The 5 Most Successful Football Clubs in Europe
The Most Successful European Football Clubs in History
When you think of the most successful club in Europe, who comes to mind? Maybe Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona?
Well, only two of those clubs make the list - and they still don’t break into the top two.
The Sporting Blog lists the top 5 most successful football clubs in Europe - who will make that coveted top spot?
FC Barcelona are the fourth-most successful European club - but who is number one?
The amount of trophies a club has doesn’t make it better than another - being the most successful club in Europe is a bragging right of its own.
We take a look at the top 5 most successful football clubs in Europe. Which European clubs have the most trophies?
5. SL Benfica (83 trophies)
37 Primeira Liga titles
Benfica experienced their “golden years” in the 1960s
In the 2003-04 season, Benfica won their first trophy since the 1995-96 season
The most successful team in Portugal, SL Benfica sit proudly in fifth place as one of the most successful teams in Europe.
Benfica have a range of records, including:
37 Primeira Liga titles
26 Taca de Portugal titles
Seven Taca da Liga titles
The team also has eight Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, three Campeonato de Portugal and two European Cups.
Benfica’s Golden Years
In the 1960s, Benfica went through its golden years by winning back-to-back European Cups in ‘61 and ‘62. Throughout the ‘60s Benfica reached three more European Cup finals, losing all three.
It was during these years that legendary Portuguese striker, Eusebio, played for Benfica, scoring a remarkable 317 goals in 301 games.
Eusebio is still the only player to win a Ballon d’Or while playing for a Portuguese club.
As well as glory in the European Cup, the 1960s saw Benfica win eight Premeria Liga titles and three Taca de Portugal cups.
In the ‘70s, Benfica continued to strive domestically, winning six Primeira Liga titles and two Taca de Portugal titles.
In Europe, Benfica only managed to reach the semi-finals, beaten by Ajax and Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest left-footed players of all-time.
Portugal’s rich footballing heritage was cemented in 2016 when Portugal won the 2016 European Championships.
Back From the Brink
After financial troubles in the ‘80s due to poor financial management, things didn’t get any easier for Benfica in the ‘90s.
After decades of success, Benfica struggled domestically and in Europe.
It wasn’t until the 2003-04 season that Benfica would win their first trophy since the 1995-96 season. The season after this, Benfica won their first league title since 1994.
More success would follow from 2003-04, as Benfica looked to regain its dominance in Portugal.
4. FC Barcelona (87 trophies)
Many great footballers have played for Barcelona, including Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona
26 La Liga titles
Lionel Messi played for the club for 21 years
Competing with Spanish rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona is a dominant force in Spain - and they have enjoyed spells of dominance in European competitions.
Barca has:
A record 31 Copa del Ray titles
A record 12 Supercopa de Espana titles
Five European Cups/UEFA Champion Leagues
A record four UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups
A record five UEFA Super Cups
Three FIFA Club World Cups
Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona at Barca
Cruyff arrived from Ajax for a then-record fee of £920,000. In his first season, Cruyff helped Barca win their first league title in 14 years. The win included an impressive 5-0 victory away at Real Madrid.
After Cruyff departed, Barca looked to replace their star man with another star name. In 1982, they did just that by signing Diego Maradona for a world record fee of £5 million.
His time at Barca was short, but Maradona picked up a Copa del Ray and Spanish Super Cup medal. Cruyff returned as manager in 1988, leading to a spell of dominance for the Spanish giants.
Players such as Hristo Stoichkov, Pep Guardiola, Eusebio, Ronald Koeman and Michael Laudrup were all part of Cruyff’s dream team era.
Cruyff saw Barca win 11 trophies under his management, including four consecutive La Liga titles.
Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta
Former player Guardiola took over as manager in 2008 and brought with him his tika-taka style that would change the game completely.
Pep inherited a team full of stars such as Ronaldinho, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Carlos Puyol. Pep was quick to put his stamp on the team.
Out went Ronaldinho and Deco, as Pep shaped his team around Messi, Xavi and Iniesta.
Messi in particular was the shining star of this Barca generation, scoring countless goals including possibly the best goal of all-time.
During Pep’s spell, they became the dominant team in Europe. During his four-year spell at the club, Barca won 14 trophies including, two UEFA Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups.
FC Barcelona in Recent Years
Barcelona has recently faced financial struggles, leading to Messi reluctantly leaving the club after 21 years. On the field, Barca dropped into the Europa League for the first time in 17 years.
The former midfielder, Xavi, became the Barca manager in November 2021 in the hope of returning to the big time.
3. Real Madrid (90 trophies)
35 La Liga wins - a record!
Real Madrid won five European Cups in a row between 1956 and 1960
Many great footballers have played for Real Madrid, including Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham
Arguably one of the most popular clubs in world football, it is no surprise to see Real Madrid on this list.
Their trophy cabinet includes:
A record 35 La Liga wins
19 Copa del Rey wins
11 Supercopa de Espana wins
A record 13 European Cup/UEFA Champion Leagues
Two UEFA Cup titles
Four UEFA Super Cup titles
Three Intercontinental Cups
Four FIFA Club World Cups
Early European Success
After the creation of the European Cup (known now as the UEFA Champions League), Madrid cemented itself as the dominant force in European football.
They won five European Cups in a row between 1956 and 1960, leading to Madrid being awarded the original cup and the right to wear the UEFA badge of honour.
The Galacticos Era at Real Madrid
Madrid is known for having a team full of star names who have worn the famous white strip.
The likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Hugo Sanchez and Emilio Butragueno have all been blessed to play for Madrid but under new president Florentino Perez, Madrid entered another level.
Perez oversaw the signing of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham, to name a few.
The influx of players saw immediate success with a UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup success in 2002, followed by a La Liga title in 2003.
Despite the immense talent in their squad, Madrid would go the next three seasons without winning a major title.
CR7 and La Decima
In 2009, Real Madrid broke the transfer record when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million from Manchester United. Ronaldo helped Madrid reach a record 32nd La Liga title.
Real Madrid, aided by a front three of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, finally reached La Decima in 2014.
Their 10th Champions League trophy was made even sweeter by beating their local rivals Atletico Madrid in the final.
After finally reaching 10 Champions League trophies, Madrid went on to win three Champions Leagues in a row between 2014-2018. The 13 titles Madrid hold is the record for most Champions League titles.
2. Celtic (112 trophies)
In 1967, Celtic enjoyed success in Europe
51 SPL titles
The 2019-20 season saw Celtic complete a fourth consecutive domestic treble
One half of Glasgow and one-half of the dominance in Scottish football, Celtic have found winning trophies in Scotland easy - and they also have past success in Europe under their belt.
Celtic boast:
51 SPL titles
40 Scottish Cup titles
20 Scottish League Cup titles
One European Cup
One Night in Lisbon - The Lisbon Lions
Celtic had enjoyed years of domestic success, and in 1967, Celtic enjoyed success on the Continent.
Jock Stein led Celtic to glory in every competition they entered, but the most remarkable of these trophies was in Europe. Stein led the Glasgow team to glory against Inter Milan.
This win made them the first British side to win the European Cup.
The side that led Celtic to glory that night became known as the “Lisbon Lions” and remains one of the best teams to wear the famous green and white hoops.
Modern-Day Celtic
Success in Europe has been hard for Celtic to find, but success domestically has continued. Their last trip to a European final was in 2003 when they reached the UEFA Cup Final, losing 3-2 to Porto in extra time.
In Scottish football, Celtic saw a period of continued success when fierce rivals Rangers dropped down divisions due to financial issues.
The 2019-20 season saw Celtic complete a fourth consecutive domestic treble after a season hit by COVID-19 issues.
1. Glasgow Rangers (120 trophies)
55 SPL titles - a record!
Rangers won the league every season from 1988-89 to the 1996-97 season
In 2021, the Rangers won their first league title in 10 years
The other side of Glasgow - and the other side of Scottish football dominance - takes the top spot of the most successful club in Europe.
The Rangers’ impressive trophy cabinet boasts:
A record 55 SPL titles
Three lower league titles
33 Scottish Cups
27 Scottish League Cups
One Scottish Challenge Cup
One European Cup Winners’ Cup
European Glory for Rangers
Compared to their Glasgow rivals, Rangers have found success in Europe very difficult. Their only taste of European success came in 1972 when they beat Dynamo Moscow in the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
This success saw them slowly emerge from the shadow of a strong Celtic side led by Jock Stein.
Rangers won their first title in 11 years during the 1974-75 season. This was quickly followed by a treble in the season after.
Nine-in-a-Row
Rangers finally matched Celtic’s record of nine titles in a row. Rangers won the league every season from 1988-89 to the 1996-97 season.
After the nine-in-a-row era team separated, Dick Advocaat became Rangers’ first foreign manager. He had an immediate impact after heavy investment, winning back-to-back titles.
Rise Back to the Top of Scottish Football
In 2012, Rangers entered into liquidation and quickly reformed. The newly formed Rangers failed to stay in the SPL and joined the Scottish Football League.
After discussions, Rangers were placed in the lowest division (The Third) rather than the First Division as they hoped for.
With a much-changed team, Rangers began the climb back to the top of the Scottish pyramid. One thing that didn’t change is the Rangers fan base, attracting crowds at 49,000 for fourth-tier games.
Rangers returned to the Scottish Premier League in the 2016-17 season.
Number 55 for Glasgow Rangers
Rangers spent the first few years of their return to the top battling with Celtic, not able to break the Celtic hold on the SPL.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard soon took over the reins at Ibrox, and in 2021, Rangers won their first league title in 10 years.
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