Top Five teams with the most UEFA Champions League Final appearances

The UEFA Champions League is the biggest club competition in the world. It is the biggest ambition for several European clubs. Qualifying for the competition takes a huge effort. One has to either win their domestic league, place in top positions, win a trophy or go through rigorous qualifying fixtures to simply enter it. However, some elite clubs from Europe have made it a habit to perform well in the UCL. Reaching the final of the competition is beyond any fluke, it takes proper consistent effort. The 2022-23 season of the UCL Final will see Inter Milan and Manchester City clash for the trophy. Manchester City last reached the Final in the 2020-21 season while Internazionale last appeared in 2009-10 under Mourinho when they won their third UCL title. In this article, we'll talk about the Top Five teams with the most UEFA Champions League Final appearances.

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Champions League Final stats:

A total of 22 clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup. Real Madrid hold the record for the most titles. They have won the competition fourteen times, including the inaugural edition. They have also won the competition the most consecutive times, with five straight titles from 1956 to 1960. Juventus have been runners-up the most times, losing seven finals. Atlético Madrid is the only team to reach three finals without having won the trophy while Reims and Valencia have finished as runners-up twice without winning. Spain has provided the most champions, with nineteen titles from two clubs. England have produced fourteen winners from a record five clubs and Italy have produced twelve winners from three clubs. The current champions are Real Madrid, who defeated Liverpool 1–0 in the 2022 final for a record-extending fourteenth title

Teams with the most UEFA Champions League Final appearances (Top Five):

5. FC Barcelona – 8 appearances

FC Barcelona has reached the final of the UEFA Champions League on eight occasions. The La Liga giant has won five of those eight finals, becoming the fifth most successful club in the competition. They are also the fifth club to win five or more UCL titles. The last time they won the UCL was during the 2014-15 edition. Former manager Luis Enrique led the team to UCL glory by defeating Juventus FC in the final.

4. Juventus FC – 9 appearances

Juventus FC is Italy's most successful club in terms of Serie A wins. But, the club is heavily unfortunate when it comes to the UEFA Champions League. Despite making it to nine finals, they have won only two UCL trophies, which is surprising for a club of its stature. The last time Juventus won the UCL was way back in 1995-96. The gap of almost 27 years looks unfavourable to their reputation as a European force.

3. Liverpool FC – 10 appearances

Liverpool are England's most successful club in Europe, by miles. The club made their 10th final appearance in the UCL in the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, they lost to Real Madrid by 1-0. In terms of winning the European championship, Liverpool have six trophies in their cabinet. Their last title came in 2018-19 after they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the final under Jurgen Klopp.

2. AC Milan & FC Bayern Munich – 11 appearances

There are two teams tied in second place with 11 final appearances. One is AC Milan, which are the second most successful club in the Champions League. The Serie A giants have seven Champions League titles and their last final appearance was way back in 2006-07 when they also won the title under Carlo Ancelotti.

The second team with 11 final appearances in the UCL are FC Bayern Munich. The German Bundesliga powerhouse have six Champions League titles in their history. Winning the European trophy is the main objective of the club every season. Their last final appearance came during the 2019-20 edition when they defeated Paris Saint-Germain by 1-0 in the final under Hansi Flick.

1. Real Madrid – 17 appearances

Real Madrid are the leader when it comes to UEFA Champions League success. They are the most consistent and successful club in the history of Champions League competition. The club has made it to 17 finals, the most. Moreover, Los Blancos have 14 titles to their name, which is also a record. In fact, no other club has UCL titles in double digits.

Real Madrid reached the final in the 2021-22 edition for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. That was also the season when the club won their third consecutive UCL title by beating Liverpool FC in the final. 2021-22 turned out the same as they defeated Liverpool once again.

Teams with the most UEFA Champions League Final appearances (Top Ten):