UEFA Champions League - wikipedia UEFA Champions League `` European Cup '' redirects here. For other uses, see European Cup ( disambiguation ). This article is about the men 's UEFA Champions League. For the women 's UEFA Champions League, see UEFA Women 's Champions League. For the competition trophy which shared the name with the original competition, see European Champion Clubs ' Cup. UEFA Champions League Founded 1955 ; 62 years ago ( 1955 ) ( rebranded in 1992 ) Region Europe ( UEFA ) Number of teams 32 ( group stage ) 78 or 79 ( total ) Qualifier for UEFA Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup Related competitions UEFA Europa League Current champions Real Madrid ( 12th title ) Most successful club ( s ) Real Madrid ( 12 titles ) Television broadcasters List of broadcasters Website uefa.com 2017 -- 18 UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ) and contested by top - division European clubs. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions ( and, for some nations, one or more runners - up ) of the strongest UEFA national associations. The UEFA Champions League final is the most watched annual sporting event worldwide. The final of the 2012 -- 13 tournament had the highest TV ratings to date, drawing 360 million television viewers. Introduced in 1992, the competition replaced the European Champion Clubs ' Cup, or simply European Cup, which had run since 1955, adding a group stage to the competition and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries. The pre-1992 competition was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the format was expanded, incorporating a round - robin group stage to include clubs that finished runner - up of some nations ' top - level league. While most of Europe 's national leagues can still only enter their national league champion, Europe 's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams for the competition, and will provide up to five teams from the 2015 -- 16 season onwards. Clubs that finish next - in - line in each nation 's top level league, having not qualified for the UEFA Champions League competition, may be eligible for the next - level UEFA Europa League competition. In its present format, the UEFA Champions League begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play - off round. The 10 surviving teams enter the group stage, joining 22 other teams qualified in advance. The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round - robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners - up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in May. The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition 's history, having won the tournament 12 times, including its first five seasons. Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories ( 17 wins ), followed by England and Italy ( 12 wins apiece ). The competition has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won it more than once. The reigning champions are Real Madrid, who secured their twelfth title in the competition after defeating Juventus 4 -- 1 in the 2017 final. Thus, they became the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to successfully defend their title. Contents 1 History 1.1 1955 -- 66 : Beginnings 2 Anthem 3 Branding 4 Format 4.1 Qualification 4.2 Tournament 4.3 Default distribution ( from 2015 -- 16 ) 4.4 Future distribution ( from 2018 -- 19 ) 5 Referees 5.1 Ranking 5.2 Appointment 5.3 Limitations 6 Prizes 6.1 Trophy and medals 6.2 Prize money 7 Sponsorship 8 Media coverage 9 Records and statistics 9.1 Winners 9.2 By nation 9.3 By city 9.4 All - time top scorers 9.5 Most appearances 10 See also 11 References 12 External links History Main article : European Cup and UEFA Champions League history The first pan-European tournament was the Challenge Cup, a competition between clubs in the Austro - Hungarian Empire. The Mitropa Cup, a competition modelled after the Challenge Cup, was created in 1927, an idea of Austrian Hugo Meisl, and played between Central European clubs. In 1930, the Coupe des Nations ( French : Nations Cup ), the first attempt to create a cup for national champion clubs of Europe, was played and organised by Swiss club Servette. Held in Geneva, it brought together ten champions from across the continent. The tournament was won by Újpest of Hungary. Latin European nations came together to form the Latin Cup in 1949. After receiving reports from his journalists over the highly successful Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones of 1948, Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, began proposing the creation of a continent - wide tournament. After Stan Cullis declared Wolverhampton Wanderers `` Champions of the World '' following a successful run of friendlies in the 1950s, in particular a 3 -- 2 friendly victory against Budapest Honvéd, Hanot finally managed to convince UEFA to put into practice such a tournament. It was conceived in Paris in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs ' Cup. 1955 -- 66 : beginnings Barcelona -- Hamburg, 12 April 1961 The first edition of the European Cup took place during the 1955 -- 56 season. Sixteen teams participated : Milan ( Italy ), AGF Aarhus ( Denmark ), Anderlecht ( Belgium ), Djurgården ( Sweden ), Gwardia Warszawa ( Poland ), Hibernian ( Scotland ), Partizan ( Yugoslavia ), PSV Eindhoven ( Netherlands ), Rapid Wien ( Austria ), Real Madrid ( Spain ), Rot - Weiss Essen ( West Germany ), Saarbrücken ( Saar ), Servette ( Switzerland ), Sporting CP ( Portugal ), Stade de Reims ( France ), and Vörös Lobogó ( Hungary ). The first European Cup match took place on 4 September 1955, and ended in a 3 -- 3 draw between Sporting CP and Partizan. The first goal in European Cup history was scored by João Baptista Martins of Sporting CP. The inaugural final took place at the Parc des Princes between Stade de Reims and Real Madrid. The Spanish squad came back from behind to win 4 -- 3 thanks to goals from Alfredo Di Stéfano and Marquitos, as well as two goals from Héctor Rial. Real Madrid successfully defended the trophy next season in their home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, against Fiorentina. After a scoreless first half, Real Madrid scored twice in six minutes to defeat the Italians. In 1958, Milan failed to capitalise after going ahead on the scoreline twice, only for Real Madrid to equalise. The final held in Heysel Stadium went to extra time where Francisco Gento scored the game - winning goal to allow Real Madrid to retain the title for the third consecutive season. In a rematch of the first final, Real Madrid faced Stade Reims at the Neckarstadion for the 1958 -- 59 season final, easily winning 2 -- 0. West German side Eintracht Frankfurt became the first non-Latin team to reach the European Cup final. The 1959 -- 60 season finale still holds the record for the most goals scored, but the record is overshadowed by the 7 -- 3 thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt received in Hampden Park, courtesy of four goals by Ferenc Puskás and a hat - trick by Alfredo Di Stéfano. This was Real Madrid 's fifth consecutive title, a record that still stands today. Los Merengues reign ended in the 1960 -- 61 season when bitter rivals Barcelona dethroned them in the first round. Barcelona themselves, however, would be defeated in the final by Portuguese side Benfica 3 -- 2 at Wankdorf Stadium. Reinforced by Eusébio, Benfica defeated Real Madrid 5 -- 3 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam and kept the title for a second, consecutive season. Benfica wanted to repeat Real Madrid 's successful run of the 1950s after reaching the showpiece event of the 1962 -- 63 European Cup, but a brace from Brazilian - Italian José Altafini at the Wembley Stadium gave the spoils to Milan, making the trophy leave the Iberian Peninsula for the first time ever. Internazionale beat an ageing - Real Madrid 3 -- 1 in the Ernst - Happel - Stadion to win the 1963 -- 64 season and replicate their local - rival 's success. The title stayed in the city of Milan for the third year in a row after Inter beat Benfica 1 -- 0 at their home ground, the San Siro. Anthem Main article : UEFA Champions League Anthem The UEFA Champions League anthem, officially titled simply as `` Champions League '', was written by Tony Britten, and is an adaptation of George Frideric Handel 's Zadok the Priest ( one of his Coronation Anthems ). UEFA commissioned Britten in 1992 to arrange an anthem, and the piece was performed by London 's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. The chorus contains the three official languages used by UEFA : English, German, and French. The anthem 's chorus is played before each UEFA Champions League game, as well as at the beginning and end of television broadcasts of the matches. The complete anthem is about three minutes long, and has two short verses and the chorus. For the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome, tenor Andrea Bocelli sang backing lyrics to the Champions League anthem, whilst similarly Juan Diego Flórez provided the tenor for the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final. Girl band All Angels performed at the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. Jonas Kaufmann provided the tenor for 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, whilst David Garrett performed with his violin. The anthem has never been released commercially in its original version. Branding In 1991, UEFA asked its commercial partner, Television Event and Media Marketing ( TEAM ), to help `` brand '' the Champions League. This resulted in the anthem, `` house colours '' of black and white or silver and a logo, and the `` starball ''. The starball was created by Design Bridge, a London - based firm selected by TEAM after a competition. TEAM gives particular attention to detail in how the colours and starball are depicted at matches. According to TEAM, `` Irrespective of whether you are a spectator in Moscow or Milan, you will always see the same stadium dressing materials, the same opening ceremony featuring the ' starball ' centre circle ceremony, and hear the same UEFA Champions League Anthem ''. Based on research it conducted, TEAM concluded that by 1999, `` the starball logo had achieved a recognition rate of 94 percent among fans ''. Format Qualification See also : UEFA coefficient Map of UEFA countries whose teams reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League UEFA member country that has been represented in the group stage UEFA member country that has not been represented in the group stage As of 2009, the UEFA Champions League begins with a double round - robin group stage of 32 teams, which is preceded by two qualification ' streams ' for teams that do not receive direct entry to the tournament proper. The two streams are divided between teams qualified by virtue of being league champions, and those qualified by virtue of finishing 2nd -- 4th in their national championship. The number of teams that each association enters into the UEFA Champions League is based upon the UEFA coefficients of the member associations. These coefficients are generated by the results of clubs representing each association during the previous five Champions League and UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup seasons. The higher an association 's coefficient, the more teams represent the association in the Champions League, and the fewer qualification rounds the association 's teams must compete in. Five of the remaining ten qualifying places are granted to the winners of a four - round qualifying tournament between the remaining 40 or 39 national champions, within which those champions from associations with higher coefficients receive byes to later rounds. The other five are granted to the winners of a two - round qualifying tournament between the 15 clubs from the associations ranked 1 through 15, which have qualified based upon finishing second, third, or fourth in their respective national league. In addition to sporting criteria, any club must be licensed by its national association to participate in the Champions league. To obtain a license, the club must meet certain stadium, infrastructure, and finance requirements. In 2005 -- 06, Liverpool and Artmedia Bratislava became the first teams to reach the Champions League group stage after playing in all three qualifying rounds. In 2008 -- 09, both BATE Borisov and Anorthosis Famagusta achieved the same feat. Real Madrid holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in the group stage, having qualified 19 times in a row ( 1997 -- 2016 ). They are followed by Manchester United on 18 ( 1996 -- 2014 ) and Arsenal on 18 ( 1998 -- 2016 ). Between 2003 and 2008, no differentiation was made between champions and non-champions in qualification. The 16 top ranked teams spread across the biggest domestic leagues qualified directly for the tournament group stage. Prior to this, three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds whittled down the remaining teams, with different teams starting in different rounds. An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after Liverpool won the Champions League the year before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League that season. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers. UEFA subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that, if the Champions League winner fell outside of its domestic league 's top four, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth - placed team in the league. Until 2015 -- 16, no association could have more than four entrants in the Champions League. In May 2012, Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the Premier League, two places ahead of Chelsea, but failed to qualify for the 2012 -- 13 Champions League, after Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League Final. Tottenham were demoted to the Europa League for the 2012 -- 13 season. In May 2013, it was decided that, starting from the 2015 -- 16 season ( and continuing at least for the three - year cycle until the 2017 -- 18 season ), the winners of the previous season 's UEFA Europa League would qualify for the UEFA Champions League, entering at least the play - off round, and entering the group stage if the berth reserved for the Champions League title holders was not used. The previous limit of a maximum of four teams per association was increased from four to five, meaning that a fourth - placed team from one of the top three ranked associations would only have to be moved to the Europa League if both the Champions League and Europa League winners came from that association and both finished outside the top four of their domestic league. The top three leagues in Europe are allowed to enter four teams into the Champions League. Michel Platini, the UEFA president, had proposed taking one place from the top three leagues and allocating it to that nation 's cup winners. This proposal was rejected in a vote at a UEFA Strategy Council meeting. In the same meeting, however, it was agreed that the third - placed team in the top three leagues would receive automatic qualification for the group stage, rather than entry into the third qualifying round, while the fourth - placed team would enter the play - off round for non-champions, guaranteeing an opponent from one of the top 15 leagues in Europe. This was part of Platini 's plan to increase the number of teams qualifying directly into the group stage, while simultaneously increasing the number of teams from lower - ranked nations in the group stage. In 2012, Arsène Wenger referred to qualifying for the Champion 's League by finishing in the top four places in the English Premier League as the `` 4th Place Trophy ''. The phrase was coined after a pre-match conference when he was questioned about Arsenal 's lack of a trophy after exiting the FA Cup. He said `` The first trophy is to finish in the top four ''. At Arsenal 's 2012 AGM, Wenger was also quoted as saying : `` For me there are five trophies every season : Premier League, Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League... '' Tournament The tournament proper begins with a group stage of 32 teams, divided into eight groups. Seeding is used whilst making the draw for this stage, whilst teams from the same country may not be drawn into groups together. Each team meets the others in its group home and away in a round - robin format. The winning team and the runners - up from each group then progress to the next round. The third - placed team enters the UEFA Europa League. For this stage, the winning team from one group plays against the runners - up from another group, and teams from the same association may not be drawn against each other. From the quarter - finals onwards, the draw is entirely random, without association protection. The tournament uses the away goals rule : if the aggregate score of the two games is tied, then the team who scored more goals at their opponent 's stadium advances. The group stage is played from September to December, whilst the knock - out stage starts in February. The knock - out ties are played in a two - legged format, with the exception of the final. This is typically held in the final two weeks of May. Default distribution ( from 2015 -- 16 ) Starting with the 2015 -- 16 edition, the winners of the UEFA Europa League will be entered into the Champions League, initially at the level of the playoff round, ensuring group stage participation in either competition. The maximum number of teams that an association can field in the tournament has also been increased from four to five. Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round First qualifying round ( 8 teams ) 8 champions from associations 47 -- 54 Second qualifying round ( 34 teams ) 30 champions from associations 16 -- 46 ( except Liechtenstein ) 4 winners from the first qualifying round Third qualifying round Champions ( 20 teams ) 3 champions from associations 13 -- 15 17 winners from the second qualifying round Non-champions ( 10 teams ) 9 runners - up from associations 7 -- 15 1 third - placed team from association 6 Play - off round Champions ( 10 teams ) 10 winners from the third qualifying round for champions Non-champions ( 10 teams ) 2 third - placed teams from associations 4 -- 5 3 fourth - placed teams from associations 1 -- 3 UEFA Europa League champion 5 winners from the third qualifying round for non-champions Group stage ( 32 teams ) 12 champions from associations 1 -- 12 6 runners - up from associations 1 -- 6 3 third - placed teams from associations 1 -- 3 UEFA Champions League champion 5 winners from the play - off round for champions 5 winners from the play - off round for non-champions Knockout phase ( 16 teams ) 8 group winners from the group stage 8 group runners - up from the group stage ^ UEL : The Europa League champion may be promoted into the group stage if the Champions League champion qualifies for the group stage through their domestic competition. If the Champions League champion comes from an association ranked thirteenth or lower and they did not qualify for the non-champions route based on their domestic performance, the Europa League champion will enter the play - off round for champions instead. The access list will be adjusted accordingly to ensure a maximum of ten teams in each stream 's play - off round. ^ UCL : If the Champions League and Europa League champions are from the same association ranked 1st -- 3rd and neither qualify for the Champions League through their domestic competition, the fourth - placed team will qualify for the Europa League instead. Future distribution ( from 2018 -- 19 ) In August 2016, UEFA announced changes in the access list of the tournament, driven to avoid the creation of European Super League. The top four clubs from the four top - ranked national associations will receive guaranteed qualification automatically for the group stage. The Europa League champion also will automatically qualify for the group stage. However, the plan passed by UEFA caused outrage among smaller associations and after the election of the new UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin it is still possible to be amended. On December 9, 2016 UEFA confirmed the planned reform. Referees Ranking The UEFA Refereeing Unit is broken down into five experience - based categories. A referee is initially placed into Category 4 with the exception of referees from France, Germany, England, Italy, or Spain. Referees from these five countries are typically comfortable with top professional matches and are therefore directly placed into Category 3. Each referee 's performance is observed and evaluated after every match ; his category may be revised twice per season, but a referee can not be promoted directly from Category 3 to the Elite Category. Appointment In co-operation with the UEFA Refereeing Unit, the UEFA Referee Committee is responsible for appointing referees to matches. Referees are appointed based on previous matches, marks, performances, and fitness levels. To discourage bias, the Champions League takes nationality into account. No referee may be of the same origins as any club in his or her respecting groups. Referee appointments, suggested by the UEFA Refereeing Unit, are sent to the UEFA Referee Committee to be discussed and / or revised. After a consensus is made, the name of the appointed referee remains confidential up to two days before the match for the purpose of minimising public influence. Limitations Since 1990, a UEFA international referee can not exceed the age of 45 years. After turning 45, a referee must step down at the end of his season. The age limit was established to ensure an elite level of fitness. Today, UEFA Champions League referees are required to pass a fitness test even to be considered at the international level. Prizes Trophy and medals Main article : European Champion Clubs ' Cup Official trophy. Each year, the winning team is presented with the European Champion Clubs ' Cup, the current version of which has been awarded since 1967. Any team that wins the Champions League three years in a row or five times overall wins the right to retain a full - sized replica of the trophy ( UEFA retains the original at all times ). Six clubs have earned this honour : Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan, Liverpool and Barcelona. Since then instead the club which wins three years in a row or five overall receives a conmemorative badge to wear permanently on their uniform. The current trophy is 74 cm ( 29 in ) tall and made of silver, weighing 11 kg ( 24 lb ). It was designed by Jörg Stadelmann, a jeweller from Bern, Switzerland, after the original was given to Real Madrid in 1966 in recognition of their six titles to date, and cost 10,000 Swiss francs. As of the 2012 -- 13 season, 40 gold medals are presented to the Champions League winners, and 40 silver medals to the runners - up. Prize money As of 2016 -- 17, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows : First qualifying round : € 220,000 Second qualifying round : € 320,000 Losers third qualifying round : € 420,000 Losers play - off round : € 3,000,000 Winners play - off round : € 2,000,000 Base fee for group stage : € 12,700,000 Group match victory : € 1,500,000 Group match draw : € 500,000 Round of 16 : € 6,000,000 Quarter - finals : € 6,500,000 Semi-finals : € 7,500,000 Losing finalist : € 11,000,000 Winning the Final : € 15,500,000 This means that at best, a club can earn € 57,200,000 of prize money, not counting shares of the qualifying rounds, play - off round and / or the market pool. As no club will win the UEFA Champions League in 2016 -- 17 without dropping points in the group stage, no club will earn this much money. A large part of the distributed revenue from the UEFA Champions League is linked to the `` market pool '', the distribution of which is determined by the value of the television market in each country. For the 2014 -- 15 season, Juventus, who were the runners - up, earned nearly € 89.1 million in total, of which € 30.9 million was prize money, compared with the € 61.0 million earned by Barcelona, who won the tournament and were awarded € 36.4 million in prize money. Sponsorship Like the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League is sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top - flight leagues. When the Champions League was created in 1992, it was decided that a maximum of eight companies should be allowed to sponsor the event, with each corporation being allocated four advertising boards around the perimeter of the pitch, as well as logo placement at pre - and post-match interviews and a certain number of tickets to each match. This, combined with a deal to ensure tournament sponsors were given priority on television advertisements during matches, ensured that each of the tournament 's main sponsors was given maximum exposure. From the 2012 -- 13 knockout phase, UEFA used LED advertising hoardings installed in knock - out participant stadiums, including the final stage. From the 2015 -- 16 season onwards, UEFA has used such hoardings from the play - off round until the final. The competition 's logo is displayed in the centre of the pitch before every Champions League match. Betting advertisements are banned in Turkey. On 9 April 2013, Real Madrid ( whose shirt sponsors were bwin at the time ) were forced to wear sponsor - free jerseys while playing against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The tournament 's current main sponsors are : Gazprom Heineken MasterCard Nissan PepsiCo Pepsi / Pepsi Max, Gatorade, and Lay 's / Walkers are the brands being advertised. Sony PlayStation and Xperia are the brands being advertised. UniCredit Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball, the Adidas Finale, and referee uniform, as they do for all UEFA competitions. Konami 's Pro Evolution Soccer is also a secondary sponsor as the official Champions League video game. Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising. However, only one sponsorship is permitted per jersey in addition to that of the kit manufacturer ( exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor or in place of it ; or on the back, either below the squad number or on the collar area. If clubs play a match in a country where the relevant sponsorship category is restricted ( such as France 's alcohol advertising restriction ), then they must remove that logo from their jerseys. For example, when Rangers played French sides Auxerre and Strasbourg in the 1996 -- 97 Champions League and the UEFA Cup, respectively, Rangers players wore the logo of Center Parcs instead of McEwan 's Lager ( both companies at the time were subsidiaries of Scottish & Newcastle ). Media coverage Main article : List of UEFA Champions League broadcasters The competition attracts an extensive television audience, not just in Europe, but throughout the world. The final of the tournament has been, in recent years, the most - watched annual sporting event in the world. The 2013 final was the most watched final to date, drawing 360 million television viewers. Records and Statistics Main article : European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics See also : UEFA Champions League clubs performance comparison Winners Main article : List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals Performance in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League by club Club Winners Runners - up Years won Years runner - up Real Madrid 12 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017 1962, 1964, 1981 Milan 7 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 1958, 1993, 1995, 2005 Bayern Munich * 5 5 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013 1982, 1987, 1999, 2010, 2012 Barcelona 5 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 1961, 1986, 1994 Liverpool 5 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 1985, 2007 Ajax * 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 1969, 1996 Internazionale 1964, 1965, 2010 1967, 1972 Manchester United * 1968, 1999, 2008 2009, 2011 Juventus * 7 1985, 1996 1973, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2017 Benfica 5 1961, 1962 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990 Nottingham Forest 0 1979, 1980 -- Porto 0 1987, 2004 -- Celtic 1967 1970 Hamburg 1980 Steaua București 1986 1989 Marseille 1993 1991 Borussia Dortmund 1997 2013 Chelsea * 2012 2008 Feyenoord 0 1970 -- Aston Villa 0 1982 -- PSV Eindhoven 0 1988 -- Red Star Belgrade 0 1991 -- Atlético Madrid 0 -- 1974, 2014, 2016 Reims 0 -- 1956, 1959 Valencia 0 -- 2000, 2001 Fiorentina 0 -- 1957 Eintracht Frankfurt 0 -- 1960 Partizan 0 -- 1966 Panathinaikos 0 -- 1971 Leeds United 0 -- Saint - Étienne 0 -- 1976 Borussia Mönchengladbach 0 -- 1977 Club Brugge 0 -- 1978 Malmö FF 0 -- 1979 Roma 0 -- 1984 Sampdoria 0 -- 1992 Bayer Leverkusen 0 -- 2002 Monaco 0 -- Arsenal 0 -- 2006 * Club has won all three major UEFA competitions By nation Performance by nation Nation Winners Runners - up Spain 17 11 Italy 12 16 England 12 7 Germany 7 10 Netherlands 6 Portugal 5 France 5 Scotland Romania Yugoslavia Greece 0 Belgium 0 Sweden 0 By city Performance by city City Winners Runners - up Madrid 12 6 Milan 10 6 Munich 5 5 Barcelona 5 Liverpool 5 Amsterdam Manchester Turin 7 Lisbon 5 Nottingham 0 Porto 0 London Glasgow Hamburg Bucharest Belgrade Marseille Dortmund Rotterdam 0 Birmingham 0 Eindhoven 0 Reims 0 Valencia 0 Florence 0 Frankfurt 0 Athens 0 Leeds 0 Saint - Étienne 0 Mönchengladbach 0 Bruges 0 Malmö 0 Rome 0 Genoa 0 Leverkusen 0 Monaco 0 All - time top scorers See also : List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League top scorers As of 01 November 2017 The table below does not include goals scored in the qualification stage of the competition. Bold indicates players active in the competition in the 2017 -- 18 season and their current club. Player Country Goals Apps Ratio Years Clubs Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 111 144 0.77 2003 -- Manchester United, Real Madrid Lionel Messi Argentina 97 119 0.82 2005 -- Barcelona Raúl Spain 71 142 0.5 1995 -- 2011 Real Madrid, Schalke 04 Ruud van Nistelrooy Netherlands 56 73 0.77 1998 -- 2009 PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid 5 Karim Benzema France 51 97 0.53 2006 -- Lyon, Real Madrid 6 Thierry Henry France 50 112 0.45 1997 -- 2012 Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona 7 Alfredo Di Stéfano Argentina 49 58 0.84 1955 -- 1964 Real Madrid 8 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine 48 100 0.48 1994 -- 2012 Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea Zlatan Ibrahimović Sweden 48 119 0.4 2001 -- 2016 Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint - Germain 10 Eusébio Portugal 47 63 0.75 1961 -- 1974 Benfica Most appearances As of 2 November 2017 The table below does not include appearances made in the qualification stage of the competition. The table below does include appearances made in the European Champion Clubs ' Cup. Player Nation Appearances Years Clubs Iker Casillas Spain 166 1999 -- Real Madrid, Porto Xavi Spain 151 1998 -- 2015 Barcelona Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 144 2003 -- Manchester United, Real Madrid Raúl Spain 142 1995 -- 2011 Real Madrid, Schalke 04 5 Ryan Giggs Wales 141 1993 -- 2014 Manchester United 6 Paolo Maldini Italy 139 1988 -- 2008 Milan 7 Clarence Seedorf Netherlands 125 1994 -- 2012 Ajax, Real Madrid, Internazionale, Milan 8 Paul Scholes England 124 1994 -- 2013 Manchester United Andrés Iniesta Spain 124 2002 -- Barcelona 10 Roberto Carlos Brazil 120 1997 -- 2007 Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe See also Football continental championships List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers List of UEFA Champions League hat - tricks References ^ Jump up to : Chishti, Faisal ( 30 May 2013 ). `` Champions League final at Wembley drew TV audience of 360 million ''. Sportskeeda. 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Jump up ^ `` 1962 / 63 European Champions Clubs ' Cup ''. Union of European Football Associations. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Champions ' Cup 1962 -- 63 ''. Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Coppa Campioni 1962 / 63 ''. Associazione Calcio Milan. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` 1963 / 64 European Champions Clubs ' Cup ''. Union of European Football Associations. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Champions ' Cup 1963 -- 64 ''. Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Palmares : Prima coppa dei campioni -- 1963 / 64 '' ( in Italian ). FC Internazionale Milano. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` 1964 / 65 European Champions Clubs ' Cup ''. Union of European Football Associations. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Champions ' Cup 1964 -- 65 ''. Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Palmares : Prima coppa dei campioni -- 1964 / 65 '' ( in Italian ). FC Internazionale Milano. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` UEFA Champions League anthem ''. UEFA.com. Retrieved 14 September 2014. Jump up ^ Media, democracy and European culture. Intellect Books. 2009. p. 129. Retrieved 14 September 2014. Jump up ^ King, Anthony. ( 2004 ). The new symbols of European football. International Review for the Sociology of Sport 39 ( 3 ). London, Thousand Oaks, CA, New Delhi. Jump up ^ TEAM. ( 1999 ). UEFA Champions League : Season Review 1998 / 9. Lucerne : TEAM. Jump up ^ `` EuroFutbal -- Manchester United ''. Jump up ^ `` The official website for European football -- UEFA.com ''. Retrieved 14 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Liverpool get in Champions League ''. BBC Sport. BBC. 10 June 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2007. Jump up ^ `` EXCO approves new coefficient system ''. UEFA. 20 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Harry Redknapp and Spurs given bitter pill of Europa League by Chelsea ''. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` Added bonus for UEFA Europa League winners ''. UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 24 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` UEFA Access List 2015 / 18 with explanations '' ( PDF ). Bert Kassies. Jump up ^ Bond, David ( 13 November 2007 ). `` Clubs force UEFA 's Michel Platini into climbdown ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2007. Jump up ^ `` Platini 's Euro Cup plan rejected ''. BBC Sport. BBC. 12 December 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2007. Jump up ^ `` Arsène Wenger says Champions League place is a ' trophy ' ''. Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Arsenal 's Trophy Cabinet ''. Talk Sport. Retrieved 15 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2011 / 12, pg 10 : ''. UEFA.com. Jump up ^ `` How the Europa League winners will enter the Champions League ''. UEFA.com. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Evolution of UEFA club competitions from 2018 ''. uefa.com. UEFA. 26 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` New Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin vows to review Champions League deal ''. The Gardian. 14 September 2016. Jump up ^ Official : UEFA confirms reforms to Champions League 2018 - 21 ^ Jump up to : `` UEFA Referee ''. Uefa.com. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2011. Jump up ^ `` The UEFA Champions League trophy ''. uefa.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2012 / 13 Season '' ( PDF ). Regulations of the UEFA Champions League : 2012 -- 15 Cycle. UEFA. p. 8. Retrieved 22 September 2012. Jump up ^ UEFA.com. `` 2016 / 17 Champions League revenue distribution - UEFA Champions League - News - UEFA.com ''. UEFA.com. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Clubs benefit from Champions League revenue '' ( PDF ). uefadirect. Union of European Football Associations ( 1 ) : 1. October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015. Jump up ^ Thompson, Craig ; Magnus, Ems ( February 2003 ). `` The Uefa Champions League Marketing '' ( PDF ). Fiba Assist Magazine : 49 -- 50. Retrieved 19 May 2008. Jump up ^ `` Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2015 -- 18 Cycle -- 2015 / 2016 Season -- Article 66 -- Other Requirements '' ( PDF ). UEFA.org. UEFA. Retrieved 30 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` UEFA Champions League - UEFA.com ''. UEFA.com. Retrieved 2 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Heineken extends as Champions League sponsor ''. SportsPro. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` MasterCard renews its UEFA Champions League sponsorship ''. UEFA. UEFA.org. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Champions League : Uefa signs Nissan as new sponsor ''. BBC News. Retrieved 14 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` PepsiCo partners with Champions League ''. SportsProMedia.com. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` PepsiCo Signs Three - Year Global Partnership Deal With UEFA Champions League ''. Jump up ^ `` Sony Computer Entertainment Europe extends UEFA Champions League sponsorship ''. UEFA. UEFA.com. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` UniCredit renews its UEFA Champions League sponsorship and becomes a new partner of the UEFA Europa League ''. UEFA.org. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` adidas extends European club football partnership ''. UEFA.org. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` KONAMI and UEFA announce new three - year deal ''. UEFA.org. 11 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` UEFA Kit Regulations Edition 2012 '' ( PDF ). UEFA. pp. 37, 38. Retrieved 29 January 2014. Jump up ^ Devlin, John ( 3 July 2009 ). `` An alternative to alcohol ''. truecoloursfootballkits.com. True Colours. Retrieved 5 June 2013. Rangers have actually sported the Center Parcs logo during the course of two seasons. Jump up ^ `` Champions League final tops Super Bowl for TV market ''. BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010. Jump up ^ Source ( unless otherwise indicated ) : UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook 2016 -- 17. For players active prior to the introduction of the Champions League in 1992, see `` All - time records 1955 -- 2016 '' ( pdf ). UEFA. pp. 5 -- 8. Retrieved 21 October 2016. For all other players, see : `` Facts and figures '' ( pdf ). UEFA. pp. 4 -- 7. Retrieved 21 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook 2016 / 17 '' ( pdf ). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ). pp. 4 -- 6, 10. Retrieved 17 April 2017. Jump up ^ Haisma, Marcel ( 15 January 2010 ). `` Paolo Maldini - Matches in European Cups ''. Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 28 March 2016. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to UEFA Champions League. UEFA Official website 50 years of the European Cup UEFA October 2004 European Cup and UEFA Champions League European Cup era, 1955 -- 1992 Seasons 1955 -- 56 1956 -- 57 1957 -- 58 1958 -- 59 1959 -- 60 1960 -- 61 1961 -- 62 1962 -- 63 1963 -- 64 1964 -- 65 1965 -- 66 1966 -- 67 1967 -- 68 1968 -- 69 1969 -- 70 1970 -- 71 1971 -- 72 1972 -- 73 1973 -- 74 1974 -- 75 1975 -- 76 1976 -- 77 1977 -- 78 1978 -- 79 1979 -- 80 1980 -- 81 1981 -- 82 1982 -- 83 1983 -- 84 1984 -- 85 1985 -- 86 1986 -- 87 1987 -- 88 1988 -- 89 1989 -- 90 1990 -- 91 1991 -- 92 Finals 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 UEFA Champions League era, 1992 -- present Seasons 1992 -- 93 1993 -- 94 1994 -- 95 1995 -- 96 1996 -- 97 1997 -- 98 1998 -- 99 1999 -- 2000 2000 -- 01 2001 -- 02 2002 -- 03 2003 -- 04 2004 -- 05 2005 -- 06 2006 -- 07 2007 -- 08 2008 -- 09 2009 -- 10 2010 -- 11 2011 -- 12 2012 -- 13 2013 -- 14 2014 -- 15 2015 -- 16 2016 -- 17 2017 -- 18 2018 -- 19 Finals 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 History Finals Winning managers Winning players Records and statistics Top scorers Hat - tricks Performance comparison Anthem Broadcasters Trophy European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners European Cup 1950s 1955 -- 56 : Real Madrid 1956 -- 57 : Real Madrid 1957 -- 58 : Real Madrid 1958 -- 59 : Real Madrid 1959 -- 60 : Real Madrid 1960s 1960 -- 61 : Benfica 1961 -- 62 : Benfica 1962 -- 63 : Milan 1963 -- 64 : Inter Milan 1964 -- 65 : Inter Milan 1965 -- 66 : Real Madrid 1966 -- 67 : Celtic 1967 -- 68 : Manchester United 1968 -- 69 : Milan 1969 -- 70 : Feyenoord 1970s 1970 -- 71 : Ajax 1971 -- 72 : Ajax 1972 -- 73 : Ajax 1973 -- 74 : Bayern Munich 1974 -- 75 : Bayern Munich 1975 -- 76 : Bayern Munich 1976 -- 77 : Liverpool 1977 -- 78 : Liverpool 1978 -- 79 : Nottingham Forest 1979 -- 80 : Nottingham Forest 1980s 1980 -- 81 : Liverpool 1981 -- 82 : Aston Villa 1982 -- 83 : Hamburg 1983 -- 84 : Liverpool 1984 -- 85 : Juventus 1985 -- 86 : Steaua București 1986 -- 87 : Porto 1987 -- 88 : PSV 1988 -- 89 : Milan 1989 -- 90 : Milan 1990s 1990 -- 91 : Red Star Belgrade 1991 -- 92 : Barcelona UEFA Champions League 1990s 1992 -- 93 : Marseille 1993 -- 94 : Milan 1994 -- 95 : Ajax 1995 -- 96 : Juventus 1996 -- 97 : Borussia Dortmund 1997 -- 98 : Real Madrid 1998 -- 99 : Manchester United 1999 -- 2000 : Real Madrid 2000s 2000 -- 01 : Bayern Munich 2001 -- 02 : Real Madrid 2002 -- 03 : Milan 2003 -- 04 : Porto 2004 -- 05 : Liverpool 2005 -- 06 : Barcelona 2006 -- 07 : Milan 2007 -- 08 : Manchester United 2008 -- 09 : Barcelona 2009 -- 10 : Inter Milan 2010s 2010 -- 11 : Barcelona 2011 -- 12 : Chelsea 2012 -- 13 : Bayern Munich 2013 -- 14 : Real Madrid 2014 -- 15 : Barcelona 2015 -- 16 : Real Madrid 2016 -- 17 : Real Madrid Finals Winning managers Winning players UEFA competitions Football National teams European Championship U-21 U-19 U-17 Nations League Women 's Championship U-19 U-17 Meridian Cup ( defunct ) Clubs Champions League Europa League Super Cup Youth League Cup Winners ' Cup ( defunct ) Intertoto Cup ( defunct ) Intercontinental Cup ( defunct ) Intercontinental Champions ' Supercup ( defunct ) Women 's Champions League Amateurs Regions ' Cup Amateur Cup ( defunct ) Futsal National teams Futsal Championship U-21 ( defunct ) U-19 ( proposed ) Women 's Futsal Championship ( proposed ) Clubs Futsal Cup UEFA club competitions Records and statistics Winning teams Winning managers UEFA coefficient International men 's club football FIFA FIFA Club World Cup List of association football clubs Africa CAF -- Champions League Confederation Cup Super Cup Top - division clubs Asia AFC -- Champions League AFC Cup Top - division clubs Europe UEFA -- Champions League Europa League Super Cup Top - division clubs North, Central America and the Caribbean CONCACAF -- Champions League CONCACAF League Top - division clubs Oceania OFC -- Champions League Top - division clubs South America CONMEBOL -- Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana Recopa Sudamericana Top - division clubs See also : International women 's club football Intercontinental Cup Two - legged editions 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 Single match editions 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Qualification CONMEBOL UEFA Records and statistics Winning teams Winning managers FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup Anthem Awards Finals Goalscorers Historical table Participants Records and statistics Winning managers Intercontinental Cup Editions Brazil 2000 Spain 2001 Japan 2005 Japan 2006 Japan 2007 Japan 2008 UAE 2009 UAE 2010 Japan 2011 Japan 2012 Morocco 2013 Morocco 2014 Japan 2015 Japan 2016 UAE 2017 UAE 2018 Finals 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Squads 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Qualification AFC CAF CONCACAF CONMEBOL OFC UEFA Portal Multimedia European sport club competitions Football UEFA competitions Men Champions League Europa League Youth League Super Cup Women Champions League Football variants Futsal Futsal Cup Beach soccer Euro Winners Cup Women 's Euro Winners Cup Basketball Men EuroLeague EuroCup Champions League FIBA Europe Cup Women EuroLeague EuroCup SuperCup Volleyball Men Champions League CEV Cup Challenge Cup Women Champions League CEV Cup Challenge Cup Handball Men Champions League EHF Cup Challenge Cup Women Champions League EHF Cup Challenge Cup Water polo Men Champions League Euro Cup Super Cup Women Euro League LEN Trophy Super Cup Rugby union Men European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup European Rugby Continental Shield Ice hockey Men Champions Hockey League Continental Cup Women Champions Cup Field hockey Men Euro Hockey League Trophy Challenge Women Champions Cup Trophy Challenge Cup Winners Cup Roller hockey Men European League CERS Cup Continental Cup Women European Cup Table tennis Men and women Champions League ETTU Cup Badminton Mixed Europe Cup Baseball Men European Cup Softball Men European Cup Cup Winners Cup Women European Cup Cup Winners Cup Mixed Super Cup Korfball Mixed Korfball Europa Cup American football Men BIG6 European Football League European Football League EFAF Cup EFAF Challenge Cup EFAF Atlantic Cup Athletics Men and women Champion Clubs Cup Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country Chess Men European Chess Club Cup Women European Chess Club Cup Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UEFA_Champions_League&oldid=810016843 '' Categories : UEFA Champions League UEFA club competitions Sports leagues established in 1955 Multi-national association football leagues in Europe 1955 establishments in Europe Hidden categories : CS1 Italian - 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Question: how do clubs get into the champions league
Answer: runner-up of some nations' top-level league