The Invincibles: 8 times a football team won their league undefeated

Winning a league title is a huge achievement for any club. However, to win it without losing a single match in a season is almost unthinkable. It is no surprise that the list of teams who have achieved this feat over the last century is just a few. Some incredible teams with never say die mentality have achieved this feat and etched their names in football history. In this article, we'll look at eight teams who have won their respective leagues as the Invincibles.

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The Invincibles: 8 times a football team won their league undefeated

1. Preston North End - 1888-89

Preston North End was the first team in the history of football to win the league by remaining unbeaten till the end of the season. They won 18 games and drew four which gave them a huge 11-point lead over second-placed Aston Villa. Preston's biggest victory came against Notts County F.C. by a huge 7-0 margin. They also won the FA Cup beating Wolves by 3-0 in the Final to make their season even more successful.

2. Athletic Club - 1929-30

Athletic won their first-ever league title and that too without even a single loss in the 1929-30 season under the coaching of Frederick Pentland. A total of 10 teams contested the league and Athletic Bilbao finished at the top of the table with a 7-point lead over second-finished Barcelona. Guillermo Gorostiza scored 20 goals in 18 games to help his side finish at the top with 12 wins and six draws.

3. Real Madrid - 1931-32

Real Madrid won their first Primera Division title in the 1931-32 season after remaining unbeaten till the end of the season. The Madrid-based club managed to score a total of 28 points, winning 10 and drawing the other eight of their 18 league games. They finished three points ahead of second-placed Athletic Bilbao. Their biggest victory in that season came against Deportivo Alaves by a huge 5-0 margin

4. AC Milan - 1991-92

AC Milan in the 90's was something different. In the 1991/92 season, Milan went on an unbeaten season run, writing their names in the history books. Fabio Capello led his side, achieving such a remarkable feat. Milan won three Serie A titles in a row between 1991 and 1994. This Milan was stacked with some talented players like Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Paolo Maldini, Frank Rijkaard, and many more. Milan won 22 of the 34 matches in the league, scoring 74 goals in the Invincibles' season. The Rossoneri went on a 58-match unbeaten run across seasons, a Serie A record to date.

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5. AFC Ajax - 1994-95

Between 1994 and 1996, the Ajax team was star-struck with the likes of Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Frank de Boer, and many more. This team went on a 52-game unbeaten streak, winning the Eredivisie twice, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup, all in the year 1995. They won 27 matches and drew 7 of 34 total matches to finish with 61 points. This was their record 25th league title and Litmanen-Kluivert shared 35 goals among the 106 Ajax scored that season in the Eredivisie.

6. Arsenal FC - 2003-04

Arsenal are the second club in English football to have ever achieved this feat. The greatest manager in the history of the Gunners, Arsene Wenger was a revolutionary tactician for English football. He led Arsenal to produce that invincible season which is still the peak of that football club. Arsenal won the league with 90 points and received a special gold trophy for their magical season. Arsene Wenger received the trophy as a parting gift from the club after his last home game as manager on 6th May 2018. A lot of greats like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, and Patrick Viera were part of that Invincible season.

7. Juventus FC - 2011-12

Juventus were relegated from the Italian top flight in 2006 and six years later, they won the Serie A being the Invincibles, an achievement of a lifetime. Then they went on to win nine titles in a row. The Italian giants won the league with 84 points. Antonio Conte was behind producing that famous season for Juventus and lots of credit should go to him. This was their first legitimate league title since 2003. They had initially won two Serie A titles in the 2004–05 season and 2005–06 season but lost both as a result of the famous Calciopoli scandal.

8. Bayer Leverkusen 

Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen created history in the 2023/24 season as they went undefeated in the Bundesliga and clinched their maiden league title as well. They broke the longest-running unbeaten streak in European football history while breaking many more German records. 

Bayer Leverkusen scored 89 goals in the 28 games and came back from losing the games on many occasions. In 34 games in the league, Bayer won 28 of them and drew only six times. Victor Boniface was their top scorer in the league with 14 goals while Alejandro Grimaldo was the top assist provider with 13 assists. 

Leverkusen now have the opportunity to win the treble and remain unbeaten in the whole season with the Europa League final against Atalanta in Dublin on 22 May, followed by the DFB Cup final against Kaiserslautern three days later.