Despite Spanish dominance in European football, English teams also have an enviable reputation at the highest level. Premier League teams like Liverpool and Manchester United boast many UCL trophies.
In the history of the Champions League, five English teams (Man United, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and recently Manchester City) have won it.
To date, Liverpool is the most successful English Premier League team in the Champions League, ‘The Reds’ have won six trophies, with their most recent victory in 2019.
Man United is the second most successful EPL team in the UCL and has won three titles (twice under Sir Alex Ferguson).
6. Manchester City
After an initial failed attempt to lift the continent trophy, Man City earned their first UCL title following the 1-0 defeat of Inter Milan at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in the 2022/23 final
5. Aston Villa – 1 Title
Aston Villa is one of the five English Premier League teams that have won the Champions League (European Cup). The Villans lifted their first title in the 1981–82 season.
Aston Villa edged Bayern Munich to lift the trophy at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in front of 39,776 spectators.
4. Chelsea – 2 Titles
Chelsea became a force to reckon with in 2011–12, when they had some of the best legs in Europe, including Didier Drogba, Lampard, and Ashley Cole.
Roberto Di Matteo did a great job despite leading Chelsea in the competition as caretaker manager. The Italian manager won the club’s first-ever Champions League following their triumph against Bayern Munich on penalties.
The Blues tasted the UCL for the second time in nine years, led by German manager Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea defeated Manchester City in the finals at Estádio do Dragão in Porto.
The German also took the club to win its first-ever FIFA World Cup trophy after failing to do so in their previous attempt.
3. Nottingham Forest – 2 Titles
Nottingham Forest was a strong force in English football. The Forest won two European Cups in 1979 and 1980. This was the club’s most successful period.
Nottingham Forest brushed aside two-time European Cup winners Liverpool in the First Round and went on to win their first European Cup trophy with the defeat of Malmö FF in the final.
The Forest made it back-to-back European Cup trophies.
2. Manchester United – 3 Titles
Man United won the European Cup three times, ranking second among English teams with the most titles in the competition.
The Red Devils won their first title in 1967–68 in the defeat of Benfica. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United won two titles and finished runners-up twice.
1. Liverpool – 6 Titles
Liverpool is the most successful English team in the UCL and has one of the most outstanding performances, with six titles. The most recent title was in 2019 when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the final.