All clubs to win back to back Champions League titles

Only eight clubs have been successful in defending the title.

Yet another season is now coming to a close. This is a tournament where every player dreams of playing for a club competing in the elite European competition. Many top teams from different regions of Europe get to compete in the UEFA Champions League, but how many of them have been able to defend the title?

In this competition, there have even been some underdog teams which have taken down top teams. During the 2025-26 campaign, BodoGlimt was one such side. The Eliteserien side defeated Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and last season’s finalists of the UCL, Inter Milan.

It simply goes to show that retaining the European crown is not an easy task. In the elite European tournament, the competition level is relatively high. Top sides from top European leagues are battling for the prestigious title.

Having won the UEFA Champions League 15 times, Real Madrid are the record winners of the competition.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain can become one of the back-to-back winning sides. They will be looking to defend their UCL title. They take on Arsenal in the final on May 30.

Also Read: All teams to reach back-to-back Champions League finals this century ft. PSG

Clubs to win back-to-back Champions League titles

Real Madrid

Los Blancos were the first-ever side to retain the UCL title. They secured the first five editions of the competition (1956,1957,1958, 1959, 1960). It was a sensational effort by Real Madrid.

Since then, they are considered one of Europe’s top clubs. The Spanish giants then went on to win a total of 15 Champions League titles.

SL Benfica

Snatching the European crown away from Madrid were the Portuguese side SL Benfica. They were crowned the Champions of Europe in 1961. Then they went on to defend the title in the following year (1962), becoming the second-ever side to retain the UCL.

Inter Milan

FC Internazionale Milano became the first Italian side to retain the prestigious title. After winning it for the first time in 1964 against Real Madrid, the Nerazzurri went on to retain the Champions League next year. In 1965, after they took down Benfica in the final.

AFC Ajax

In total, the Dutch professional club have won the European crown four times. It was the golden era for them in the 1970s. They went on to win their first-ever European Cup/Champions League title in 1971.

AFC Ajax then defended the trophy in 1972 and 1973 as well.

Bayern Munich

The German giants are one such team to establish their dominance in Europe in the 1970s. Clinching the European crown for the first time in 1974, Bayern Munich went on to retain the prestigious title in 1975 and 1976. They are also the only Bundesliga side to do so.

Liverpool

Considered one of the top clubs in English football, Liverpool became the first-ever English top-division club to retain the UEFA Champions League. They won their first one in 1977 and then went on to defend it in the following year (1978).

Nottingham Forest

The Garibaldis were successful in keeping the European crown in England for two additional years. They clinched the European Cup for the first time in 1979 and kept it with themselves for another year in 1980. Nottingham Forest are also the second English club to retain the silverware.

AC Milan

The Rossoneri are the second Italian side to retain the Champions League. They were crowned the champions of Europe for the first time in 1963, but their next campaign wasn’t that good. AC Milan then came back on top of the food chain after winning the European Cup in 1989.

They went on to defend it in the following year (1990).

Real Madrid (2016, 2017 and 2018)

Featuring for the second time on the list, Real Madrid is the only club to retain the UEFA Champions League in the modern era. They did so under Zinedine Zidane. With players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and others, Los Blancos lifted the prestigious title for the 11th time in 2016.

They then went on to three-peat the UCL and retained the title in 2017 and 2018.

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