When European football has Real Madrid in a final, its result often seems predestined.
A famous saying among Madrid fans, “Ninety minutes at the Bernabeu are molto longo,” emphasizes the club’s ability to evoke the most dramatic victories.
Originally uttered by Italian striker Juanito in the 1980s after a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan, this phrase, which translates as “90 minutes at the Bernabéu are very long,” sums up Real Madrid’s resilience. . They won the second leg 3-0 and ultimately the 1984/85 UEFA Cup, setting a precedent in their enduring European dominance.
On June 1, they will take to the field at Wembley Stadium against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final, looking to be crowned European champions for a record 15th time. In many ways, facing this team in a European final is football’s biggest challenge, one that makes Dortmund, like many others before them, the biggest underdogs.
The Jugo Mobile takes a look at Madrid’s previous finals, their Champions League victories and the most successful clubs in the competition.
How many times has Real Madrid won the Champions League?
Real Madrid has won the Champions League (or European Cup, as it was known before 1992) a record 14 times.
They won the first five editions of the tournament from 1956 to 1960 and have lifted the trophy in five of the last 10 seasons.
Real Madrid’s balance in the Champions League finals
For Madrid, their clash against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley Stadium will be their 18th final in this competition. They have only lost three of their previous 17.
Their 14 Champions League wins are double those of their closest competitor, AC Milan. Despite sometimes not being the best team statistically, their mental game and key performances in critical moments have set them apart from the rest: Sergio Ramos’s equalizer in stoppage time in the final against Atlético de Madrid in 2014, or Karim Benzema’s goal in extra time in the semi-finals against Man City in 2022 are good examples.
Their success, of course, must also be attributed to coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, who have sometimes chosen to rely on inpidual brilliance rather than a rigid system. His approach fosters faith, no matter the odds.
While Dortmund have been ruled out at every opportunity throughout this year’s competition, it is almost impossible to bet against Los Blancos. Just take a look at his record in finals…
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | real Madrid | Liverpool | 1-0 |
| 2017/18 | real Madrid | Liverpool | 3-1 |
| 2016/17 | real Madrid | Juventus | 4-1 |
| 2015/16 | real Madrid | Atletico Madrid | 1-1 (5-3 pens) |
| 2013/14 | real Madrid | Atletico Madrid | 4-1 (aet) |
| 2001/02 | real Madrid | Bayer Leverkusen | 2-1 |
| 1999/2000 | real Madrid | Valencia | 3-0 |
| 1997/98 | real Madrid | Juventus | 1-0 |
| 1980/81 | Liverpool | real Madrid | 1-0 |
| 1965/66 | real Madrid | Partizan | 2-1 |
| 1963/64 | Bury | real Madrid | 3-1 |
| 1961/62 | Benfica | real Madrid | 5-3 |
| 1959/60 | real Madrid | Eintracht Frankfurt | 7-3 |
| 1958/59 | real Madrid | Reims | 2-0 |
| 1957/58 | real Madrid | AC Milan | 3-2 (aet) |
| 1956/57 | real Madrid | Fiorentina | 2-0 |
| 1955/56 | real Madrid | Reims | 4-3 |
Most Champions League trophies of all time by club
real Madrid They are the undisputed kings of the Champions League, with their victory against Liverpool at the Stade de France in 2022 allowing them to claim a record 14th victory in the competition.
The Spanish club dominated the Champions League from the beginning, when it was known as the European Cup, and won five consecutive titles since the competition’s inception. More recently, they also made it three in a row between 2016 and 2018, before winning again in 2022.
Italian giants AC Milan are the next best performing club, with seven titles to their name, but have not tasted success in the competition since 2007.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich are tied for third place with six wins.
| Club | Titles | Finals won |
|---|---|---|
| real Madrid | 14 | 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
| AC Milan | 7 | 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
| Bayern Munich | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020 |
| Barcelona | 5 | 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
| Ajax | 4 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995 |
| manchester united | 3 | 1968, 1999, 2008 |
| Bury | 3 | 1964, 1965, 2010 |
| Juventus | 2 | 1985, 1996 |
| Benfica | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 | 1979, 1980 |
| Port | 2 | 1987, 2004 |
| Celtic | 1 | 1967 |
| Hamburg | 1 | 1983 |
| Steaua Bucharest | 1 | 1986 |
| Marseilles | 1 | 1993 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 1997 |
| Feyenoord | 1 | 1970 |
| Aston Villa | 1 | 1982 |
| PSV-Eindhoven | 1 | 1988 |
| Red Star of Belgrade | 1 | 1991 |
| city of manchester | 1 | 2023 |
When is the 2024 UEFA Champions League final?
The 2024 UEFA Champions League final is scheduled for Saturday 1 Juneat Wembley Stadium, London, UK
The match has been confirmed as kick-off at 8pm BST in the UK, 3pm ET in the US and Canada, and 5am AEST in Australia.
| Country | Date | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sunday, June 2 | 5am AEST |
| Canada | Saturday 1 June | 3 pm EDT |
| Hong Kong | Sunday, June 2 | 3am Hong Kong time |
| India | Sunday, June 2 | 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time |
| Malaysia | Sunday, June 2 | 3 a.m. Eastern Time |
| New Zealand | Sunday, June 2 | 7:00 New Zealand time |
| Singapore | Saturday 1 June | 3 a.m. Pacific Standard Time |
| United Kingdom | Saturday 1 June | 8 pm Pacific Time |
| USA | Saturday 1 June | 3 pm EDT |
