive defeats in the Champions League group stages for the first time.

Carlo Ancelotti has won the competition five times, but extending that record may be his biggest challenge.