The UEFA Champions League is known for pitting the best teams in Europe against each other. The competition has undergone changes in its format since its inception, but the ultimate goal remains the same: to be crowned the best club in Europe.
The question of whether a team can win the Champions League without defeating any league champions is multifaceted. To fully address this, it's important to consider the historical context and the evolution of the tournament's qualification rules.
Prior to the 1997-98 season, only league champions were eligible to participate in the Champions League (formerly known as the European Cup). This meant that every team in the competition had already proven themselves to be the best in their respective domestic leagues. Under this format, it was impossible to win the Champions League without beating at least one league champion.
However, the competition format changed in 1997-98 to allow teams that were not champions of their domestic league to compete. This expansion of the tournament created the theoretical possibility of a team winning the Champions League without defeating a league champion along the way.
While it is now possible for a team that didn't win its domestic league to qualify for the Champions League, it is still very difficult to win the competition without beating any league champions. The knockout stages of the Champions League typically feature several teams that have won their domestic leagues. To win the tournament, a team would likely have to defeat some of these champions.
Despite the changes in format, no team has ever won the Champions League without having won their own domestic league first.
Real Madrid holds the record for the most Champions League titles, with 15 victories. They are followed by AC Milan with 7 titles, and Bayern Munich and Liverpool with 6 titles each. Spanish clubs have the most victories overall, with 20 wins.
Several teams have gone unbeaten throughout their Champions League-winning campaigns. These include:
It's also worth noting that since 2008, no team has won the Champions League without knocking either Real Madrid or Barcelona out of the competition. This statistic highlights the dominance of these two Spanish giants in European football. In 2025, Paris Saint-Germain won their first title, defeating Inter Milan 5-0.
