9 Greatest Champions League Teams of All-Time (Ranked)

The Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football. Every footballer dreams of playing in it – and only the best footballers in the world can even think about walking away with the trophy. Blood, sweat and tears goes into their performance in the competition.

Every year, a new club is crowned champion, with their elegant football, determination and sheer passion helping them over the line. Naturally, some teams have been more memorable than others, particularly if they won the trophy by performing at a level above everyone else.

Due to this, we have decided to outline the nine greatest Champions League teams of all time, with some of them also ranked as the greatest club sides of all time. Considering their performances in the competition and in other tournaments, they all impressed the world, with one team remarkably featuring three times on this list.

Ranking Factors

• How they performed in the Champions League – They had to win the competition to be included.
• Other trophies won – If they excelled in other competitions, they have been ranked higher.
• Quality of players – Whether the players they had are now seen as legendary.
• Style of play – Whether they were exciting to watch with free-flowing football.

9 Ajax

1994/1995

To begin, Ajax’s 1994/1995 squad seemed to defy logic. With a squad full of talent, they were always tipped to win the Eredivisie, but no one expected them to do it unbeaten. Scoring 106 goals in the process, the Dutch giants cruised to the title, but they left their best performances for the Champions League.

In a run that culminated with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan to win the competition, Ajax looked a league above everyone else. Two goals from Jari Litmanen during their 5-2 win against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals epitomised their talent, with the playmaker – who is one of the greatest Finnish stars of all time – setting the example.

8 Liverpool

2018/2019

Stretching back into the modern day, Liverpool won the Champions League for the first time since 2005 in 2019, beating Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid. It was the only competition they won that year, but it could have been so much more.

They finished on 97 league points, one behind champions Man City, and that points tally is nearly always enough to taste victory. With one of the best attacking trios of all time, they dominated the Champions League, though, whilst their legendary semi-final win against Barcelona is still considered one of the best comebacks in the competition’s history.

7 Barcelona

2014/2015

Barcelona feature three times on this list – and trying to judge which side from the early to mid-2010s was incredibly challenging. The Catalan giants dominated football during the 2014/2015 campaign, finishing two points ahead of Real Madrid to win La Liga, beating Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final and then destroying Juventus in Berlin to bring home Europe’s most prized possession.

It was all possible due to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. The attacking trio connected with one another effortlessly, understanding the tempo of the match and looking to provide a consistent threat. Football may never see a better attacking force.

6 Bayern Munich

2019/2020

The 2019/2020 Champions League was a new experience for all the wrong reasons. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the competition was played in Portugal behind closed doors from the quarter-final onwards. At that point, Bayern Munich were already double-winners after cruising to the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.

However, they wanted one more prize. In the quarter-final, they produced one of the biggest shocks of all time to destroy Barcelona 8-2; they then dispossessed Lyon comfortably in the semi-finals, before Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the final as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0. Treble winners. Iconic.

5 Barcelona

2010/2011

Barcelona’s team under Pep Guardiola was one of the most entertaining sides of all time. With a squad full of talent, including two of the best midfielders of all time in the form of Andres Iniesta and Xavi, they took home the Champions League for the second time in three years.

After winning La Liga – but narrowly missing out on the Copa del Rey by losing 1-0 to Real Madrid – they turned their attention to the final against Man United. Taking place at Wembley, Messi stole the show with a spectacular individual performance to help them win 3-2. Opposition manager Sir Alex Ferguson described them as the best squad he had ever faced.

4 Manchester City

2022/2023

Treble winners. That feat has only truly been completed twice in English football, so – in 2023 – Manchester City had every reason to celebrate and be the ‘noisy neighbours’. After beating Arsenal to the Premier League title and claiming the bragging rights over Man United in the FA Cup final, the Citizens had their greatest night in Istanbul.

They beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final, with Rodri – one of the best midfielders in the world – scoring the only goal of the match. It came after they beat both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid on their path to the final, truly showcasing they were the best side in the world.

3 Manchester United

1998/1999

However, Man City’s treble triumph came 24 years after their biggest rivals, Manchester United, did it first. Guided by one of the greatest managers of all time – Sir Alex Ferguson – the Red Devils won the title by one point ahead of Arsenal and continued their winning run by beating Newcastle 2-0 in the FA Cup final.

However, all their focus was truly on the Champions League final. Taking place at Camp Nou, Man United were left sweating when they went 1-0 down to Bayern Munich, but two stoppage-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw them complete one of the greatest comebacks ever to win 2-1. Legendary.

2 Real Madrid

2016/2017

We could have included any of the Real Madrid sides to win the competition four times in the space of five years, but we have opted for their 2016/2017 team. By winning La Liga, the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, they had already cemented their place in history, but they went one step further.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale leading the line, they dominated the competition. They comfortably dispossessed Bayern Munich and rivals Atletico Madrid on their way to the final, whilst – in UEFA’s biggest match – they destroyed Juventus 4-1, partially thanks to two goals from one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo.

1 Barcelona

2008/2009

Finally, Barcelona’s team in the 2008/2009 season has been ranked as the greatest Champions League side of all time. Near the start of Guardiola’s frightening but incredible reign on the Mediterranean coast, the Catalan giants completed a legendary treble.

After finishing nine points clear in La Liga and beating Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, the focus turned to the Champions League. They comfortably beat Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals before scraping past Chelsea semi-finals – rather fortuitously – in the semi-finals. However, when it came to the final, they needed no luck, with a stunning header from Messi sealing a 2-0 win over reigning champions Man United. In a league of their own.