Although the initial idea of European Super League collapsed in 2021, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid had stuck to the general principles of a breakaway league although other bug clubs went away.
But last month Juve demanded talks with the Spanish clubs and have now begun discussing their exit from the plan.
The Turin club said their exit would be completed and effective only if authorised by Barca and Real.
"Following such discussions, and given the existing discrepancies on the interpretation of the relevant contractual terms applicable to the European Super League Project, Juventus confirms that it has initiated the procedure to exit," a statement read.
Juventus confirm they have initiated process to withdraw from Super League. They have informed Real Madrid and Barcelona of their intention. 27 months after 9 of the 12 founding clubs withdrew, the 10th has decided to go. pic.twitter.com/LgkCW29i3l
It has been a turbulent few months for Juventus, who were initially docked 15 points by the Italian FA for financial rule breaches.
Juventus said their exit would be completed and effective only if authorised by Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, one of the figures behind the ESL project, was given a 16-month ban from football on Monday in a case about irregularities in the club's payments to players. Agnelli and the entire board resigned from the Turin club in November.
The breakaway European Super League was formed in April 2021, when 12 of Europe's top football clubs launched a bid to wrest control of the game and its lucrative revenue away from European soccer governing body Uefa.
❗️ Juventus have asked to leave the Super League. Both Real Madrid and Barça must give the green light.
The move collapsed within 48 hours amid fan and player criticism that forced Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Milan, Internazionale and Atlético Madrid to pull out.
The punishment was overturned but a second hearing led to a 10-point penalty, which the club accepted.
The Turin giants finished seventh in Serie A and will enter the Europa Conference League. Without the 10 point deduction, they would have qualified for the Champions League at the expense of AC Milan.
Every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career
Cristiano Ronaldo, till now, has won 36 major trophies in his career, among which two came for Portugal and the rest for his clubs. Today, in this article, we will discuss every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career.
Ronaldo, till now, has won 17 different trophies in his career, and among them, two are with his country, Portugal. Today, in this article, we will discuss every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career.
Ronaldo got the taste of winning a trophy with Portugal on only three occasions so far. In the historic and emotional 2016 European Championship, he was able to lift the trophy, despite being sidelined for the most amount of time due to a knee injury in the final.
Éder's lone goal helped Portugal lift the EURO 2016 and Ronaldo lift his first international trophy with Portugal.
Ronaldo's second international trophy came three years after that European success. In the UEFA Nations League 2019 final, Goncalo Guedes scored the lone goal for Portugal against the Netherlands to lift the inaugural Nations League title.
Ronaldo then became the oldest player to score in a Nations League final as Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League in 2025, becoming the first team to do so. They defeated Spain in the penalties to win the title.
International Trophy
Year
European Championship
2016
UEFA Nations League
2019, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo's club trophies
Ronaldo with the UCL trophy in 2008.
One of the most successful players ever, Cristiano Ronaldo, won trophies across three major European Leagues. He won his first-ever trophy in 2003, with Sporting CP, by lifting the Portuguese Super Cup.
His winning momentum then reached a great high at Manchester United as he went on to win 3 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League title, 2 English League Cups, 1 English Super Cup, the FA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the Red Devils.
Crisitano Ronaldo after winning his fifth UCL trophy of his career.
But, Ronaldo's success reached its peak when he joined Real Madrid for then a record fee of €94 million. With Real Madrid, Ronaldo won another four Champions League titles, which made him one of the most successful players in the tournament's history.
Not only that, he also went on to win 2 La Liga titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups.
However, Ronaldo did not stop there as he went on to conquer Italy with Juventus. With Juventus, Ronaldo won 2 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Super Cups and one Italian Cup.
In all, Ronaldo till now has won 33 club trophies in his career. His last club trophy came with Al-Nassr when he won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.
After Luis Enrique became only the sixth football manager to win the Champions League with different clubs, we present you with some interesting football facts about managers with the most UCL titles in their careers.
In Europe, the Champions League is seen as the most demanding title among players, managers, and clubs from all over Europe. The Giant clubs compete for this specific trophy every year, with the prestige and financial rewards received from the tournament being among the biggest in club football.
Achieving success in this competition is usually seen by most players and managers as the benchmark of club-level achievement in Europe. For many managers, winning the Champions League is the ultimate goal.
Some managers, however, have managed to win the competition multiple times, some with multiple teams as well. Without further due, here are the interesting football facts of the five managers with the most Champions League titles.
Many regard Pep Guardiola as the greatest manager of his generation due to his success with all the clubs he has managed. The Spanish manager has won the competition thrice in his managerial career, two times with FC Barcelona and once with Manchester City.
Guardiola won his first Champions League title in his first season in charge of Barcelona, with his side defeating Manchester United 2-0 in 2008-09 as part of their first-ever treble. The former Barcelona midfielder was 38 years old at the time, making him the youngest manager to win the competition to date.
He won his second title two years later in the 2010-11 season, defeating the same opponent 3-1 in the final. Lionel Messi was the star of both triumphs, scoring both times.
Then he managed Bayern but wasn't able to bring any Champions League titles to the German Club. Finally, his 12-year wait came to an end when Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Final of the UCL 2022-23 season.
Zinedine Zidane led Real Madrid in its most dominant period of the 21st century. The Frenchman won three titles with Los Blancos in three years in charge of the club.
Zidane won his first title just four months after he replaced Rafael Benitez as manager of Real Madrid. He led the side to defeat Atletico Madrid on penalties in the 2015-16 final.
The next season, Real Madrid defeated Juventus 4-1 in the final for their 12th crown.
Zidane led Real Madrid to a 3-1 win over Liverpool in the 2017-18 final. The Frenchman is the only manager in history to win the competition three consecutive times. He is also the first and only French manager to win the competition to date.
Bob Paisley | 3 European Cups
Bob Paisley was a Liverpool soccer player, manager, and administrator for almost 50 years.
No football manager demonstrated the art of leading quietly and without ego more than Bob Paisley. He won twenty trophies in nine years for Liverpool Football Club between 1974 and 1983.
He brought 3 European Cups, six League Championships (including three in a row in 1981, 1982, and 1983), three League Cups, 6 Charity Shields, one UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.
Paisley is the only British manager to win the European Cup three times. Bob is now regarded as one of the best soccer managers of all time.
Carlo Ancelotti | 5 Champions League titles
Carlo Ancelotti is one of football's managerial greats of the 21st century. The Italian manager has won five Champions League titles in his time as a manager, having also won the competition twice as a player.
Ancelotti won his first Champions League title in the 2002-03 season with AC Milan as his side defeated Juventus on penalties in the final. He won his second title in the 2006-07 season as AC Milan defeated Liverpool 2-1.
Ancelotti won his third title with Real Madrid in the 2013-14 season after his side defeated Atlético Madrid 4-1. His fourth title came in the 2021-22 season with Real Madrid once again after a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
Most Champions League titles won by Football Clubs
Real Madrid are the most successful team in UEFA Champions League history with 15 titles. Here are the football clubs with the most Champions League titles.
Europe has the best and the toughest club competition in the world. The only thing which separates an elite club from a normal club is the Champions League title. Clubs all around Europe dream of winning this competition. Clubs with the most Champions League titles earn more bragging rights than the others. Let's take a look at the top clubs that have won the most number of Champions League titles in the tournament's history.
Champions League Finalists and Winners List since 1956
Top clubs with the most Champions League titles (3 or more)
1. Real Madrid CF (15 UCL titles)
Everyone considers Real Madrid C.F. as the most successful club in world football. This club has achieved great heights both in recent times and in the past. Real Madrid won the first-ever European Cup in 1955-56 which was also the founding year of the competition. Back then it was formally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup. The current format has been around since 1992. Real Madrid has won 15 UEFA Champions League titles which is more than any club in the world.
They won the tournament five consecutive times in the first five seasons of the tournament. Their recent achievement includes a three-peat of winning the UCL under Zinedine Zidane (2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18).
Cristiano Ronaldo was their star performer with the most impact in the competition. He further tops the chart of the most goal scorers and assists providers in the competition as well.
Paolo Maldini lifting the Champions League 2006-07 season.
AC Milan is an Italian giant with a rich history and glories. They produced players like Maldini, Dida, Nesta and many more. They dominated world football in the past few decades, but things have changed drastically since then.
Milan has fallen from the ranks of great clubs in recent times, but their UCL glory is still more than others, just behind Real Madrid. They have beaten the likes of Juventus, Liverpool, and Barcelona to win the Champions League in the past. Milan has won the Champions League 7 times in their history.
Bayern Munich has been the dominant force in Europe for quite a long time. They dominate the Bundesliga and the domestic cup titles, too. Recently, they have been one of the most prominent sides in Europe to deal with. Bayern humiliated Barcelona with an 8-2 defeat in the UCL quarter-finals and won the 2019-20 Champions League, beating PSG comfortably by 1-0.
Robert Lewandowski was their main man in recent years, with the most goals. However, they have consistently produced players like Robben, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and others who helped them win the trebles and sextuples.
Bayern Munich's Title winning years
Winning year
Opponent Team
Scoreline
Venue
1973-74
Atletico Madrid
0-4
Brussels
1974-75
Leeds
2-0
Paris
1975-76
St- Etienne
1-0
Glasgow
2000-01
Valencia
1-1 (5-4) Pen
Milan
2012-13
Borussia Dortmund
1-2
London
2019-20
PSG
0-1
Lisbon
All 6 titles of FC Bayern Munich
4. Liverpool FC (6 UCL titles)
Trophy Cabinet of Liverpool including 6 UCL titles. Image - This is Anfield
Liverpool has turned the tables beautifully in recent times. They were a great force in the European competition but suddenly went numb. Liverpool had a rough patch where they went trophyless for many years. With the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager, Liverpool slowly redeemed themselves. In the 2017-18 season, they reached the UCL finals but failed to win against Real Madrid.
Next season they came back stronger, from a 3-0 defeat in the first leg to win 4-0 in the second leg and knocked Barcelona out of the UCL semis. Liverpool went on to be the champions defeating Spurs by 2-0 in the all-English final to win their 6th UCL trophy. Their great comeback against Milan in 2005 at Istanbul still gives goosebumps to every football fan.
Liverpool's Title winning years
Winning year
Opponent Team
Scoreline
Venue
1976-77
Monchengladbach
3-1
Rome
1977-78
Club Brugge
1-0
London
1980-81
Real Madrid
1-0
Paris
1983-84
Roma
1-1 (2-4) Pen
Rome
2004-05
AC Milan
3-3 (2-3) Pen
Istanbul
2018-19
Tottenham Hotspur
2-0
Madrid
All 6 titles of Liverpool FC
5. FC Barcelona (5 UCL Titles)
FC Barcelona bagging their 5th UCL title. Image - 90MIN
FC Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in Europe with a great history in the UCL. They have won the title 5 times, while three of them came in the last decade. Their famous Lamasia - The FC Barcelona academy produced world-class players at the time. Players like Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and many more were a part of the academy.
Coach Pep Guardiola conquered the world with some beautiful football. He managed to win both the Treble and Sextuple during his reign. A few years later Luis Enrique guided them to their 5th UCL title and also a treble. That was Barcelona's last high run in the UCL. After that, they have faced some problems and have not been able to continue their dominance in European football.
AFC Ajax has a great history. They are the only team to win the UCL 4 times which is not from the top 5 leagues. Football maestro Johan Cruyff was from this team, he later changed the definition of playing football. Introducing Tiki-taka football to the world, Ajax had a great run in the past. He later influenced Barcelona to play that type of football which brought them huge success in the end.
They last won the title in 1995 when the likes of Van der Sar, and Rijkaard used to play for them. Since then they have reached the UCL semifinal in 2019 upsetting big teams and then lost to the Spurs in the semifinal in the dying minutes. Ajax's run is considered one of the greatest underdogs in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
Ajax's Title winning years
Winning year
Opponent Team
Scoreline
Venue
1970-71
Panathinaikos
2-0
London
1971-72
Internazionale
2-0
Rotterdam
1972-73
Juventus
1-0
Belgrade
1994-95
AC Milan
1-0
Vienna
All 4 titles of AFC Ajax
7. Manchester United (3 UCL Titles)
Manchester United one of the greatest clubs in the world has won three Champions League titles. They looked like the best team in the world during their reign. Players like David Beckham, Ryan Gigs, and Wayne Rooney were part of the golden team when United lifted their 3rd European title. Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of this team is one of the greatest ever in the history of the sport. He introduced one of the recent footballing greats Cristiano Ronaldo in top-flight football, who was also part of that 2007-08 team.
Manchester United have also won the treble and enlisted themselves in an elite list in World Football. Since then they qualified for two Champions League finals but faced defeat against FC Barcelona.
Internazionale won two of their three trophies back in the 1960s. Since then, they have been having a disappointing year in and year out. Their recent UCL title was in 2009-10 when Jose Mourinho took charge. They were not the favourites in that season, yet they went on to win the UCL.
Jose Mourinho at that time was emerging as one of the best coaches in the world. He played typical defensive football, frustrating his opponents, which created mistakes. They capitalised on those mistakes and went on to win their 3rd Champions League. They defeated the heavyweights Barcelona in the semis and Bayern Munich in the final to clinch their title.
Internazionale's Title winning years
Winning Year
Opponent team
Scoreline
Venue
1963-64
Real Madrid
3-1
Vienna
1964-65
Benfica
1-0
Milan
2009-10
Bayern Munich
0-2
Madrid
All 3 titles of Inter Milan
Clubs with less than three Champions League titles:
Last season, Real Madrid went on to win the UEFA Champions League for a record 15th time. As we inch closer to this season's final, we take a look at the Champions League winners list since 1956.
The Champions League was earlier called the European Cup, and it started in 1955, and the first winner was Real Madrid. For the next 5 years, Real Madrid did not let anyone get close to the trophy.
Since then, 23 teams have won the glory, with Manchester City being the most recent one. As we get close to another UEFA Champions League final, we take a look at the Champions League winners list since 1965.
Real Madrid with their 15th UCL title in 2023-24 season.
The Champions League winners list since 1955/56 is:
1956 - Real Madrid 1957 - Real Madrid 1958 - Real Madrid 1959 - Real Madrid 1960 - Real Madrid 1961 - Benfica 1962 - Benfica 1963 - AC Milan 1964 - Inter Milan 1965 - Inter Milan 1966 - Real Madrid 1967 - Celtic 1968 - Manchester United 1969- AC Milan 1970- Feyenoord 1971 - Ajax 1972 - Ajax 1973 - Ajax 1974 - Bayern 1975 - Bayern 1976 - Bayern 1977 - Liverpool 1978 - Liverpool 1979 - Nottingham Forest 1980 - Nottingham Forest 1981 - Liverpool 1982 - Aston Villa 1983 - Hamburger SV| 1984 - Liverpool 1985 - Juventus FC 1986 - Steaua București 1987 - FC Porto 1988 - PSV 1989 - AC Milan 1990 - AC Milan 1991 - Red Star Belgrade 1992 - Barcelona 1993 - Olympique de Marseille 1994 - AC Milan 1995 - Ajax 1996 - Juventus FC 1997 - Borussia Dortmund 1998 - Real Madrid 1999 - Manchester United 2000 - Real Madrid 2001 - Bayern 2002 - Real Madrid 2003 - AC Milan 2004 - Porto 2005 - Liverpool 2006 - Barcelona 2007 - AC Milan 2008 - Manchester United 2009 - Barcelona 2010 - Inter Milan 2011 - Barcelona 2012 - Chelsea FC 2013 - Bayern Munich 2014 - Real Madrid 2015 - Barcelona 2016 - Real Madrid 2017 - Real Madrid 2018 - Real Madrid 2019 - Liverpool 2020 - Bayern Munich 2021 - Chelsea FC 2022 - Real Madrid 2023 - Manchester City 2024 - Real Madrid
Let's have a look at the teams with the most trophies since 1955/56:
Real Madrid x 15 AC Milan x 7 Bayern x 6 Liverpool FC x 6 FC Barcelona x 5 Ajax x 4 Inter x 3 Manchester United x 3 Juventus x 2 Benfica x 2 Nottingham Forest x 2 Porto x 2 Chelsea x 3 Celtic x 1 Hamburger SV x 1 Steaua București x 1 Olympique de Marseille x 1 Borussia Dortmund x 1 Feyenoord x 1 Aston Villa x 1 PSV x 1 Red Star Belgrade x 1 Manchester City x 1
AFC and CONCACAF Chiefs express concerns over 64-team World Cup expansion
AFC president, Shaikh Salman, and Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, have raised their voices against the proposal of expansion to a 64-team World Cup.
The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.
Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆
Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.
Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".
AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."
AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion
Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez. (Image Source | X)
In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.
Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.
🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆
Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.
Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:
We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President. (Image Source | X)
With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:
At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”
I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.
AFC president Sheikh Salman and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in 2022. (Image Source | X)
Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:
If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"
But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.
Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:
It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well,"
I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."
Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.
The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.
FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.
The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.