Ever sat at a pub and tried to name every single winner of the Big Ears trophy? It’s harder than it looks. You remember the big ones—Real Madrid’s endless dominance, that night in Istanbul, maybe even Nottingham Forest’s weirdly specific back-to-back run—but the middle years get fuzzy.
Honestly, the list of champions league winners by year isn’t just a tally of trophies. It’s a map of how power shifted across Europe, from the tactical catenaccio of Italy to the "Total Football" of the Dutch, and eventually to the financial behemoths we see today. If you look closely at the winners since 1956, you’ll notice that the competition has basically gone through distinct "eras" that rarely overlap.
The Early Days of the European Cup (1956–1970)
Back when it was called the European Champion Clubs' Cup, things were... different. Real Madrid basically treated the trophy like a permanent piece of furniture. They won the first five in a row. Five! Between 1956 and 1960, no one else even got a sniff. You had Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás just dismantling teams for fun.
But then the Portuguese took over. Benfica, led by the legendary Eusébio, broke the Madrid streak in 1961 and 1962. It felt like a changing of the guard, but really it just opened the door for the Italians.
- 1956–1960: Real Madrid (The Five-Peat)
- 1961–1962: Benfica
- 1963: AC Milan
- 1964–1965: Inter Milan
- 1966: Real Madrid
- 1967: Celtic (The "Lisbon Lions" – first British team to win it)
- 1968: Manchester United (Matt Busby's redemption)
- 1969: AC Milan
- 1970: Feyenoord
That 1967 Celtic win is still sort of a miracle. Every single player on that team was born within 30 miles of Celtic Park. Can you imagine that happening now? Not a chance.
🔗 Read more: Vertical Leap: What Most People Get Wrong About Jumping Higher
When the Dutch and Germans Ruled (1971–1976)
If the 60s were about flair and grit, the early 70s were about pure system. Total Football arrived. Ajax, with Johan Cruyff as the conductor, won three straight between 1971 and 1973. They didn't just win; they made the other teams look like they were playing a different sport.
Once Ajax got bored, Bayern Munich decided it was their turn. They replicated the three-peat from 1974 to 1976. This was the era of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller. Efficiency became the name of the game.
The English Invasion (1977–1984)
Then came a period that still makes English fans misty-eyed. For seven out of eight years, the trophy lived in England. Liverpool was the main culprit, winning four times in this window. But the real story is Nottingham Forest. Brian Clough took a provincial club from the second division to back-to-back European champions in 1979 and 1980.
- 1977–1978: Liverpool
- 1979–1980: Nottingham Forest
- 1981: Liverpool
- 1982: Aston Villa (Yes, really)
- 1983: Hamburger SV (The lone German interruption)
- 1984: Liverpool
Most people forget Aston Villa won it in '82. They beat Bayern Munich in the final with a goal from Peter Withe. It’s arguably one of the biggest "how did they do that?" moments in the list of champions league winners by year.
💡 You might also like: U of Washington Football News: Why Jedd Fisch’s Roster Overhaul Is Working
The Transition and the Rebrand (1985–1999)
The mid-80s were dark. The Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985 led to English clubs being banned from Europe for five years. This allowed teams like Steaua București (1986) and PSV Eindhoven (1988) to find a way to the top. AC Milan also built arguably the greatest club side ever under Arrigo Sacchi, winning in '89 and '90.
In 1992, the competition rebranded to the UEFA Champions League. It wasn't just a name change; it was the start of the "superclub" era. Marseille won the first one in 1993, though that victory is always clouded by their domestic match-fixing scandal.
The late 90s gave us the most dramatic final ever. 1999. Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich. United were down 1-0 in the 90th minute. Two minutes later, they were up 2-1 and lifting the trophy. Pure chaos.
The Modern Era and the Real Madrid Obsession (2000–2025)
In the last 25 years, the competition has become a bit of a closed shop. Only a handful of teams actually have the budget to win it. Real Madrid has been particularly obnoxious about it, winning titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024.
📖 Related: Top 5 Wide Receivers in NFL: What Most People Get Wrong
Barcelona had their "tiki-taka" peak under Pep Guardiola (2009, 2011), and English teams made a comeback with Chelsea (2012, 2021), Liverpool (2019), and Manchester City (2023).
But 2025? That was the year the glass ceiling finally shattered for the new money. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) finally won their first-ever Champions League title in 2025, beating Inter Milan 5-0 in a total demolition in Munich. It took over a decade of massive spending, but they finally put their name on the board.
Every Winner Since 2000
- 2000: Real Madrid
- 2001: Bayern Munich
- 2002: Real Madrid
- 2003: AC Milan
- 2004: Porto (The Jose Mourinho masterpiece)
- 2005: Liverpool (The miracle of Istanbul)
- 2006: Barcelona
- 2007: AC Milan
- 2008: Manchester United
- 2009: Barcelona
- 2010: Inter Milan
- 2011: Barcelona
- 2012: Chelsea
- 2013: Bayern Munich
- 2014: Real Madrid
- 2015: Barcelona
- 2016: Real Madrid
- 2017: Real Madrid
- 2018: Real Madrid
- 2019: Liverpool
- 2020: Bayern Munich
- 2021: Chelsea
- 2022: Real Madrid
- 2023: Manchester City
- 2024: Real Madrid
- 2025: Paris Saint-Germain
Why the list of champions league winners by year keeps changing
The format is currently undergoing its biggest shift in decades. We’ve moved away from the traditional group stages to a "Swiss Model" league phase. This means more games between big teams earlier on. While purists hate it, it’s designed to stop the tournament from feeling "predictable" until the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid still holds the record with 15 titles. AC Milan is second with 7. But the gap is widening. Most experts, including analysts at Opta, suggest that the financial gap between the top 5-10 clubs and everyone else is making it nearly impossible for another "Nottingham Forest" or "Steaua București" to happen again.
If you're looking to use this data for a trivia night or just to settle a bet, remember the outliers. Porto in 2004 is the last time a team from outside the "Big Five" leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France) won the trophy. Since then, it’s been a revolving door of the world's richest teams.
Next Steps for Your Research:
- Check the UEFA official coefficients to see which leagues are likely to lose or gain spots in the upcoming seasons.
- Verify the specific player stats for the 2025 final, specifically the performance of PSG's youth prospects like Senny Mayulu and Desire Doue who featured in the win.
- Review the financial fair play (FFP) rulings that might impact the spending power of perennial winners like Manchester City or PSG heading into the 2026/27 cycle.