UEFA Champions League’s Greatest Records and Achievements
Istanbul, Turkey – As the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League season kicks off, football fans are revisiting the competition’s most remarkable achievements. From record-breaking clubs to legendary players, the tournament has showcased extraordinary performances since its inception.
Real Madrid: The Most Successful Club
The Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid leads the pack with an unmatched 15 Champions League titles, including victories in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024.
The club’s closest rival, AC Milan, holds 7 titles, underlining Madrid’s dominance in European football history. Real Madrid has also played the most matches in the competition (503 games), surpassing Bayern Munich (408) and Barcelona (363).
Top Scorers: Ronaldo, Messi, and Lewandowski
Cristiano Ronaldo is the competition’s all-time top scorer, netting 141 goals in 187 matches across Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Lionel Messi follows closely with 129 goals in 163 matches for Barcelona and PSG.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski ranks third, scoring 105 goals in 133 games for Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and other clubs.
Ronaldo also holds the record for the most goals in a single season, with 17 goals in 2013-2014, followed by 16 goals in 2015-2016.
Fastest and Most Hat-Tricks
The fastest hat-trick in Champions League history was scored by Bafetimbi Gomis for Lyon, taking just 8 minutes against Dinamo Zagreb in 2011. Previously, Mike Newell held the record with 3 goals in 9 minutes for Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
The record for most hat-tricks is jointly held by Messi and Ronaldo, each scoring 8 hat-tricks. Lewandowski has scored 6.
Youngest and Oldest Goalscorers
- Ansu Fati became the youngest scorer at 17 years and 40 days during Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in 2019-20.
- Lamine Yamal, also Barcelona, scored at 17 years and 68 days in the 2024-25 season.
- Kenan Yıldız, representing Juventus, remains the youngest Turkish scorer at 20 years and 4 months.
On the other end, Pepe, aged 40 years 254 days, became the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history for Porto against Antwerp in 2023.
Other notable oldest scorers include Francesco Totti, Ryan Giggs, Filippo Inzaghi, and Javier Zanetti.
Unique Achievements and Historic Milestones
- Clarence Seedorf: Only player to win 4 Champions League titles with 3 different clubs (Ajax, Real Madrid, Milan).
- Zinedine Zidane: Won the Champions League as both player and coach, joining an elite group including Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.
- Daniel Amokachi scored the first goal under the Champions League branding in 1992 for Club Brugge.
Generational Winners
Father-son duos have also celebrated Champions League victories:
- Cesare and Paolo Maldini with AC Milan
- Manuel Sanchis Martinez and Manuel Sanchis Hontiyuelo with Real Madrid
- Carles and Sergio Busquets with Barcelona
Record Finals and Club Achievements
- Largest final victory: PSG 5-0 Inter (2024-25), breaking previous records.
- Arda Güler, a 20-year-old Turkish international, won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2023-24, becoming the first A-national team player to lift the trophy.
- Total winners: 24 different clubs have lifted the trophy, with Real Madrid topping at 15 titles.
Top winning clubs by number of titles:
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 15 |
| Milan | 7 |
| Liverpool, Bayern Munich | 6 |
| Barcelona | 5 |
| Ajax | 4 |
| Manchester United, Inter | 3 |
| Benfica, Juventus, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Porto | 2 |
| PSG, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Dortmund, Celtic, Red Star, Feyenoord, Hamburg, Marseille, PSV, Steaua | 1 |
Top winning nations: Spain (20), England (15), Italy (12), Germany (8), Netherlands (6), Portugal (4), France (2), Romania, Scotland, Yugoslavia (1 each).
