This page details all statistics of all seasons of the European Cup and Champions League. These statistics do not include the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, unless otherwise noted.[1]
Spanish clubs are the most successful, winning twenty titles. England is second with fifteen and Italy is third with twelve. Germany has eight titles, Netherlands has six, Portugal has four, and Scotland, Romania, Yugoslavia, and France each have one. Clubs from Greece, Belgium and Sweden have reached the final but never won.
Performances in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League by club
In this ranking, two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. Following statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, then by goals scored. Only the top twenty-five are listed (includes qualifying rounds).[2]
A total of 155 clubs from 34 national associations have played in or qualified for the Champions League group stage. Season in bold represents teams qualified for the knockout phase that season. Between 1999–2000 and 2002–03, qualification is considered from the second group stage. Starting from the 2024–25 season with the introduction of a league phase, the top eight are considered to be qualified as well as the eight play-off winners.
The city that has hosted the final the most times is London, doing so on eight occasions. Of these, five have been played at the original Wembley Stadium and thrice at the new Wembley Stadium. Paris come joint second, having hosted six finals.
The nations that have hosted the most finals are Italy and England, with nine each: Milan and Rome four times each and Bari once for Italy; London eight times and Manchester once for England. Spain (Madrid five times, Barcelona twice and Sevilla once) and Germany (Munich four times, Stuttgart twice, Berlin and Gelsenkirchen once each) come second with eight each.
The team to have won the European Cup with the fewest games won is PSV Eindhoven (1987–88), managing just three victories in the entire tournament, including none from the quarter-finals onwards.
The team to have won the Champions League with the fewest games won is Manchester United (1998–99), with five wins.
Real Madrid is the only club that was able to win the final more than twice with a 75% or more success rate. They lost only three finals out of eighteen finals, with a winning percentage of 83%.
Four clubs have appeared in the final once, being victorious on that occasion:
On the opposite end of the scale, nineteen clubs have played at least one final, but never won. Only three of these have appeared in the final more than once, losing on each occasion:
Eintracht Frankfurt's appearance in the 2022–23 came 63 years after their previous appearance (1959–60). This was the longest period any team had spent since the previous appearance in the tournament.
Although not an officially recognised achievement, eight clubs have achieved the distinction of winning the Champions League or European Cup, their domestic championship, and their primary domestic cup competition in the same season, known colloquially as the "continental treble":
In addition to this treble, several of these clubs went on to win further cups. However, most of these cups were technically won the following year following the conclusion of regular domestic or international leagues the year before. Also, several domestic cups may not have been extant at the time that equivalent cups were won by clubs of other nations, and in some cases they remain so. Furthermore, there is much variance in the regard with which several cups are taken both over time and between nations. Regardless, the following clubs all won competitions further to the treble mentioned above:
Celtic also won their secondary domestic cup competition, the Scottish League Cup, in the 1966–67 season and it is the only European club historically that was able to achieve four major titles in one season (UEFA Champions League, top national league, the main domestic cup competition, and the second domestic cup championship; This does not include the previous season's competitions, for example; Super Cups), thus making their achievement unique in this respect to every other club. In addition, they also managed to win the Glasgow Cup (an unofficial regional competition) sometimes colloquially referred to as a part of "the quintuple".
Ajax also won the Intercontinental Cup (the predecessor of the FIFA Club World Cup and the de facto premier global club cup) and the inaugural (and technically unofficial) UEFA Super Cup the following season, forming part of a quintuple of Cup successes; they thus won all available cups to them.
Benfica hold the overall record for highest aggregate win in the competition. They beat Stade Dudelange 18–0 (8–0 away, 10–0 at home) in the preliminary round in 1965–66.[10]
As for the group stage, the record belongs to Shakhtar Donetsk, who beat BATE Borisov 12–0 (7–0 away, 5–0 at home) in 2014–15. Including the preliminary rounds, HJK hold the Champions League era record, beating Bangor City 13–0 (3–0 away, 10–0 at home) in 2011–12.
Bayern Munich hold the biggest margin of victory on aggregate in the knockout phase of the Champions League era. They beat Sporting CP 12–1 (5–0 away, 7–1 at home) in the round of 16 in 2008–09.
Real Madrid hold the record for the biggest win in a quarter-final tie, beating Sevilla 10–2 (8–0 at home, 2–2 away) in 1957–58. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid share the record for the biggest win since the 1992 rebranding; Bayern beat 1. FC Kaiserslautern 6–0 (2–0 at home, 4–0 away) in 1998–99, and Barcelona8–2 in a single leg tie in 2019–20, while Madrid achieved the same feat against APOEL in 2011–12, winning 8–2 (3–0 away, 5–2 at home).[11]
The first play-off match held was Borussia Dortmund's 7–0 win against Spora Luxembourg in the preliminary round in 1956–57, after the first two games between the sides had ended 5–5 on aggregate (4–3 win for Dortmund, 2–1 win for Spora).
The last play-off match held was Ajax's 3–0 win against Benfica in the quarter-finals in 1968–69, after the first two games between the sides had ended 4–4 on aggregate (3–1 win for Benfica, 3–1 win for Ajax).
A total of 32 play-offs have been played. Real Madrid is the only team to have won three play-offs, doing so in 1956–57, 1958–59 and 1961–62, and progressing to the final in all three seasons. Feyenoord is the only team to win two play-offs in the same season, beating Servette in the preliminary round and Vasas in the first round in 1962–63. Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt and Atlético Madrid have played the most overall play-offs, with four each.
Zürich won a coin toss against Galatasaray in 1963–64 after their play-off match ended 2–2. This was the first time this rule was used for a draw played to completion.
The away goals rule was introduced in 1967–68, with Valur beating Jeunesse Esch 4–4 (1–1 at home, 3–3 away) and Benfica beating Glentoran 1–1 (1–1 away, 0–0 at home), both in the first round. Benfica later progressed to the final.
In 2002–03, Milan and Inter met in the semi-finals. Sharing the same stadium (San Siro), they drew 0–0 in the first leg and 1–1 in the second. However, Milan were the designated away side in the latter, and thus became the only team to win on "away" goals without having scored a goal away from their own stadium.
The quarter-final of the 2020–21 season between previous year's finalists Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain was the last to be decided by the away goals rule before its abolition from the following season.
In the semi-finals against Bayern Munich in 1989–90, Milan won 1–0 at home and were 0–1 down after 90 minutes in the second leg. Both teams scored one goal each in extra time, giving Milan the victory on away goals.
In the round of 16 against Chelsea in 2014–15, Paris Saint-Germain drew 1–1 both home and away. Both teams scored one goal each in the extra time period played in London, giving Paris Saint-Germain the victory on away goals.
In the round of 16 against Juventus in 2020–21 (the last season the away goals rule was used), Porto won 2–1 at home and were 1–2 down after 90 minutes in the second leg. Both teams scored one goal each in the extra time period played in Turin, giving Porto the victory on away goals.
The first penalty shoot-out in a final was between Liverpool and Roma in the 1984 final following a 1–1 draw after extra time. Roma's Agostino Di Bartolomei was the first player to score, while Liverpool's Steve Nicol was the first to miss. Liverpool went on to win 4–2, with Alan Kennedy scoring the decisive penalty. Kennedy had also scored the winning goal in the 1981 final.
Eleven finals have been decided by a penalty shoot-out. Liverpool is the only team to have won more than once (1984 and 2005), while Juventus, Milan, Bayern Munich and Chelsea have won one and lost one. No team has lost twice.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid are the only teams to have been involved in two penalty shoot-outs in the same season. In 1985–86, Barcelona beat IFK Göteborg in the semi-finals, but lost to Steaua București in the final. In 2011–12, Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid in the semi-finals, but lost to Chelsea in the final. In 2015–16, Atlético Madrid beat PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16, but lost to Real Madrid in the final.
Games that ended with a penalty shoot-out in all-time of the tournament:[12]
Four teams were involved in four penalty shoot-outs: Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid.
Liverpool (out of three), Atlético Madrid (out of four), Bayern Munich (out of four) and Real Madrid (out of four) are the only teams to have won three penalty shoot-outs.
Six teams have lost two penalty shoot-outs: Ajax (two out of two), Juventus (two out of four), Roma (two out of two), Chelsea (two out of three), Lyon (two out of two) and Porto (two out of two). Ajax, Roma, Lyon and Porto are the only teams to have played in multiple shoot-outs and failed to have won one.
Real Madrid had a record 13 ties require extra time to be decided; nine of these were decided by the end of extra time, and four went to penalty shoot-outs.
Four clubs have reached extra time in the final matches three times:
Seventeen finals have gone to extra time. One was replayed and eleven went to a penalty shoot-out, while the remaining five were decided after 120 minutes:
The most goals scored in a single match across all European Cup/Champions League seasons is fourteen, which occurred when Feyenoord beat KR Reykjavík 12–2 in the first round in 1969–70.
The most goals scored in a single match in the Champions League era is twelve, which occurred when Borussia Dortmund beat Legia Warsaw 8–4 in the group stage in 2016–17.
Bayern Munich beat Barcelona8–2 in the quarter-finals in 2019–20. With ten goals, this is the highest-scoring individual knockout game in the Champions League era.[13]
Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in the 1960 final. With ten goals, this is the highest-scoring final across both the European Cup and the Champions League.
With six goals, a 3–3 draw between Milan and Liverpool in the 2005 final is the highest-scoring final in the Champions League era.
Nottingham Forest are the only club to have won the European Cup more times (twice) than they have won their own domestic league (once). Forest won the Football League in 1978, before winning the European Cup in 1979 and defending it in 1980. Nottingham Forest are also the only previous winners of the European Cup to be later relegated to the third tier of their national league (in 2005).
The competition format was changed in 1997–98 to allow teams that were not champions of their domestic league nor reigning title holders to compete in the tournament. Since then there have been European Champions who had neither been domestic nor continental champions:
Manchester United's treble-winners of 1998–99 were the first winners of the tournament to have won neither their domestic title nor the European Cup/Champions League the previous season. Since then:
Liverpool's 2018–19 triumph came 29 years after their previous domestic league title (1989–90). This was the longest time any Champions League winner had gone since previously winning their league, breaking the record Liverpool set in 2004–05, which was fifteen years after their last league title.
Bayer Leverkusen (in 2002) is the only club to play in the final having never won their domestic league. They would later win a first league title in 2024.
There have been ten finals contested where both sides did not win their national league in the previous season:
Only two teams have progressed past the group stage after losing their first three games:[14]
Newcastle United in 2002–03: In Newcastle's final game against Feyenoord, Craig Bellamy's goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time secured the 3–2 victory and a place in the second group stage.
Atalanta in 2019–20: Atalanta managed to advance after losing their first three matches and drawing their fourth.
Only fifteen teams have progressed past the group stage after losing their first two games. Of these sides, only Galatasaray, Tottenham Hotspur and Atalanta managed to advance past the second round of the tournament.
In 1994–95, defending champions Milan started the group stage with a loss and a win, but were deducted two points for crowd trouble against Casino Salzburg on matchday two. With zero points after two games, they still managed to advance from the group and later to the final, where they lost to Ajax.
Only three teams have progressed past the group stage without winning any of their first five games:
One additional team was trailing by four goals at some point in a knockout match, but still managed to qualify for the next round:
Tottenham Hotspur were trailing 4–0 to Górnik Zabrze after 48 minutes of the first leg in the 1961–62 preliminary round, but managed to finish the game down 4–2 and won 8–1 in the second leg to advance 10–5 on aggregate
Seventeen teams have lost the first leg of a knockout match by three goals, but still managed to qualify for the next round:
Schalke 04 lost 3–0 to KB in the 1958–59 first round, but won 5–2 in the second leg and advanced after winning 3–1 in the play-off
Jeunesse Esch lost 4–1 to Haka in the 1963–64 preliminary round, but won 4–0 in the second leg and advanced 5–4 on aggregate
Partizan lost 4–1 to Sparta Prague in the 1965–66 quarter-finals, but won 5–0 in the second leg and advanced 6–4 on aggregate
Leeds United lost 3–0 to VfB Stuttgart in the 1992–93 first round, but was awarded a 3–0 win in the second leg and advanced after winning 2–1 in the play-off
Widzew Łódź lost 4–1 to Litex Lovech in the 1999–2000 second qualifying round, but won 4–1 in the second leg and advanced after winning 3–2 on penalties
KF Tirana lost 3–0 to Dinamo Tbilisi in the 2003–04 first qualifying round, but won 3–0 in the second leg and advanced after winning 4–2 on penalties
Deportivo La Coruña lost 4–1 to Milan in the 2003–04 quarter-finals, but won 4–0 in the second leg and advanced 5–4 on aggregate
Roma lost 4–1 to Barcelona in the 2017–18 quarter-finals, but won 3–0 in the second leg and advanced on away goals
Liverpool lost 3–0 to Barcelona in the 2018–19 semi-finals, but won 4–0 in the second leg and advanced to the final 4–3 on aggregate
Another 18 teams were trailing by three goals at some point in a knockout match, but still managed to qualify for the next round:
Manchester United were trailing 0–3 to Athletic Bilbao after 43 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1956–57, and then 2–5 after 78 minutes, but managed to finish the game 3–5 and won 3–0 in the second leg and 6–5 on aggregate.
CCA București lost 2–4 to Borussia Dortmund in the first round 1957–58 and were trailing 0–1 (2–5 on aggregate) after 12 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 3–1 to qualify for the next round on away goals.
Hamburg were trailing 0–3 to Burnley after 74 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1960–61, but managed to finish the game 1–3 and won 4–1 in the second leg and 5–4 on aggregate.
Spartak Trnava were trailing 0–3 to Steaua București after 51 minutes of the first leg in the first round 1968–69, but managed to finish the game 1–3 and won 4–0 in the second leg and 5–3 on aggregate.
Austria Wien were trailing 0–3 to Levski-Spartak after 62 minutes of the first leg in the preliminary round 1970–71, but managed to finish the game 1–3 and won 3–0 in the second leg and 4–3 on aggregate.
Basel were trailing 0–3 to Spartak Moscow after 76 minutes of the first leg in the first round 1970–71, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 2–1 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Anderlecht were trailing 0–3 to Slovan Bratislava after 44 minutes, and 1–4 after 63 minutes of the first leg in the preliminary round 1974–75, but managed to finish the game 2–4 and won 3–1 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Saint-Étienne were trailing 0–3 to Ruch Chorzów after 46 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1974–75, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 2–0 in the second leg and 4–3 on aggregate.
Borussia Mönchengladbach were trailing 0–3 to Wacker Innsbruck after 27 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1977–78, but managed to finish the game 1–3 and won 2–0 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Banik Ostrava were trailing 0–3 to Ferencváros after 47 minutes of the first leg in the first round 1981–82, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 3–0 in the second leg and 5–3 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich were trailing 0–3 to CSKA Sofia after 18 minutes of the first leg in the semi-final 1981–82, but managed to finish the game 3–4 and won 4–0 in the second leg and 7–4 on aggregate.
Real Madrid were trailing 0–3 to Red Star Belgrade after 39 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1986–87, but managed to finish the game 2–4 and won 2–0 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Real Madrid were trailing 0–3 to Bayern Munich after 47 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 1987–88, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 2–0 in the second leg and 4–3 on aggregate.
Sparta Prague were trailing 0–3 to Marseille after 60 minutes of the first leg in the second round 1991–92, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 2–1 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Cork City were trailing 0–3 to Cwmbrân Town after 27 minutes of the first leg in the preliminary round 1993–94, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 2–1 in the second leg to qualify on away goals.
Monaco were trailing 1–4 to Real Madrid after 81 minutes of the first leg in the quarter-final 2003–04, managed to finish the game 2–4, were trailing 0–1 (2–5 on aggregate) after 36 minutes of the second leg, but won 3–1 to qualify on away goals.
Tottenham Hotspur were trailing 0–3 to Young Boys after 28 minutes of the first leg in the play-off round 2010–11, but managed to finish the game 2–3 and won 4–0 in the second leg and 6–3 on aggregate.
Tottenham Hotspur were trailing 0–2 (0–3 on agg.) to Ajax after 35 minutes of the second leg in the semi-final 2018–19, but managed to win the game 3–2 to qualify on away goals after a 3–3 aggregate score.
Four teams lost the first leg of a knockout match by three goals, overcame the deficit in the second leg, but still did not qualify for the next round:
Rapid Wien lost 4–1 to Milan in the preliminary round 1957–58, won 5–2 in the second leg, but lost 4–2 in the play-off.
Górnik Zabrze lost 4–1 to Dukla Prague in the preliminary round 1964–65, won 3–0 in the second leg, but lost the coin toss after the play-off ended 0–0.
Benfica lost 3–0 to Celtic in the second round 1969–70, won 3–0 in the second leg, but lost the coin toss.
Juventus lost their home leg of the 2017–18 quarter-finals to Real Madrid 0–3, but then proceeded to score three unanswered goals in the away game to put the aggregate score at 3–3 only to concede a last minute penalty and lose 3–4 on aggregate.
Two teams were trailing by three goals at some point in a knockout match, overcame the deficit, but still did not qualify for the next round:
Gothenburg were trailing 0–3 to Sparta Rotterdam after 48 minutes of the first leg in the round of 16 1959–60, but managed to finish the game 1–3 and won 3–1 in the second leg, only to lose 1–3 in the playoff.
Red Star Belgrade lost 1–3 to Rangers in the preliminary round 1964–65 and were trailing 0–1 (1–4 on aggregate) after 40 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 4–2, only to lose 1–3 in the playoff.
Only one team has lost the first leg of a knockout match at home by two goals, but still managed to qualify for the next round:
On eight occasions, a team lost the first leg away from home 1–0 and was trailing 1–0 in the second leg at home, but managed to score the three goals required under the away goals rule and qualify for the next round (Or two goals and qualify on penalties shoot-out after removing the away goals rule in 2021–22):
Celtic lost 1–0 away to Partizani in the 1979–80 first round and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Partizani also having an away goal) after 15 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 4–1 and advance 4–2 on aggregate
AEK Athens lost 1–0 away to Dynamo Dresden in the 1989–90 first round and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Dresden also having an away goal) after 10 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 5–3 and advance 5–4 on aggregate
PSV Eindhoven lost 1–0 away to Steaua București in the 1989–90 second round and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Steaua also having an away goal) after 17 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 5–1 and advance 5–2 on aggregate
Barcelona lost 1–0 away to Panathinaikos in the 2001–02 quarter-finals and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Panathinaikos also having an away goal) after eight minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 3–1 and advance 3–2 on aggregate
Shakhtar Donetsk lost 1–0 away to Red Bull Salzburg in the 2007–08 third qualifying round and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Salzburg also having an away goal) after five minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 3–1 and advance 3–2 on aggregate
BATE Borisov lost 1–0 away to Debrecen in the 2014–15 third qualifying round and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate, with Debrecen also having an away goal) after 20 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 3–1 and advance 3–2 on aggregate
Real Madrid lost 1–0 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2021–22 round of 16 and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate) after 39 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 3–1 and advance 3–2 on aggregate
Atlético Madrid lost 1–0 away to Inter Milan in the 2023–24 round of 16 and were trailing 1–0 (2–0 on aggregate) after 33 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 2–1 and qualify on penalties shoot-out
On one occasion, a team lost the first leg at home by one goal and was trailing 0–1 in the second leg away from home, but managed to score two or more goals afterwards and progressed to the next round:
Paris Saint-Germain lost 2–3 home to Barcelona in the 2023–24 quarter-finals and were trailing 1–0 (4–2 on aggregate) after 12 minutes of the second leg, but managed to win the game 1–4 and advance 4–6 on aggregate
Maccabi Haifa were trailing 3–0 to Aktobe after 15 minutes in the 2009–10 third qualifying round second leg, but managed to win the game 4–3 and advance 4–3 on aggregate
Teams have managed to tie a game after trailing by three goals on twelve occasions:
Vörös Lobogó were trailing 4–1 to Reims after 52 minutes in the second leg of the 1955–56 quarter-finals, but managed to finish the game 4–4. However, Reims still advanced after winning 8–6 on aggregate
Red Star Belgrade were trailing 3–0 to Manchester United after 31 minutes in the second leg of the 1957–58 quarter-finals, but managed to finish the game 3–3. However, Manchester United still advanced after winning 5–4 on aggregate
Panathinaikos were trailing 3–0 to Linfield after 26 minutes in the second leg of the 1984–85 second round, but managed to finish the game 3–3 and advance 5–4 on aggregate
Liverpool were trailing 3–0 to Basel after 29 minutes in the 2002–03 first group stage, but managed to finish the game 3–3
Liverpool were trailing 3–0 to Milan after 44 minutes in the 2005 final, but managed to finish the game 3–3, and win the final 3–2 on penalties
Maccabi Tel Aviv were trailing 3–0 to Basel after 32 minutes in the second leg of the 2013–14 third qualifying round, but managed to finish the game 3–3. However, Basel still advanced after winning 4–3 on aggregate
Anderlecht were trailing 3–0 to Arsenal after 58 minutes in the 2014–15 group stage, but managed to finish the game 3–3
Molde were trailing 3–0 to Dinamo Zagreb after 22 minutes in the second leg of the 2015–16 third qualifying round, but managed to finish the game 3–3. However, Dinamo Zagreb still advanced on away goals
Beşiktaş were trailing 3–0 to Benfica after 31 minutes in the 2016–17 group stage, but managed to finish the game 3–3
Sevilla were trailing 3–0 to Liverpool after 30 minutes in the 2017–18 group stage, but managed to finish the game 3–3
Chelsea were trailing 4–1 to Ajax after 55 minutes in the 2019–20 group stage, but managed to finish the game 4–4
Inter Milan were trailing 3–0 to Benfica after 34 minutes in the 2023–24 group stage, but managed to finish the game 3–3
Arsenal hold the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in the competition, with ten during the 2005–06 season. They did not concede a goal for 995 minutes between September 2005 and May 2006.[19] The run started after Markus Rosenberg's goal for Ajax in the 71st minute of matchday 2 of the group stage, continued with four group stage games and six games in the knockout rounds, and ended with Samuel Eto'o's goal for Barcelona after 76 minutes in the final. These minutes were split between two goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (648 minutes) and Manuel Almunia (347 minutes).
Aston Villa (in 9 matches in 1981–82) and Milan (in 12 matches in 1993–94) hold the record for the fewest goals conceded by European Cup-winning team, conceding only two goals. In addition, Milan achieved the lowest-ever goals conceded-per-game ratio for Champions League-winning in the history of the competition (0.16).
Real Madrid hold the record for the most goals conceded by a Champions League-winning team, conceding 23 goals in 17 matches in 1999–2000.
Benfica achieved the highest-ever goals conceded-per-game ratio for Champions League-winning in the history of the competition (1.57), the club conceded 11 goals in 7 matches in 1961–62.
Benfica hold the record for the fewest goals conceded by a finalists, conceding only one goal in 1987–88 season.
Manchester United holds the record for the longest run without conceding from the start of a campaign, with 481 minutes in the 2010–11 season. The run ended with Pablo Hernández's goal for Valencia after 32 minutes on matchday 6 of the group stage.
That season, the club also became the only side to play six away games in a single Champions League campaign without conceding a goal.
Barcelona holds the record for most goals in a season, with the club scoring 45 goals in 16 matches in 1999–2000. Including qualifying stages, Liverpool holds this feat, scoring 47 goals in 15 matches in 2017–18.
Bayern Munich hold the record for most goals by a Champions League-winning side, scoring 43 goals in 11 matches in 2019–20.
Real Madrid hold the record for highest-ever goal-per-game ratio by a Champions League-winning side (4.4), scoring 31 goals in 7 matches in 1959–60.
PSV Eindhoven hold the record for fewest goals by a Champions League-winning, scoring 9 goals in 9 matches in 1987–88. Additionally, the club achieved the lowest-ever goal-per-game ratio in the history of the competition (1).
Real Madrid holds the record for a title-winning team that has the most players who scored at least one goal in one season, with fourteen players in the 2001–02 season.
Borussia Mönchengladbach holds the record for the team with the most players to have scored in a single match, with eight players against EPA Larnaca on 22 September 1970.
Real Madrid is the first club to reach the 1000th goal in the history of the competition, doing so when Karim Benzema scored the first goal in the 14th minute in his team's 2–1 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the fourth matchday of the group stage in the 2021–22 season.[20]
Fellow English clubs Liverpool and Chelsea played each other in a record five consecutive seasons between 2004–05 and 2008–09 editions, while Spanish sides Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid also played each other for four consecutive seasons between 2013–14 and 2016–17, including the 2014 and 2016 finals.
Bayern Munich is the club with the most penalties awarded in the Champions League, with 60.[21][22]
Real Madrid is the club with the most penalties conceded in the competition, with 36.[23]
The match between Sevilla and Red Bull Salzburg in the 2021–22 group stage had a record four penalties awarded (three for Salzburg and one for Sevilla), of which two were scored.[24]
The 2001 final is the final with the highest number of penalties in the history of the tournament, as three penalties were awarded, of which two were scored. Additionally the game ended in a penalty shoot-out.
Seventeen penalties have been taken in the final of the tournament, of which twelve have been scored and five have been missed:
A total of 69 tournaments have been played: 37 in the European Cup era (1955–56 to 1991–92) and 32 in the Champions League era (1992–93 to 2023–24). 15 of the 68 attempts to defend the trophy (22.05%) have been successful, split between eight teams. These are:
Of the 23 teams that have won the trophy, 15 have never defended it. Only five of these have won the trophy more than once, and so have had more than one attempt to do so. These are:
Inter Milan's 2009–10 triumph came 45 years after winning their previous title (1964–65). This was the longest time any Champions League winner had gone since previously winning the tournament.
On nine occasions, but never in the final, has there been a rematch of the previous season's final at some point in the following season's competition:
Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 are the only side to lose the initial final but win the rematch, doing so on away goals.
In only two seasons, the eventual finalists already met on previous stages, in particular in the group stage:
In 1994–95, Ajax and Milan met in the group stage and later in the final. Ajax won all three matches (2–0 both home and away in the group stage, 1–0 in the final).
In the 1998–99 edition, eventual winners Manchester United met Bayern Munich twice in the group stage (both draws) and later in the final.
Only four clubs have played a final in their home stadium:
Three clubs have won the European Cup/Champions League fielding teams from a single nationality:
Benfica twice won the competition (1961 and 1962) with a team consisting entirely of Portuguese players, although some of them had been born in Portuguese African colonies, then Overseas Provinces of Portugal but now independent nations.
Celtic won the competition in 1967 with their entire squad born within a 30-mile radius of Celtic Park, their home ground.
Steaua București won in 1986 with a team consisting entirely of players from Romania.
In addition, Real Madrid won the competition in 1966 with Spanish players in the final match lineup, despite the participation of some foreign players in the lower rounds. This generation was called the 'Yé-yé'.
Germany has provided the highest number of participants in the history of the competition (including West and East Germany), including the qualifying stages, with 28 clubs:
Spanish teams have won the most titles, with twenty victories shared among two teams: Real Madrid (fifteen) and Barcelona (five).
Spanish teams provided the highest number of representatives in the finals, with 31 (eighteen for Real Madrid, eight for Barcelona, three for Atlético Madrid and two for Valencia).
England has also provided the highest number of different finalists, with nine: the six winners, plus Leeds United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
England has also provided the highest number of different semi-finalists, with ten: the nine finalists, plus Derby County.
England has the most consecutive titles, with its clubs winning the title in six consecutive seasons from 1976–77 to 1981–82. Spain is followed by five consecutive seasons on two occasions, from 1955–56 to 1959–60 and from 2013–14 to 2017–18, then the Netherlands in four consecutive years from 1969–70 to 1972–73.
London is the only city to have been represented by three teams in the final: Arsenal (runners-up in 2006), Chelsea (runners-up in 2008, winners in 2012 and 2021) and Tottenham Hotspur (runners-up in 2019).
Apart from Milan, Manchester and London, two other cities have been represented by two teams in the final:
Madrid has been represented by two clubs in nineteen finals, with fifteen wins (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024) and three losses (1962, 1964, 1981) for Real Madrid, and three losses for Atlético Madrid (1974, 2014, 2016).
Only one city has been represented in the knockout phase by three teams in the same season: London in 2010–11, when Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all progressed to the first knockout round.
England is the only nation with teams from five cities who have won the competition:
The 2002–03 semi-final tie between Milan and Inter Milan was the first time both games of a two-legged tie were played in the same stadium (San Siro), as the teams shared the stadium as their home venue. Milan won via the "away goals" rule, as it was designated as the "away" team that scored more goals in the tie. The teams also played each other in the same stadium in the 2004–05 quarter-finals and 2022–23 semi-finals. However, at the 2022–23 season the away goals rule no longer existed.
Until 2023–24 season, nine clubs have won all of their games in a group stage, on thirteen occasions. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have done so the most, on three occasions, and the latter are also the only club to have two consecutive six-win group stages. All of the following teams won six matches in the previous group stage format. So far, no club has managed to win all eight matches since the system update in the 2024–25 season:
Barcelona, 2002–03 (first group stage) (reached the quarter-finals)
Real Madrid has achieved this feat thrice, in 2011–12, 2014–15 (reached the semi-finals on both occasions) and 2023–24 (became the second team to win the tournament after sweeping the group stage)
Bayern Munich has achieved this feat thrice, in 2019–20 (became the first team to win the tournament after sweeping the group stage), 2021–22 and 2022–23 (reached the quarter-finals on both occasions)
In the history of the Champions League, the following 23 clubs have lost all group stage matches, Dinamo Zagreb is the only team to do it twice:
Košice (1997–98) ended Group B conceding thirteen goals and scoring only twice, with a goal difference of –11.
Fenerbahçe (2001–02, first group stage) ended Group F conceding twelve goals and scoring three, with a goal difference of –9.
Spartak Moscow (2002–03, first group stage) ended Group B conceding eighteen goals and scoring only once, with a goal difference of –17.
Bayer Leverkusen (2002–03, second group stage) ended Group A conceding fifteen goals and scoring five, with a goal difference of –10. This was the only time that a club lost all matches in the second group stage. It was also the first time that two clubs lost six group stage matches in the same season. Leverkusen had reached the final in the previous season.
Anderlecht (2004–05) ended Group G conceding seventeen goals and scoring four, with a goal difference of –13.
Rapid Wien (2005–06) ended Group A conceding fifteen goals and scoring three, with a goal difference of –12.
Levski Sofia (2006–07) ended Group A conceding seventeen goals and scoring only once, with a goal difference of –16. This has been the club's only appearance in the group stage to date.
Dynamo Kyiv (2007–08) ended Group F conceding nineteen goals and scoring four, with a goal difference of –15.
Maccabi Haifa (2009–10) was the first club to lose all of their group stage matches without scoring a goal. In what was only their second appearance in the competition, they lost 3–0 to Bayern Munich in their first Group A game, and then lost five consecutive games by a score of 1–0, ending the group stage with a goal difference of –8. Although Deportivo La Coruña also scored no goals in Group A in 2004–05, they still collected two points as they twice drew 0–0.
Debrecen (2009–10) ended Group E conceding nineteen goals and scoring five, with a goal difference of –14.
Partizan (2010–11) ended Group H conceding thirteen goals and scoring only twice, with a goal difference of –11.
MŠK Žilina (2010–11) ended Group F conceding nineteen goals and scoring three, with a goal difference of –16. This was the second consecutive season that two clubs had lost all six group stage matches.
Villarreal (2011–12) ended Group A conceding fourteen goals and scoring only twice, with a goal difference of –12.
Oțelul Galați (2011–12) ended Group C conceding eleven goals and scoring three, with a goal difference of –8. This was the first season in which three teams lost all six of their group stage matches, and a third consecutive season in which at least two teams finished with zero points.
Marseille (2013–14) ended Group F conceding fourteen goals and scoring five, with a goal difference of –9.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2015–16) ended Group G conceding sixteen goals and scoring only once, with a goal difference of –15. Tel-Aviv's only goal came from a penalty.
Club Brugge (2016–17) ended Group G conceding fourteen goals and scoring only twice, with a goal difference of –12.
Dinamo Zagreb (2016–17) ended Group H conceding fifteen goals and scoring none, with a goal difference of –15. They became the first club to finish the group stage with zero points on multiple occasions.
Benfica (2017–18) ended Group A conceding fourteen goals and scoring only once, with a goal difference of –13. They became the first team from Pot 1 to lose all six group stage matches.
AEK Athens (2018–19) ended Group E conceding thirteen goals and scoring only twice, with a goal difference of –11.
Beşiktaş (2021–22) ended Group C conceding nineteen goals and scoring only three, with a goal difference of –16.
Rangers (2022–23) ended Group A conceding 22 goals and scoring only two, with a goal difference of –20, which constituted the worst goal difference out of all the performances with losses in all six games.
Viktoria Plzeň (2022–23) ended Group C conceding 24 goals and scoring five, with a goal difference of –19. This equalled the record for most goals conceded in a group stage.
Bayern Munich equalled this accomplishment the very next day, after beating Basel 3–0. On 11 December 2019, Bayern won 3–1 against Tottenham to achieve this feat for a second time. On 8 December 2021, Bayern won 3–0 against Barcelona to achieve this feat for a record third time. Bayern achieved this for a fourth time after defeating Inter Milan 2–0 on 1 November 2022, becoming the first team to achieve this feat in two consecutive seasons.
Real Madrid hold the record for the most consecutive seasons in which a side have advanced past the group stage, with 27 straight progressions from 1997–98 to 2023–24. They won the title nine times in this period.
Barcelona finished top of their group for a record thirteen consecutive seasons from 2007–08 to 2019–20, and in 18 seasons in total.[28]
In 2012–13, Chelsea became the first title holders not to qualify from the following season's group stage.
Monaco scored the fewest goals (four) to earn eleven points in the group stage in 2014–15. Villarreal won a group with the fewest goals scored (three) in 2005–06, resulting in two wins.
Biggest disparity between group winner and runner-up
Barcelona, 18 points (13:4 goals, +9 GD) in 2002–03 (first group stage) (2nd Lokomotiv Moscow 7 points, 3rd Club Brugge 5 points, 4th Galatasaray 4 points). Barcelona went on to win their group in the second group stage with sixteen points, but lost to Juventus in the quarter-finals.
Casino Salzburg lost on overall goal difference to Milan in 1994–95, although Milan had been docked 2 points due to crowd trouble (2 points for a win, would have been 2 points behind with 3 points for a win)
Galatasaray and Rosenborg lost on head-to-head points to Juventus in 1998–99. Although each team had 8 points, in matches played between the three sides in question, Juventus had 6 points, Galatasaray had 5 points, and Rosenborg had 4 points (only first place team advanced directly)
Dynamo Kyiv lost on head-to-head points to Real Madrid in 1999–2000 (second group stage), despite having a better goal difference. Real Madrid went on to win the final.
Olympiacos lost on head-to-head away goals to Lyon in 2000–01 (first group stage), on head-to-head goal difference to Liverpool in 2004–05, and on head-to-head goal difference to Arsenal in 2015–16. In 2004–05, Liverpool went on to win the final.
Rangers lost on head-to-head points to Galatasaray in 2000–01 (first group stage), despite having a better goal difference
Lyon lost to Arsenal in 2000–01 (second group stage), and to Ajax in 2002–03 (first group stage), both times on head-to-head points despite having a better goal difference
Borussia Dortmund lost on overall goal difference to Boavista in 2001–02 (first group stage), with both teams winning 2–1 at home in head-to-head matches
Ajax lost on overall goal difference to Lyon in 2011–12, with both head-to-head games ending in a 0–0 draw. Lyon won their last group game against Dinamo Zagreb 7–1 (after being 0–1 down at half time) while Ajax lost 0–3 against Real Madrid. The aggregate goal difference in both games had to be at least a 7-goal swing for Lyon to advance, and Lyon successfully managed to reach 9.
Napoli lost on head-to-head goal difference to Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal in 2013–14. Although each team had 12 points and 8 points in matches played between the three sides, the goal difference in games played between the three was +1 for Borussia Dortmund, 0 for Arsenal and −1 for Napoli.
Napoli lost on overall goals scored to Liverpool in 2018–19, with both teams winning 1–0 at home in head-to-head matches. Liverpool defeated Napoli in their final group game, with Paris Saint-Germain defeating Red Star Belgrade in the other match to top the group with 11 points. With both Liverpool and Napoli tied on 9 points, having identical head-to-head results, and a goal difference of +2, Liverpool advanced by virtue of having scored more overall goals than Napoli (9 to Napoli's 7). Liverpool went on to win the final.
1995–96 was the first tournament in which three points were awarded for a win instead of two. The following teams were knocked out from the group stage, but would have advanced following the old rule:
Rosenborg was ranked fourth out of six runners-up in 1997–98, but would have equalled the points of Paris Saint-Germain and eventual finalists Juventus and advanced on goal difference
Bayern Munich holds the ongoing record for consecutive wins in season-opening fixtures with 21, starting with a 2–1 victory against Celtic in the 2003–04 season, and most recently a 9–2 win against Dinamo Zagreb in the 2024–25 season.
Bayern Munich holds the record for most consecutive wins in the group stage with 17, starting with a 2–0 victory against Lokomotiv Moscow in the 2020–21 season and continuing until a 2–1 win against Galatasaray in the 2023–24 season; the streak ended following a 0–0 draw against Copenhagen in the same campaign.
Barcelona holds the record for most consecutive home wins in the group stage with 17, starting with a 4–0 victory against Ajax in the 2013–14 season and continuing until a 2–0 win against Inter Milan in the 2018–19 season; the streak ended following a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the same campaign.
Bayern Munich holds the record for most consecutive away wins in the group stage with 9, starting with a 3–0 victory against Barcelona in the 2021–22 season, and continuing until a 1–0 win against Manchester United in the 2023–24; the streak ended following a 1–0 defeat against Aston Villa in the same campaign.
Bayern Munich holds the record for most consecutive undefeated matches in the group stage with 41, starting with a 3–0 victory against Celtic in the 2017–18 season, and continuing until a 9–2 win against Dinamo Zagreb in 2024–25; the streak ended following a 1–0 defeat against Aston Villa in the same campaign.
Barcelona holds the record for most consecutive home undefeated matches in the group stage with 33, starting with a 2–0 victory against Inter Milan in the 2009–10 season and continuing until a 2–1 win against Dynamo Kyiv in the 2020–21 season; the streak ended following a 3–0 defeat against Juventus in the same campaign.
Bayern Munich holds the record for most consecutive away undefeated matches in the group stage with 20, starting with a 2–1 victory against Celtic in the 2017–18 season, and continuing until a 1–0 win against Manchester United in the 2023–24; the streak ended following a 1–0 defeat against Aston Villa in the same campaign.
Until 2023–24 season, Panathinaikos is the only team that has ever played seven matches in the group stage (instead of the usual six). After Panathinaikos lost 1–0 away to Dynamo Kyiv on matchday one of the 1995–96 group stage, the Ukrainian team was expelled from the competition by UEFA following Spanish referee Antonio Jesús López Nieto reporting he received a bribe attempt from the side. To replace Dynamo Kyiv in the group stage, UEFA promoted their qualifying round rivals AaB, who were allowed to play a replacement fixture against Panathinaikos in between matchdays three and four. Although this took the total number of group matches played by Panathinaikos to seven, their result against Dynamo Kyiv was annulled.
Since the addition of a third qualifying round in the 1999–2000 season, four teams have negotiated all three rounds of qualification and reached the Champions League group phase:
Liverpool went on to become the first team in the history of the competition to reach the knockout phase from the first qualifying round.
Since the addition of a fourth 'play-off' round in the 2009–10 season, five teams have negotiated all four rounds of qualification and reached the Champions League group phase:
Real Madrid holds the record for most knockout tie wins in the competition's history, with 117 overall. Their first knockout tie success came following a 7–0 aggregate win over Servette in the 1955–56 first round, and their most recent victory was a 2–0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 final.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain share the record of consecutive goalscoring in Champions League matches, with both sides scoring at least one goal in 34 successive games. Real Madrid's run started with a 1–1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Barcelona on 3 May 2011. This run continued into the entirety of the next two seasons, with Madrid scoring in all twelve matches of both their 2011–12 and 2012–13 Champions League campaigns. The club then scored in the first nine games of their 2013–14 campaign (six group stage games, both legs of the round of 16 and the first leg of the quarter-finals), with the run coming to an end following a 2–0 away loss against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the quarter-finals on 8 April 2014.
Paris Saint-Germain's run started with a 1–1 group stage draw against Arsenal on 13 September 2016. This streak continued with PSG scoring at least once in all 24 matches played over the course of their 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2018–19 Champions League campaigns (including all six group stage games and both legs of the round of 16). The club then scored in all six group stage games, both legs of the round of 16, and the single-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals of the 2019–20 edition,[29] with their run ending in the final following a 0–1 defeat to Bayern Munich on 23 August 2020.[30]
Bayern Munich (2019–20 and 2020–21) holds the record of 15 consecutive wins in the Champions League. Bayern's run started on 18 September 2019 with a 3–0 win against Red Star Belgrade in their first group stage match, after losing 1–3 against Liverpool in the previous season's round of 16. The run continued in their other five group matches and all five knockout matches, as they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 in the final.[31] Bayern won the next four matches of the following season's group stage, before their streak ended on 1 December 2020 with a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid.
Bayern Munich is also the first club to win all of their matches (without needing extra time) in a Champions League season, winning 11 out of 11 in their successful 2019–20 campaign.[32]
Bayern Munich hold the record of 21 consecutive home wins in the European Cup era. The run began with a 2–0 win against Saint-Étienne in the first leg of the 1969–70 first round. The run ended with a 1–1 draw to Liverpool in the second leg of the 1980–81 semi-finals.[33] In the Champions League era, the record stands at 16 games and is also held by Bayern Munich. The run began with a 1–0 win against Manchester City in the first match of the 2014–15 group stage and reached the 16th win after a 5–1 victory over Arsenal in the 2016–17 round of 16, then it ended after a 2–1 loss to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of that season.[34]
The most consecutive away wins in the Champions League (not including matches played at neutral venues) is seven, achieved on two occasions. Ajax were the first side to reach this number; their run began with a 2–0 group stage win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on 22 November 1995. They then defeated Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion in the quarter-finals and Panathinaikos at the Spyridon Louis in the semi-finals. Ajax's run continued the following season, winning all three away group stage matches, against Auxerre, Rangers and Grasshopper. Their record seventh win came on 19 March 1997, after defeating Atlético Madrid 3–2 at the Vicente Calderón after extra time in the quarter-finals. The streak would end in the following round, as Ajax lost 4–1 to Juventus in the semi-finals at the Stadio delle Alpi on 23 April 1997.
Bayern Munich would go on to equal this record nearly two decades later; their run began with a 3–1 round of 16 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 19 February 2013, and continued with wins against Juventus at the Juventus Stadium in the quarter-finals and Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the semi-finals. The streak continued the following season, with group stage away wins over Manchester City, Viktoria Plzeň and CSKA Moscow. The record equaling seventh win was achieved when Bayern again defeated Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the round of 16 on 19 February 2014. Their run ended with a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the first leg of the quarter-finals on 1 April 2014.[35]
Manchester City holds the record of 26 consecutive unbeaten run in the Champions League. The streak began with a 4–0 away win against Sevilla in their opening group stage game in 2022–23 and continued up to a 5–0 home against Sparta Prague in the third match of the 2024–25 league phase. before it ended after a 4–1 loss to Sporting CP in next matchday.
The record for the longest unbeaten run at home stands at 43 games and is held by Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich's run began with a 2–0 win against Saint-Étienne in the first leg of the 1969–70 first round. The run ended with a 2–1 defeat to Red Star Belgrade in the first leg of the 1990–91 semi-finals. In the Champions League era, the record stands at 38 games and is held by Barcelona. Barcelona's run began with a 4–0 win against Ajax in the first match of the 2013–14 group stage and reached the 38th match in a 2–1 win against Dynamo Kyiv in the 2020–21 group stage, before it ended after a 3–0 loss to Juventus in the final match of the group stage of that season.[36]
The record for the longest away unbeaten run stands at 22 games and is held by Bayern Munich. The run began with a 2–1 win against Celtic in the 2017–18 group stage, and reached its 22nd match following Bayern's 1–1 draw away to Red Bull Salzburg in the 2021–22 round of 16. The streak ended in the following round, following Bayern's 1–0 quarter-final defeat at Villarreal. During this run, Bayern defeated Barcelona and Lyon in the 2019–20 quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, played in Lisbon over a single leg as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 final. These matches, however, were played at a neutral venue, and as such are not classified as away games.
Jeunesse Esch holds the record for the most consecutive defeats in the competition, with 16 straight losses. The streak began with a 2–0 first round loss against Liverpool on 13 October 1973, and continued up to a 4–1 defeat to AGF Aarhus on 16 September 1987. The streak ended when they beat the same team 1–0 two weeks later.[37] In the Champions League era, the record stands at 13 games and is held by Marseille. Marseille's run began with a 2–1 loss to Inter Milan in the round of 16 on 13 March 2012, and continued up to a 2–0 defeat to Porto on 25 November 2020. The streak ended with Marseille's 2–1 win over Olympiacos on 1 December 2020.[8]
FCSB holds the record for the most consecutive Champions League games without a win. They failed to record a victory in 23 matches played in the competition from 26 September 2006 until 11 December 2013,[8] although they did win games in the qualifying rounds during that period. They have not appeared in the group stage since the last of those 23 games.
Robert Lewandowski holds the record for most consecutive matches won by a player in the Champions League, with 22 straight victories whilst with Bayern Munich. The run began on 18 September 2019 with a 3–0 success against Red Star Belgrade in his first group stage match of the 2019–20 season, after losing 3–1 against Liverpool in the previous season's round of 16. The streak continued as Lewandowski started in all of Bayern's other four group victories (he did not play in their win against Tottenham Hotspur) and all five knockout phase wins, as they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 in the final. In the following season, Lewandowski started in a further four victories for Bayern in the group stage (he did not play against Atlético Madrid or Lokomotiv Moscow) and reached a sixteenth win after appearing in a 2–1 second leg success against Lazio in the round of 16. Because of injury, he did not play against Paris Saint-Germain in either leg of the quarter-finals. In the following season, Lewandowski started in a further six victories for Bayern in the group stage. Lewandowski's streak ended on 16 February 2022, following a 1–1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg in the first leg of the round of 16.[41]
Combinations of wins in the Champions League and other competitions
The youngest player to win the tournament is Gary Mills, who was 17 years and 201 days old when Nottingham Forest won against Malmö FF on 30 May 1979, on the virtue of having made one appearance in the competition that season, despite him not playing in the final match.[45]
Players that are still active in Europe are highlighted in boldface.
The table below does not include appearances made in the qualification stage of the competition.
The oldest player to play in the tournament is Marco Ballotta, who was 43 years and 252 days old when Lazio played against Real Madrid on 11 December 2007.[50]
The oldest outfield player to play in the tournament is Pepe, who was 41 years and 14 days old when Porto played against Arsenal on 12 March 2024.[51]
The youngest player to start a match in the tournament is Lamine Yamal, who was 16 years and 83 days old when Barcelona played against Porto on 4 October 2023.[53]
The youngest player to play in the knockout phase in the Champions League era is Lamine Yamal, who was 16 years and 223 days old when Barcelona played against Napoli in the round of 16 on 21 February 2024.[54]
The youngest player to debut in the knockout phase in the Champions League era is Pau Cubarsí, who was 17 years and 50 days old when Barcelona played against Napoli in the round of 16 on 12 March 2024.[55]
The oldest player to play in the knockout phase in the Champions League era is Mark Schwarzer, who was 41 years and 206 days old when Chelsea played against Atlético Madrid in semi-final on 30 April 2014.[47]
On 22 February 2006, Raúl made his 100th Champions League appearance, the first player to do so, all with Real Madrid.
Iker Casillas featured in 20 consecutive Champions League campaigns from 1999–2000 to 2018–19, playing for Real Madrid and Porto.[56] On 11 December 2018, Casillas, in a 3–2 away win over Galatasaray, became the first player to reach the knockout phase 19 times.[57]
Iker Casillas holds the record for appearances by minutes in the history of the tournament, playing 16,267 minutes.[58]
Erling Haaland became the youngest top scorer in a Champions League or European Cup season in 2020–21, aged 20 years, 231 days, with ten goals for Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland is also the youngest player to finish top scorer multiple times, after again doing so in 2022–23, aged 22 years, 324 days, scoring twelve goals for Manchester City.
Ferenc Puskás became the oldest top scorer in a Champions League or European Cup season in 1963–64, aged 37 years, 36 days, with seven goals for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid has produced the top scorer on a record sixteen occasions:
The European Cup's first hat-trick was scored by Péter Palotás of MTK Hungária against Anderlecht on 7 September 1955, in the second match ever played in the competition.[62]
Ferenc Puskás for Real Madrid against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960 (four goals) and for Real Madrid against Benfica in 1962 – Puskás in 1962 is the only player to score a hat-trick in a final and lose
The fastest-ever Champions League hat-trick was scored by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who managed to accomplish this feat in six minutes and twelve seconds against Rangers on 12 October 2022.[64] In addition, this was the fastest-ever Champions League hat-trick scored by a substitute.
The fastest-ever Champions League hat-trick from the start of a match was scored by Robert Lewandowski, who scored three goals in the opening 23 minutes of Bayern Munich's match against Red Bull Salzburg on 8 March 2022.[65]
Raúl is the youngest scorer of a Champions League hat-trick, scoring three goals for Real Madrid against Ferencváros on 18 October 1995, aged 18 years and 114 days.[66]
Wayne Rooney is the youngest debut scorer of a Champions League hat-trick, scoring three goals for Manchester United against Fenerbahçe on 28 September 2004, aged 18 years and 340 days.[67]
Ferenc Puskás is the oldest scorer of a hat-trick in the tournament, scoring four goals for Real Madrid against Feyenoord on 22 September 1965, aged 38 years and 173 days.
Karim Benzema is the oldest scorer of a hat-trick in the Champions League era, scoring three goals for Real Madrid against Chelsea on 6 April 2022, aged 34 years and 108 days.[68]
Ten players have scored a hat-trick on their debut in the Champions League era:
In qualifying stages, Lee Casciaro became the oldest player to score in European Cup and Champions League at the age of 40 years and 286 days, when he scored for Lincoln Red Imps against KF Shkupi in the first qualifying round on 12 July 2022. In the European Cup era, Willy Olsen became the oldest player to score in the preliminary round at the age of 39 years and 219 days, when he scored in the first preliminary round for Fredrikstad against Ajax on 31 August 1960.
Bojan Krkić became the youngest player to score in the Champions League knockout phase at the age of 17 years and 217 days, when he scored for Barcelona against Schalke 04 on 1 April 2008.[72]
Paolo Maldini became the oldest player to score in a European Cup or Champions League final at the age of 36 years and 333 days, when he scored for Milan against Liverpool in the 2005 final.
Patrick Kluivert became the youngest player to score in a European Cup or Champions League final at the age of 18 years and 327 days, when he scored for Ajax against Milan in the 1995 final.[74]
The fastest Champions League goal was scored by Roy Makaay, who got a goal after 10.12 seconds for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid on 7 March 2007.[75]
The fastest Champions League group stage goal was scored by Jonas, who got a goal after 10.96 seconds for Valencia against Bayer Leverkusen on 1 November 2011.[76]
The fastest goal in the second half was scored by Federico Chiesa, who got a goal after 10 seconds of the second half for Juventus against Chelsea on 29 September 2021.
The fastest goal in a Champions League final was scored by Paolo Maldini, who got a goal after 53 seconds in the 2005 final for Milan against Liverpool.
The fastest Champions League goal by a substitute was scored by Vinícius Júnior, who got a goal 14 seconds after coming on for Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donetsk on 21 October 2020.[77]
The fastest Champions League goal by a debutant was scored by Yevhen Konoplyanka, who got a goal 19 seconds after coming on for Sevilla against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 15 September 2015, while the fastest Champions League goal by a debutant from the start of the match was scored by Dušan Vlahović, who got a goal 33 seconds into the match for Juventus against Villarreal on 22 February 2022.[78]
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a record 140 goals in the competition (73 GS, 25 R16, 25 QF, 13 SF, 4 F) (95 RF, 20 LF, 25 H).[79][80]
Erling Haaland holds the record for the highest-ever goals-per-game ratio for players who have played at least 20 matches (1.02); he scored 44 goals in 43 matches.[81]
Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano have each scored seven goals in the finals. Puskás scored four in 1960 and three in 1962, while Di Stéfano scored seven goals in an aforementioned five finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the finals in the UEFA Champions league era, with 4. He scored one goal each in 2008 and 2014, and two in 2017.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the knockout phase, with 67.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the semi-finals, with 13.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the quarter-finals, with 25.
Lionel Messi holds the record for most goals in the round of 16, with 29.
Lionel Messi holds the record for most goals in the group stage, with 80.
Ferenc Puskás holds the record in a single season's knockout phase in the competition (from round of 16 onwards), scoring twelve in the 1959–60 campaign.
Two players scored a record ten goals in a single season's knockout phase in the Champions League era (from round of 16 onwards):
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 100 goals in the competition on 18 April 2017.[82] On 18 February 2018, he became the first player to score 100 goals with a single club (Real Madrid).[83]
Two players have scored in all six group stage matches of the competition:
Cristiano Ronaldo scored nine goals for Real Madrid in 2017–18.[84]
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most group stage goals in a single season of the UEFA Champions League, scoring eleven in the 2015–16 campaign.[85]
Cristiano Ronaldo scored at least ten goals in a record seven consecutive seasons in the competition (2011–12 to 2017–18).
Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a record eleven consecutive UEFA Champions League appearances; he scored in the 2017 final and the first ten matches (six group games and both legs of the round of 16 and quarter-finals) of the 2017–18 season (a total of seventeen goals).[86]
Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a record twelve consecutive away UEFA Champions League appearances; his streak started from the second leg of the 2012–13 round of 16, and lasted until the first leg of the 2014–15 round of 16 (a total of seventeen goals).
Three players share the record for most consecutive home UEFA Champions League appearances scored in, with seven:
Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the second leg of the 2016–17 quarter-finals, the first leg of the semi-finals and the first five home matches of the 2017–18 season (a total of thirteen goals).
Robert Lewandowski scored in the second leg of the 2014–15 round of 16, the second leg of the quarter-finals, the second leg of the semi-finals and the first four home matches of the 2015–16 season (a total of ten goals).
Thierry Henry scored in a home match of the 2000–01 second group stage, the first leg of the quarter-finals and the first five home matches of the 2001–02 season (a total of nine goals).
Sébastien Haller scored in a record seven consecutive matches since his competition debut, in 2021–22 for Ajax.
Three other players scored in their first five matches in the competition:
Lionel Messi has scored against a record 40 individual Champions League opponents.[88]
Lionel Messi holds the record for most goals scored for a single club, with 120 for Barcelona.
Alfredo Di Stéfano has scored in a record five finals, with one goal in each final from 1956 to 1959, and three goals in 1960.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most goals in finals in the UEFA Champions league era, with four goals in six finals: one goal each in 2008 and 2014, and two in 2017.
Three players scored for two clubs in the final:[89]
Bolat's second-half stoppage time (fifth minute) equaliser for Standard Liège against AZ on 9 December 2009 secured third place in Group H, and qualified his team for the Europa League.
Provedel scored a second-half stoppage time (fifth minute) equaliser for Lazio against Atlético Madrid on 19 September 2023, in the opening match of the 2023–24 season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has the most goals against a single opponent, scoring ten times against Juventus (three goals in 2013, two goals in 2015, two goals in 2017 and three goals in 2018).
Marco Asensio has the most goals as a substitute, scoring nine times off the bench.[91]
Four players have scored against the same opponent with three clubs:[92]
Marko Arnautović scored a goal with Werder Bremen on 7 December 2010. After 12 years and 357 days, he scored a goal with Inter Milan on 29 November 2023. This was the longest time any player had scored since previously scoring.
Only on one occasion have three players from the same team scored at least ten goals in the same season:
Notes: The criteria for an assist to be awarded may vary according to the source, this table is based on the assists criteria according to Opta, where assists are not counted for balls that are deflected or rebounded off opposing players and have clearly affected the trajectory of the ball and its arrival to the recipient (the goal scorer). Assists are also not counted for penalty kicks, direct goals from corners or free kicks, or own goals. This table does not include assists provided in the qualification stage of the competition. The following table includes the number of assists since the 1992–93 season.[93] However, according to UEFA's own official list, Cristiano Ronaldo sits at 1st place with 42 official assists and Ryan Giggs sits at 5th with 31 assists.[94] This is due to the website only counting assists from the 2003-04 season onwards. In addition, UEFA's criteria for assists differ from those of Opta, as it considers causing a penalty kick, free kicks, own goals, deflected, and rebounded balls as assists.
Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi have failed to score the most penalties (not including shoot-outs), missing five penalties each.[104]
Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon had both saved the most penalty kicks (not including shoot-outs), saving four penalties each.
The oldest goalkeeper to save a penalty in the tournament is Jasmin Handanović, who was 39 years and 274 days old when he saved James Milner's penalty for Maribor against Liverpool on 1 November 2017.[105]
The fastest penalty ever scored in the tournament was by Johan Micoud with Werder Bremen against Panathinaikos on 7 December 2005, which was scored after 1 minute and 45 seconds, only two seconds faster than Mohamed Salah goal.[108]
Jens Lehmann holds the record for the most consecutive clean sheets in full matches, with eight for Arsenal across the 2004–05 (one match) and 2005–06 seasons (seven matches).[113] As for the total minutes, he has the highest number of continuous minutes without conceding goals. In total, this lasted 853 minutes, divided into three seasons:
115 minutes (a full match and 25 minutes from a single match) in the 2004–05 season
647 minutes (seven full matches and 17 minutes before being sent off in the final) in the 2005–06 season
91 minutes (he conceded the first goal in the 91st minute in his first match) in the 2006–07 season
Two goalkeepers hold the record of three clean sheets in competition finals:
Marco Ballotta was the oldest goalkeeper to play in the tournament, playing for Lazio against Real Madrid on 11 December 2007, aged 43 years, 252 days.[50]
Maarten Vandevoordt was the youngest goalkeeper to start a Champions League game, doing so for Genk against Napoli on 10 December 2019, aged 17 years and 287 days.[114][115]
Four goalkeepers have won the competition with two clubs:
Igor Akinfeev holds the record for most consecutive matches without a clean sheet, with 43 matches with CSKA Moscow, the streak began on 21 November 2006 and continued until 31 October 2017.[119]
Edgar Davids, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Sergio Ramos jointly hold the record for the most red cards in the Champions League; they have each been sent off four times.
Zlatan Ibrahimović (with Juventus, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain), Arturo Vidal (with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan) and Patrick Vieira (with Arsenal, Juventus and Inter Milan) are the only players to have been sent off for three clubs in the Champions League.
Olexandr Kucher holds the record for the fastest red card in a Champions League match, being sent off after 3 minutes and 59 seconds for Shakhtar Donetsk against Bayern Munich in the 2014–15 season.[120]
Sergio Ramos holds the record for the most yellow cards in the Champions League, with 43+1 (once double yellow cards turned red) along with three straight red cards.[121]
David Weir became the oldest player to start as captain in the Champions League era when he led Rangers against Bursaspor in 2010–11, aged 40 years and 212 days.[167]
Matthijs de Ligt became the youngest player to start as captain in the Champions League knockout phase, when he led Ajax against Real Madrid in 2018–19, aged 19 years and 186 days.[169]
Patrice Evra lost a record four finals in the competition, doing so in 2004 with Monaco, in 2009 and 2011 with Manchester United, and in 2015 with Juventus, with his side losing to Barcelona on each of the latter three occasions. He is the only player to lose the final with three clubs.
Kingsley Coman was the first player to score in a final against a former club, doing so for Bayern Munich in their 1–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 final.[170]
Moise Kean (born 28 February 2000) was the first player born in the 2000s to play in the Champions League, playing in Juventus's match against Sevilla on 22 November 2016.[171]
Han-Noah Massengo (born 7 July 2001) was the first player born in the 21st century to play in the Champions League, playing in Monaco's match against Club Brugge on 6 November 2018.[173]
Rodrygo (born 9 January 2001) was the first player born in the 21st century to score in the Champions League, doing so for Real Madrid against Galatasaray on 6 November 2019.[174]
Three players lost three finals with their clubs, and never won the tournament:[175]
Zinedine Zidane is the only manager to win the tournament three times in his first three consecutive seasons as manager in the competition, doing so with Real Madrid in 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18.
The following five managers have also won the tournament two times in their first two appearances:
Only one manager won the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Conference League:
José Mourinho won the UEFA Cup in 2003 with Porto, the UEFA Champions League with the same club in the following year, then the UEFA Champions League again with Inter Milan in 2010, the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United in 2017 and the UEFA Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022.
Julian Nagelsmann was the youngest coach (aged 31 years and 58 days) to feature in a Champions League match, doing so with TSG Hoffenheim against Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2018–19 group stage,[181] and also the youngest coach (aged 32 years and 56 days) to win a Champions League match, doing so with RB Leipzig against Benfica in the 2019–20 group stage, followed by being the youngest to win a knockout tie in the Champions League era against Tottenham Hotspur,[182] and reach the semi-finals in the same season.[183]
Mircea Lucescu was the oldest coach (aged 76 years and 133 days) to feature in a European Cup and Champions League match, doing so with Dynamo Kyiv against Benfica in the 2021–22 group stage, and also the oldest coach (aged 75 years and 132 days) to win a Champions League match, doing so with Dynamo Kyiv against Ferencváros in the 2020–21 group stage.
Alex Ferguson holds the record for most appearances for a single club, with 190 for Manchester United.
Alex Ferguson holds the record for most matches won for a single club, with 102 for Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola has won a record 44 matches in the knockout phase.[187]
Zinedine Zidane holds the record for most consecutive knockout tie wins with twelve, all registered as manager of Real Madrid. His knockout run started with a 4–0 aggregate win over Roma in the 2015–16 round of 16 and continued until the 2018 final win against Liverpool. The streak saw him win a record three consecutive trophies. It came to an end when Real Madrid were beaten 4–2 on aggregate by Manchester City in the 2019–20 round of 16.[188]
Jupp Heynckes and Hansi Flick hold the joint record for most consecutive victories in the competition with twelve wins each, all with Bayern Munich:
Heynckes' winning run started on 2 April 2013 by beating Juventus 2–0 in the quarter-finals, then winning the second leg, two semi-final matches, and the 2013 final against Borussia Dortmund, before retiring. After Bayern's two group stage matches with Carlo Ancelotti in the 2017–18 season, Heynckes came out of retirement, winning the remaining four group stage matches, two round of 16 matches, then reaching the 12th successive win on 3 April 2018 by defeating Sevilla 2–1 in the first leg of quarter-finals; the run ended with a goalless draw against Sevilla in the second leg.[189]
Flick's winning run started on 6 November 2019 by beating Olympiacos 2–0 in the fourth group stage match, then winning the next two group matches, two round of 16 matches, the single-legged quarter-final and semi-final matches, and the 2020 final against Paris Saint-Germain. The run continued in the 2020–21 season as Bayern won four group matches, with Flick reaching the 12th successive win on 25 November 2020 by defeating Red Bull Salzburg 3–1; the run ended with a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid in the fifth group stage match.
van Gaal's winning run started with Barcelona on 8 December 1999 by beating Sparta Prague 5–0 in the 1999–2000 season, then winning another four matches in the same season, and eight matches in two group stages in the 2002–03 season, before his last win with Bayern Munich 3–0 against Maccabi Haifa in the 2009–10 season.
Stéphanie Frappart became the first and the only woman to referee a men's UEFA Champions League match, when she officiated a group stage game between Juventus and Dynamo Kyiv on 2 December 2020.[196]
The match between Celtic and Leeds United in 1969–70 semi-final second leg, is the one with the highest attendance in the history of the tournament with 135,805. The match was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.[204][205]
The match between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in 1994–95 quarter-final first leg, is the one with the highest attendance in the Champions League era with 115,500. The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain.[206]
The highest-attended final in competition history was the 1960 final, which was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, in front of 127,621 spectators.[207] In the Champions League era, the 1999 final at Camp Nou in Barcelona had the highest attendance (90,245).[208]
^The number of games was reduced from thirteen to eleven during the 2019–20 season due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
^In addition, Juventus was the first club to have won all possible continental competitions (e.g. the international tournaments organized by any confederation and held exclusively in its region) and the club world title.
^There was no knockout phase in this tournament, so the decisive match between Brazil and Uruguay was considered the final.
^Including qualifying rounds, Cañizares holds the record of ten clean sheets in a single season, keeping an additional clean sheet against Tirol Innsbruck in the third qualifying round.
^Carles Puyol lifted the cup as captain with Barcelona in 2006 and 2009 and in the 2011 final he participated as a substitute in the 88th minute, where he was captain for last five minutes in the match, and after the match he awarded the captain's armband to Eric Abidal to lift the cup and therefore he was not included in this list.
^The 1974 European Cup final was replayed due to ending 1–1 in the first game. This is the only European Cup/Champions League final to have been replayed.
^Fernando Morientes reached the final with Real Madrid in 1998, 2000 and 2002 and with Monaco in 2004, and in January 2005 he moved to Liverpool, who won the title that season, but because he was not registered with the team due to his participation with Real Madrid in the group stage, he is not included in this list.
^Excluding six wins in qualifying rounds and 2008 final win on penalties.[186] He won five European Cup matches with Aberdeen and 102 UEFA Champions League matches with Manchester United.
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