The competition has been won by 23 clubs, 13 of which have won it more than once, and eight successfully defended their title.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament’s history, having won it 14 times, including the first five seasons and also five of the last ten.
1955 European Cup, the predecessor of Champions League, is established.
1992 The competition is established. 1994 The competition is expanded to involve 16 clubs. 1996 For the first time is a final decided on a penalty shootout.
The UEFA Champions League, often referred to simply as the Champions League, is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The tournament has a rich history that dates back to its inception in 1955. Here’s an overview of the history of the Champions League:
Beginnings (1955-1992)
- The tournament was initially called the European Champion Clubs’ Cup and was introduced in the 1955-1956 season.
- The inaugural edition featured 16 teams, and Real Madrid emerged as the first champions, winning the tournament five consecutive times from 1956 to 1960.
- The format evolved over the years, with the number of participating teams increasing and the introduction of group stages.
- Notable teams to have won the competition during this period include Benfica, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Liverpool.
Rebranding and Expansion (1992-2003)
- In 1992, the tournament was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League, and the group stage format was introduced.
- The competition expanded, allowing multiple teams from the top European leagues to participate.
- During this period, AC Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich were among the successful clubs.
Modern Era (2004-present)
- The tournament underwent further changes, including the introduction of a knockout round format from the quarterfinals onwards.
- Clubs from various countries have enjoyed success, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.
- Real Madrid has been particularly dominant in recent years, winning the Champions League four times between 2014 and 2018.
- Other notable winners in recent years include Liverpool, who won the title in 2019, and Bayern Munich, who emerged victorious in 2020.
Overall, Real Madrid holds the record for the most Champions League titles, having won the tournament 13 times.
They are followed by AC Milan with seven titles and Liverpool with six titles.
The competition continues to be one of the most prestigious and widely watched club football tournaments in the world, captivating fans with its thrilling matches and memorable moments.
What we know
The UEFA Champions League, previously recognized as the European Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the UEFA – Union of European Football Associations.
It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most famous club competition in European football, played by the national league champions and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) of their national leagues.
Allsportspk presents all time stats of the prestigious Competition.
Individual Player Stats:
Most Appearances
| Rank | Player | Appearances | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Iker Casillas | 177 | Real Madrid and Porto |
| 2. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 169 | Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus |
| 3. | Xavi | 151 | Barcelona |
| 4. | Raúl | 142 | Real Madrid and Schalke 04 |
| 5. | Ryan Giggs | 141 | Manchester United |
| 5. | Lionel Messi | 141 | Barcelona |
| 7. | Andrés Iniesta | 130 | Barcelona |
| 8. | Clarence Seedorf | 125 | Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan |
| 9. | Paul Scholes | 124 | Manchester United |
| 9. | Sergio Ramos | 124 | Real Madrid |
- Iker Casillas has the most appearances as a Goalkeeper.
- Sergio Ramos has the most appearances as a Defender.
- Xavi has the most appearances as a Midfielder.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has the most appearances as a Attacker.
- On 22 February 2006, Raúl made his 100th Champions League appearance, the first player to do so.
Top Goalscorer
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Clubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 128 | 169 | 0.76 | Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus. |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | 114 | 141 | 0.81 | FC Barcelona |
| 3. | Raúl | 71 | 142 | 0.5 | Real Madrid and Schalke 04 |
| 4. | Robert Lewandowski | 64 | 86 | 0.74 | Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich |
| 4. | Karim Benzema | 64 | 119 | 0.54 | Real Madrid and Lyon |
| 5. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | 0.77 | PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid |
| 6. | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | 0.45 | Arsenal, Monaco andFC Barcelona |
| 7. | Alfredo Di Stéfano | 49 | 58 | 0.84 | Real Madrid |
| 8. | Andriy Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | 0.48 | Dynamo Kyiv, Milan and Chelsea |
| 9. | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 120 | 0.40 | Ajax, Juventus, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and PSG |
- Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have 100 plus goals in Champion’s League.
- Real Madrid have most Players (5) in the list above.
- Lionel Messi have scored the most goals for a single club (114 for Barcelona).
- Alfredo Di Stefano is the only player to score in 5 Champion’s League Final.
Most Goals Scored In Single Season
| Rank | Player Name | Goals Scored | Season | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 17 | 2013/14 | Real Madrid |
| 2. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 16 | 2015/16 | Real Madrid |
| 3. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 15 | 2017/18 | Real Madrid |
| 4. | Lionel Messi | 14 | 2011/12 | FC Barcelona |
| 5. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 12 | 2016/17 | Real Madrid |
| 5. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 12 | 2012/13 | Real Madrid |
| 5. | Lionel Messi | 12 | 2010/11 | FC Barcelona |
| 5. | Lionel Messi | 12 | 2018/19 | FC Barcelona |
| 5. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 12 | 2002/03 | Manchester United |
- Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to become Champion’s League top goalscorer for 6 consecutive seasons.
- In 2013/14 season Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record of most goals scored in a single season by scoring 17 goals, which was previously held by Lionel Messi with 14 goals.
- Lionel Messi was last season’s top goalscorer with 12 goals.
- Ruud van Nistelrooy is the only player in Champions League other than Messi and Ronaldo to score 11 plus goals in a single season.
Most Assistance To Score Goals
| Rank | Player | Assists | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | CristianoRonaldo | 40 | Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | 35 | FC Barcelona |
| 3. | Ryan Giggs | 31 | Manchester United |
| 4. | Xavi | 30 | FC Barcelona |
| 5. | Andres Iniesta | 29 | FC Barcelona |
| 6. | Angel Di Maria | 28 | Real Madrid, Manchester United, Benfica and PSG |
| 7. | Karim Benzema | 27 | Lyon and Real Madrid |
| 8. | Cesc Fabregas | 26 | Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea |
| 8. | Luis Suarez | 26 | Liverpool and FC Barcelona |
| 8. | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 26 | Ajax, Juventus, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and PSG |
- Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to become the top goalscorer and top assist provider in Champion’s League History.
- Ryan Giggs has the most assists as a midfielder.
- Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo assisted each other the most.
Most Clean Sheets (No Goals Conceded) By Goal Keeper
| Rank | Player Name | Clean sheets | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Iker Casillas | 203 | Real Madrid and Porto |
| 2. | Gianluigi Buffon | 119 | Parma, Juventus and Paris |
| 3. | Olexandr Shovkovskiy | 114 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 3. | Oliver Kahn | 104 | Bayern Munich |
| 4. | Peter Cech | 103 | Sparta, Chelsea and Arsenal |
| 5. | Manuel Neur | 102 | Schalke and FC Bayern |
| 6. | Víctor Valdes | 89 | Barcelona |
| 7. | Edwin van der Sar | 79 | Ajax, Juventus and Manchester United |
| 8. | Pepe Reina | 78 | Barcelona, Villarreal, Liverpool, Napoli |
| 9. | Dida | 56 | AC Milan |
- Iker Casiilas won the Champion’s League thrice.
- Olexandr Shovkovskiy has the most cleansheets for a singleclub (114 for Dynamo Kyiv).