There are so many amazing football clubs in Europe; but which one takes the crown? In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best European football clubs, how they measure up against each other and see which club is truly the most successful football club in Europe.
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10. Manchester United
Titles and trophies: 68
Founded: 1878
The 20-times record winner of the Premier League is classified among the top 10 most successful football clubs in Europe. The Red Devils’ former top manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is the 5th longest-serving one in the history of European football clubs, with 26 consecutive seasons spent leading the team.
Aside from being one of the most successful teams, the Red Devils are also the team that has spent the most money on transfers over the last 10 years, with an estimated $1.23 billion spent solely on football contracts.
This comes as no shock, knowing the fact that they have £416,500,000 in wage bills every year.
9. Liverpool
Titles and trophies: 68
Founded: 1892
Along with Manchester United, its bitter rival, Liverpool is also one of the most successful English football clubs, with a total of 68 trophies won. One of the top-scoring players under the jersey is Ian Rush, scoring 346 goals in his career – the record for the club as well.
Notorious for its passionate hooligan supporters, the club has been involved in some of the biggest sports riots in history, even becoming banned to play in Europe for five long years.
8. Juventus
Titles and trophies: 70
Founded: 1897
One of the longest-lasting dynasties of Italian football and a record-time winner of the prestigious Serie A (36 titles), Juventus is one of the best European football clubs ever. In the decade under manager Marcello Lippi (1994-2004), the team became a big name in the international football society.
Under the management of Antonio Conte, the team has managed to win nine consecutive scudetti, putting Conte on the throne of the most successful football managers in history.
7. FC Porto
Titles and trophies: 79
Founded: 1893
Porto is the second most successful club in Portugal, with a total of 79 trophies. Porto is also the club with the most international titles in Portugal, with a total of 18, and one of the most successful European football clubs in history.
In terms of recent success, they have won the Primeira Liga 3 times in a row, from 2016/17 to 2018/19. One of the most controversial people in football, Jose Mourinho is the most successful manager in their history, earning 3 Primeira Liga titles and 2 Champions League titles.
6. FC Bayern Munich (The FCB)
Titles and trophies: 81
Founded: 1900 (122 years ago)
Bayern Munich is the most successful club in Germany, with a total of 81 trophies and a record number of Bundesliga wins – 31. Nine of these wins were consecutive, which makes Bayern Munich the best football club in Germany in this respect.
Boasting close to 360k registered fans in almost 4,500 fan clubs around the globe, Bayern Munich is also the most supported European football club in the world.
5. S.L. Benfica
Titles and trophies: 84
Founded: 1904
With a total of 84 trophies and 37 wins in the Primeira Liga, Benfica is the most successful club in Portugal, The club won the European Champion Clubs’ Cup/Champions League two years in a row (in 1961 and 1962), making them the first Portuguese football club to do so.
In its 118 years of existence, Benfica has had great success: the team has managed to win the Primeira Liga 5 times in a row (from 2013/14 to 2017/18), and holds the record for the most aggregate wins in the UEFA Champions League.
4. Real Madrid CF
Titles and trophies: 93
Founded: 1902
Real Madrid is the most successful football club in Europe when it comes to the number of UEFA Champions League titles, having won a total of 13 of them. It is also the most successful club in Spain, with a total of 34 wins in La Liga.
They have a global audience of 450 million fans, with 109 million followers on Instagram, making them the most popular football club on social media in the world. Their most recent success was in the 2016/17 season, where they won the La Liga and Champions League trophies.
3. FC Barcelona
Trophies: 95
Founded: 1899
Barcelona is the all-time leader in domestic titles, with 75 trophies. They are also the third most successful club in Europe when it comes to trophies won, with a total of 95. Barcelona’s most recent major success was in the 2015/16 season, where the team won the La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League trophies, which made them the first club in history to win the treble twice.
In 2022, Barcelona became the richest football club in the world, with an estimated net worth of $4.8 billion. They play their home games at Camp Nou, which is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and from now on will be named Spotify Camp Nou.
2. Celtic F.C.
Trophies: 112
Founded: 1887
Celtic is a Scottish football club with a long and successful history. It has managed to win 112 trophies, thus becoming one of the most successful football clubs in Europe. The Celtic team have also been crowned champions of Scotland on 51 occasions, and are one of the country’s best football clubs.
In terms of recent success, Celtic won the treble in 2016/17, which included winning the Scottish Premiership, Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup. This made them the first club in Scotland to win all three championship trophies.
1. Rangers FC
Trophies: 116
Founded: 1872
Rangers FC is the second most honoured football club in the world, with the most titles won in the history of European football – 116. This Scottish football club has managed to find its place on virtually every list of most successful football clubs in Europe, without having ever won the Champions League. It is also the only club to have ever won more than 100 domestic trophies, making them the club with the most trophies in Europe too.
Wrapping Up
There you have it; these are the most successful football club in Europe. Did you know that precisely these are the clubs with the most trophies in Europe? Having so many talented players, brilliant managers, and passionate fans to cheer them on, it’s no wonder that precisely these ten football clubs have made the cut.