European giants Bayern Munich and Manchester United will lock horns at the Allianz Arena for their opening Group A fixture in the Champions League 2023-24 season. The two teams last met in a competitive fixture nine years ago when Bayern were the 3-1 winners in a quarter-final second-leg tie, while they last faced each other in the group stage back in 2001.
Bayern won their opening three Bundesliga games of the new season. But their 100% start came to an end when they were forced to settle for just a point in a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena to Bayer Leverkusen last Friday. Head coach Thomas Tuchel will serve a touchline suspension on Wednesday as he received a red card against Manchester City last season.
Man United boss Erik ten Hag was hoping to change the momentum of the team but his side was booed off in a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last week. It hasn't been a good start for the Red Devils as they had to take the loss in three matches out of five. The game against Bayern will be surely the toughest match of this season until now.
This will be the 12th competitive meeting between Bayern Munich and Manchester United. All of the previous 11 meetings were in the UEFA Champions League. Five of those have been played at Bayern's home, a fixture the Germans have never lost (W3 D2).
The Red Devils have a special memory of the 1999 UCL final in Barcelona, which the English side won 2-1 with two last-gasp goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
The European giants last met in the Champions League quarter-finals back in 2013-14. After a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the first leg, Bayern won the second leg at the Allianz Arena 3-1. Mario Mandžukić, Thomas Müller, and Arjen Robben scored their goals, to cancel out Patrice Evra's banger.
Team News
Bayern Munich:
The German side doesn't have any serious injury concerns. The new summer signing, Harry Kane is in fiery form and he will face his former rival side in the opening game. The fans were not happy with Bayern's display in the last game. They would love to see a complete performance when their team will welcome the Red Devils. One of the key men for the German side would surely be Sane. A very tactical and technically gifted winner who can cause trouble for United especially when they are struggling with their two main wingback's injuries. Kimmich will surely start in the midfield alongside Goretzka and Musiala.
Kimmich and Kane Image - Getty
Bayern has players who can hurt any team after coming off the bench at the right time. Muller could also start like he did in the last game. It will be interesting to see which defensive pair Tuchel will start against the Red Devils especially when they have too many options. This should be an easy match for Bayern as United are having a tough time both on and off the pitch but they cannot take the English Giant lightly.
Manchester United:
United are just going through a very bad phase at this time. And day by day, it's getting worse for them. The new signing, Amrabat is already injured so he will not be available till December at least. On the other side, AWB also sustained an injury which will keep him out for the next two months. Last season's best Manchester United player after Rashford, Luke Shaw is also injured. Malacia and Kobe Mainoo are also not available while Antony going through investigations will keep him out for a long time. English International, Sancho's behavioral issues have kept him out of the squad and it's not improving for now.
Rasmus Højlund Image - Manchester United
The fans are upset with Ten Hag's coaching but it's just getting tougher every day. A whole bunch of players are out with injuries or something else and everyone is expecting them to turn the table. Varane and Mount are training but they will not travel with the squad for obvious reasons. They are not match fit for now and it will surely take a week or two to happen.
Danish International, Rasmus Højlund showed some excellent moves in the last match against Brighton and scored a goal which was disallowed for Rashford's late pass he showed positive signs and Ten Hag has to start him over anyone. Lindelof and Martinez will be the defensive pair with Casemiro, Bruno, and Eriksen in the midfield. Rashford will start in his natural left-wing position but he has to act decisive at the right moment.
Champions League 2023-24: Bayern Munich vs Manchester United | Possible Lineups
Bayern Munich Expected Starting Lineup: Ulreich; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Manchester United Expected Starting Lineup: Onana; Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Reguilon; Casemiro, Eriksen; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Champions League 2023-24: Bayern Munich vs Manchester United | Fantasy XI
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.
Fabian Ruiz takes his chance with a left-footed effort from the outside of the box.
It was bit akward for Costa. But, he made a good save going down to his left.
Jun 8, 2025, 8:15 PM
54' | Mendes is a beast
Nuno Mendes has been clinical against Yamal so far. He has won all the battles against the wonderkid. Portugal dominating, but Spain are looking relaxed.
Neto was looking for Ronaldo with the lobbed cross, but Spain defenders had cut the angle for him. The cross went over the goal
Jun 8, 2025, 7:34 PM
33' | Yellow card
Yellow card for Ruiz for fouling Pedro Neto, to stop Portugal's counterattack.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:30 PM
29' | Chance for Nico
Yamal again picked out Nico inside the box with a lobbed ball. But with Costa coming in, Nico could not be on target with the defection.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:28 PM
VAR check
A VAR check was done to check if Ronaldo was offside, leading to the goal. Goal given.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:28 PM
26' | MMMMMEEEENNNNNNNNNDESSSSS | POR 1-1 ESP
Nuno Mendes equalises for Portugal.
A quick one and two, and Nuno Mendes, with the space given at the left of the box, struck powerfully to score his first-ever International goal.
Portugal 1-1 Spain.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:26 PM
25' | Excellent from Dias
Cucurella found Nico on the left. As Nico was making an entry inside the box, Dias won the physical battle and won the goal kick for Portugal as well.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:24 PM
21' | ZZUUUUUUUBBIIIIIMMMEEENDDDIIII | POR 0-1 ESP
Martin Zubimendi scores for Spain.
Yamal's lobbed ball for Nico was not cleared well by Portugal defenders and Costa. Zubimendi, at the right place at the right time, just tapped the ball inside the goal for Spain's first.
Portugal 0-1 Spain
Jun 8, 2025, 7:22 PM
Yamal shows his trick as well
Jun 8, 2025, 7:21 PM
The master showing how it is done!
Jun 8, 2025, 7:20 PM
19' | Yellow card
Yellow card for Inácio for an elbow on Oyarzabal.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:18 PM
17' | So close
Yamal's cross pass found Nico on the left. Nico made a quick cut back before going for the goal with a curling right-footed shot.
But the ball did not curl enough for him to give Spain the lead.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:18 PM
17' | So close
Yamal's cross pass found Nico on the left. Nico made a quick cut back before going for the goal with a curling right-footed shot.
But the ball did not curl enough for him to give Spain the lead.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:16 PM
15' | He should have scored
Nico with an accurate cut-back pass, Pedri, running at it, missed the goal with the effort.
Hue miss.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:14 PM
14' | Yamal misses the tager
Pedri left it for the 17-year-old to go for the goal with the free-kick. His kick went over the goal.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:13 PM
13' | Yamal is here
As I was saying, Yamal runs through Silva and Mendes, Silva stopped him, he won the ball again and won a free-kick from the edge of the box as Bruno fouled him.
Jun 8, 2025, 7:11 PM
10' | Patience game
Both teams are waiting for the mistake from other team.
Mendes tried to stitch an attack for Portugal, while Nico and Fermin looked to build up for Spain.
Starting XI: Unai Simón, Robin Le Normand, Fabián Ruiz, Nico Williams, Dean Huijsen, Óscar Mingueza, Martín Zubimendi, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella.
Subs: David Raya, Álex Remiro, Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Dani Vivian, Mikel Merino, Álvaro Morata, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Yéremy Pino, Álex Baena, Alejandro Grimaldo, Isco, Fermín López, Samuel Omorodion.
Jun 8, 2025, 5:55 PM
Lineups | Portugal
Lineups: Diogo Costa; João Neves, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes; Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Francisco Conceição, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Neto.
Subs: José Sá, Rui Silva, Diogo Dalot, Renato Veiga, António Silva, Nélson Semedo, Rodrigo Mora, João Palhinha, Rafael Leão, Rúben Neves, Gonçalo Ramos, Francisco Trincão, Diogo Jota, João Félix, Pedro Gonçalves.
05/09/24: Portugal 2-1 Croatia 08/09/24: Portugal 2-1 Scotland 12/10/24: Poland 1-3 Portugal 15/10/24: Scotland 0-0 Portugal 15/11/24: Portugal 5-1 Poland 18/11/24: Croatia 1-1 Portugal 20/03/25: Denmark 1-0 Portugal 23/03/25: Portugal 5-2 Denmark (agg: 5-3, aet) 04/06/25: Germany 1-2 Portugal
Jun 8, 2025, 5:04 PM
Portugal vs Spain: Head-to-head stats
Team
Wins
Draws
Matches
Goals Scored
Spain
18
6
40
47
Portugal
16
6
40
81
Jun 8, 2025, 5:04 PM
Tonight's Venue | Munich Football arena
Jun 8, 2025, 5:02 PM
How to watch the match?
Indian fans can watch the Portugal vs Spain, UEFA Nations League 2025 final match on Sony Sports Network channels on television. Moreover, they can also enjoy the match LIVE on Sony LIV with a paid subscription. The match will also be streamed LIVE on Jio TV.
Till now, 9 European clubs (Under UEFA) have managed to win a treble, which includes the premier national league competition, the main national cup competition, and the UEFA Champions League/UEFA Europa League.
In football, a team wins a treble when they win three major trophies in a single season. Winning the continental treble means winning the premier national league competition, the main national cup competition, and the main continental trophy, for UEFA, which is the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League.
Though winning the Europa League is also considered a treble, it is not accepted wholeheartedly by the pundits and fans as winning the UEFA Champions League.
Till now, 9 European clubs have been able to win the continental treble. Before we discuss all the European treble winners in men's football history, we must know about the types of Trebles we have in football.
Barcelona is the only club to win multiple trebles with both their men's and women's team, completing the feat in 2024.
Continental treble
This is considered the actual treble in football where a team go on to win the national league, national cup competition and the main continental trophy. Celtic Football Club in 1966-67 became the first team in football history to win a Continental treble. Till now, 22 men's teams have won the Continental Treble, with 30 being the total number of times. In Europe, only 8 football teams have been able to accomplish the feat.
Domestic treble
Generally, for most of the footballing nations, winning a domestic treble is not possible since they do not allow first-division teams to win any secondary cup or league. A domestic treble includes winning three national competitions, including the national league title, the national cup competition, and one secondary competition. Countries which were under British or French possessions once allowed domestic trebles to happen. Celtic with 8 domestic trebles, and Rangers, with 7, are the most successful teams when it comes to winning domestic trebles.
European treble winners in men's football history
1. Celtic | 1966-67
Celtic team with their 1966-67 European Cup trophy. Image | Celtic Star
In the 1966-67 season, Celtic became the first team ever to win the continental treble when they won the Scottish Football League, Scottish Cup and European Cup (UEFA Champions League now).
Celtic with 58 points in the Scottish Football League went past Rangers to clinch the national league. In the Scottish Cup, they defeated Aberdeen Football Club by 2-0 in the final to win the trophy. William Wallace was the goalscorer for them in the final.
In the European Cup, Celtic defeated Inter Milan by 2-1 in Lisbon to become the first-ever Treble winner in football history. Thomas Gemmell and Thomas Chalmers were the scorers for Cletic that day.
2. 1971-72 | Ajax
Ajax 1971-72 team that won the European Treble | Image: X
Ajax, the football club from the Netherlands became the second European team to win the treble in the 1971-72 season. They won the Eredivisie, their national league and then won the KNVB Cup and later on won the European Cup to complete their treble. That season, Ajax were nearly the invincible team losing just one game in the whole season.
In the Eredivisie, Johan Cruyff became their top goal scorer with 25 goals. Ajax with 63 points, 8 points cleared Feijenoord in the second position. In the KNVB Cup, they defeated FC Den Haag in the final by 3-2 to win the cup. Cruyff had scored the opener in that game also and scored three goals in the tournament.
In the European Cup, they defeated Inter Milan by 2-0 with Johan Cruyff scoring a brace for them. In all together Cruyff had scored 33 goals for them that season in the three tournaments.
In the 1987-88 season, PSV became the second team from the Netherlands to win the historical treble. That season they won the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup and the European Cup. They won their 10th Eredivisie title with 59 points, 9 points clear of Ajax in the league table. Wim Kieft scored 29 goals in that season for PSV in the league.
In the KNVB Cup final they defeated Roda JC by 3-2 in the extra time. Then, they went on to win the European Cup by defeating Benfica in the final by a 6-5 penalty shootout. Ronald Koeman came out as one of the standout performers for PSV that season.
Manchester United players with their 1999 UEFA Champions League trophy. Image | FC Barcelona
It took 11 more years for any team to win the European Treble and Manchester United became the first team from England to achieve that feat. United, under Sir Alex Ferguson won the Premier League, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League after not winning any trophies in the previous season. The treble is regarded as the achievement in his career, and he was awarded the knighthood in November 1999 after that success.
They won the Premier League with 79 points, 1 point more than Arsenal. Dwight Yorke with 18 goals was their and League's joint-highest goal scorer in that season. In the FA Cup, despite facing difficult opponents throughout the tournament, Ferguson's men kept on fighting back, and after two semi-final replays against Arsenal and a final against Newcastle United, they won the FA Cup. Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham scored for them in a 2-0 win in the final.
In the Champions League, they were drawn into the group of death alongside FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Brondby. They qualified for the knockouts as the runner-up from the group and defeated Inter Milan and Juventus in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively, before beating FC Bayern Munich in a historic comeback in the final. In front of 91000 people in Barcelona, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in the added minutes to hand Manchester United a terrific 2-1 win over Bayern.
Barcelona players with their 2009 UEFA Champions League trophy. Image | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona in the 2008-09 season became the first Spanish team to win the European Treble. Under their former captain, and Barcelona B coach Pep Guardiola, the Spanish giants reached their peak in that season winning the La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. They are still the only Spanish team to win the European Treble.
After selling players like Deco and Ronaldinho, Barcelona started to reorganise their shape as a club and Lionel Messi alongside Samuel Eto'o became their hero at the front. They won La Liga with 87 points, 9 points clear of Real Madrid. Samuel Eto'o with 30 goals in the league was their top scorer.
In the Copa del Rey final, they defeated Athletic Bilbao by 4-1 as Yaya Toure, Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Bojan scored for them after conceding an early goal.
In the 2008-09 Champions League, Barcelona had to clear the qualifying round first to enter the group stage. They defeated Wisła Kraków in a two-legged qualifying round before entering the group stage alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP and Basel.
That header from Lionel Messi that saw FC Barcelona win the 2009 Champions League.
They topped the group stage and then went on to beat Lyon, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea in the knockouts before beating Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the final in Rome. Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi scored one goal each as Barcelona scripted history. Messi finished with 38 goals in all competitions that season. That season saw Lionel Messi win his first Ballon d'Or award with a record margin of 240 points than second-position Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barcelona in 2009 became the first team to win a "sextuple" in European football history.
6. 2009-10 | Inter Milan
Inter Milan players after their historical 2009-10 European Treble
Right after Barcelona's historical 2008-09 season, Inter Milan created their history as they became the first and still the only Italian team to win the European treble. They were the sixth European Treble winners in the men's football history. It was the "special one", Jose Mourinho's second and last season with the club that helped the Italian giants create history.
After a historical season with FC Barcelona, Samuel Eto'o was swapped with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and was sold to Inter Milan. Eto'o that season went on to become the only player to win back-to-back European Treble. That season Inter Milan won their fifth consecutive Serie A title, Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League.
They first won the Coppa Italia by beating Roma in the final. Diego Militao scored the lone goal for them in the final. Then, they won the Serie A on the final match day with 82 points, 2 points more than Roma.Diego Militao scored 22 goals in the league season for them.
In the UEFA Champions League, they were clubbed with Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv and Rubin Kazan and progressed to the knockout stage as the runner-up of the group. In the knockouts, they defeated Chelsea, CSKA Moscow and Barcelona before winning 2-0 against Bayern Munich in the final. Militao scored a brace for them and won the player of the match award as well.
FC Bayern Munich with the UEFA Champions League 2012-13 trophy
In the 2012-13 season, FC Bayern Munich became the first and only German team to win the European Treble. Under head coach Jupp Heynckes, they won their 22nd Bundesliga title, and 5th UEFA Champions League title alongside the DFB-Pokal title.
Before the season they brought in players like Xherdan Shaqiri, Dante, Claudio Pizarro, Mitchell Weiser, Tom Starke and Mario Mandzukic alongside Javi Martinez for a then-record signing fee.
In the league, they acquired a record-breaking 91 points as Mario Mandzukic finished with 15 goals against his name. In the DFB-Pokal, they defeated VfB Stuttgart in the final by 3-2 as Mario Gomez scored a brace for them.
In the Champions League, they were grouped with Valencia, BATE Borisov and Lille. They moved to the next stage as the group champions and then faced Arsenal, Juventus and Barcelona in the knockouts. In an all-German final, they defeated Borrusia Dortmund by 2-1 to complete their treble. Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben scored for them in the final.
8. 2014-15 | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona players after winning the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League. Image | FC Barcelona
Under head coach Luis Enrique, FC Barcelona in the 2014-15 season became the first team in European football history to win the treble more than once. In the summer, Barcelona signed Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez which helped them create one of the most successful trios in football history in M-S-N with Messi, Suarez and Neymar. They had also signed Marc-André ter Stegen and Ivan Rakitic same season.
They won the La Liga narrowly with 94 points, 2 points clear of Real Madrid. Lionel Messi (43) was outscored by Cristiano Ronaldo (48) in the league that season. Neymar also scored 22 goals for Barcelona in the league that season.
In the Copa del Rey final, they defeated Athletic by 3-1 as Messi scored a brace and Neymar netted once.
In the Champions League, they faced PSG, Ajax and APOEL in the group stage and advanced to the knockout stage as the champions of the group. They then went on to beat Manchester City, PSG and Bayern Munich before beating Juventus by 3-1 in the final. Neymar, Rakitic and Suarez scored in that final. Messi with 58 goals in all competitions was their top scorer. After that performance, Messi went on to beat Ronaldo and Neymar to win his 5th Ballon d'Or.
9. 2019-20 | FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich won their second European Treble in the 2019-20 season
Post Barca's remarkable success in the 2014-15 season, German club FC Bayern Munich went on to equal their records as the second team in European Football history to win the treble more than once. Under coach Hansi Flick they went on to become the second team in European football to win the "sextuple".
Niko Kovac was the manager for FC Bayern Munich when they started the season, and then Hansi Flick was named as the interim manager. In a season hit by Covid-19, Bayern were forced to play behind closed doors.
However, that did not restrict them from being their brutal best. Robert Lewandowski broke the record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season (34) as Bayern lifted the league for the 29th time.
In the DFB-Pokal final, they defeated Bayer Leverkusen by 4-2 as Robert Lewandowski scored a brace for them.
In the UEFA Champions League round of 16, they defeated Chelsea. Then, they humiliated Barcelona by an 8-2 win (the biggest margin in a UEFA Champions League knockout game) and thrashed Lyon by 3-0 before beating PSG by 1-0 in the final. Kingsley Coman scored the all-important goal for them in the final.
10. 2022-23 | Manchester City
Manchester City with their first-ever Champions League trophy in 2022-23 season
In the 2022-23 season, Manchester City became the second English team and 8th overall team to win a European Treble. Pep Guardiola created one of his records as he became the first coach in European history to win the treble more than once.
Manchester City were coming into the season as the Premier League defending champions and signed players like Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips and Julian Alvarez to strengthen their squad. Erling Haaland went on to break the record for the most Premier League goals scored in a single season as he scored 35 goals in the whole season. City went on to win their 7th Premier League title with 89 points.
In the FA Cup final, City's captain Iikay Gundogan scored the fastest goal in the FA Cup final's history as they defeated Manchester United by 2-0 in the final.
The Haaland riot continued in the UEFA Champions League as well as he scored four goals against RB Leipzig in the round of 16. They then went on to beat Bayern in the quarters and Real Madrid in the semis before beating Inter Milan in the final by 1-0. Rodri scored the lone goal for them in the final and was named player of the final as well.
Erling Haaland scored 52 goals in his 53 games for Manchester City that season. However, despite that performance, he could not beat Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or trophy.
11. 2024-25 | PSG
PSG became the latest team to win the European treble under Luis Enrique as they clinched their first-ever Champions League trophy, and also lifted the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France trophies.
In Ligue 1, they clinched the French Championship with 84 points, as Ousmane Dembele, with 21 goals, won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot.
In the Coupe de France final, they defeated Reims by 3-0 as Bradley Barcola scored a brace and Achraf Hakimi scored another goal to seal the win.
In their historic Champions League season, Dembele finished as their top scorer of the season while Desire Doue scored a stunning brace to help them lift the title. Achraf Hakimi scored in all quarters, the semis and the final to become one of the heroes for them.
With this win, Luis Enrique became the second manager to win two European trebles with two different teams.
Football facts: Players with most Champions League finals without winning it ever
From Lautaro Martinez's recent heartbreak to Gianluigi Buffon's three final losses, explore the players with most Champions League finals without winning it ever. Here's to the players who came so close, but never won.
The pain of a Champions League final defeat is a feeling few footballers will ever experience. But for some, that crushing disappointment has become an all too familiar nightmare.
The recent 2025 final saw Lautaro Martinez experience this heartbreak, joining a list of legendary players who have been extremely close to European glory, not once, but multiple times.
Check out the list of players with most Champions League finals without winning it ever.
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus) | 3 Finals
Gianluigi Buffon walking past the trophy with runners-up medal after their loss in 2017 UCL finals. Image | BBC
One of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, Gianluigi Buffon was the extraordinary last line of defence for Juventus for many years. He reached the finals 3 times out of which twice he led the the team as a captain, and lost all of them.
2003 Final: Faced AC Milan that ended 0-0 after extra time, where Buffon made a crucial save from Filippo Inzaghi in the normal time. However, Juventus ultimately lost 3-2 on penalties.
2015Final: Led Juventus againstBarcelona and faced a 3-1 defeat, despite a commendable performance.
2017 Final: Lost 4-1 against Real Madrid and it was painful as the opponent dominanted completely in the second-half.
Paolo Montero in 2003 Champions League final. Image | Juvefc.com
Paolo Montero was a key central defender of Juventus' backline during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He too reached the finals thrice and never tasted victory in any of the Champions League finals.
1997 Final: Juventus were the defending champions in this season, and was unable to control Borussia Dortmund, lost 3-1 in the finals.
1998 Final: Lost 1-0 vs Real Madrid in a tense final, which marked their second consecutive final defeat.
2003 Final: Battled AC Milan to a 0-0 draw and eventually lost 3-2 in penalties.
Alessio Tacchinardi (Italy, Juventus) | 3 Finals
Alessio Tacchinardi playing for Juventus in 2003 UCL final. Image | Getty
Another player of Juventus, Alessio Tacchinardi, a hardworking midfielder, finds his place in this list with 3 final defeats. He also has the same story as Montero, with disappointing losses in the years 1997, 1998, and 2003.
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina, Inter Milan) | 2 Finals
Lautaro Martinez walking past the UCL Cup with runners-up medal after losing against PSG in the final. Image | Facebook
The Argentinian striker, Lautaro Martinez is Inter Milan's attacking shepherd and captain. He made his way up in this list with their recent loss in the 2025 Champions League final against PSG. He was a part of 2 finals and lost both the times.
2023 Final: Despite great efforts, lost 1-0 toManchester City in a thrilling final. Martinez had a chance to equalize but couldn't convert, a moment that lingered in the memory for Inter fans.
2025 Final: A heavy 5-0 loss against Paris Saint-Germain which added a second layer to his final setbacks.
Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid) | 2 Finals
Antoine Griezmann in 2016 Champions League final. Image | BBC
Antoine Griezmann was the creative heartbeat and primary attacking threat for Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid during their golden era. He reached the finals 2 times with this side and met with defeats every time.
2014 Final: Faced cross city rivals Real Madrid in a dramatic final, and lost 4-1.
2016 Final: Another defeat against Real Madrid, where they lost 5-4 (Juanfran missed the decisive penalty) in penalties after a 1-1 draw.
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.