Which clubs have been to the Champions League final the most?

• Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will be playing in the UEFA Champions League final in London next month
• With millions of football fans waiting for the D-Day, we’ve decided to take a look a the teams that have played the most Champions League finals 
• Real Madrid leads the way having been in 18 finals

On 1 June, the two best clubs from Europe this year will be playing in the UEFA Champions League final in London, England. La Liga giants Real Madrid will be taking on Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in the highly anticipated final.

With millions of football fans waiting for the D-Day, we’ve decided to dig into past events and bring you a list of the clubs that have made the most appearances in the Champions League final. Without wasting much time let’s get started.

This year’s UEFA Champions League final will see Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund face each other in London. Photo/ UEFA.com.

1. Real Madrid – 18

Whether you love or hate them, there’s no denying the fact that Real Madrid are the greatest football club in the world. They have been successful over the years, which is one of the reasons why most of the top players in the world such as Kylian Mbappe dream of playing at Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid have been to the final of the Champions League a record eighteen times, losing only four times. They were champions in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. They won again in 1960 but had to wait until 1998 before starting another era of dominance. Since 1998, the Los Blancos have won all the finals they’ve played in.

2. AC Milan – 11

AC Milan was the first Italian club to win the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. They did so in 1963, which was the second time they reached the final having lost the 1958 edition. Milan were powerhouses of European football in the 1990s and 2000s as they won four titles during that period (1990, 1994, 2004, 2007).

In total, AC Milan have won seven Champions League finals, with the last one being in 2007 under current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

AC Milan have played in eleven Champions League finals. Photo/ UEFA.com.

3. Bayern Munich – 11

Bayern Munich narrowly missed out on this year’s Champions League final after losing to Real Madrid in the second leg of their semi-final tie played at Santiago Bernabeu. The Bavarians took a lead early in the second half but somehow allowed Real Madrid to score two quick goals in the last minutes and proceed to the final.

While it was heartbreaking to their fans, they console themselves by believing that they’ll just reach another final. Bayern have been to the final of the Champions League eleven times, winning the first three (1974, 1975, 1976). Since the turn of the century, the German side have been to six finals, winning three.

4. Liverpool – 10

England’s most successful club Liverpool have also showed their prowess when playing in Europe. The Reds have been to the final of Europe’s top club competition ten times. In their first ever final in 1977, they secured victory under the guidance of the legendary Bob Paisley. They would then appear in the final in 1978, 1981 and 1984, securing victories.

Since 1985, Liverpool had to wait until 2005 before reaching another final, which they won. The Reds were once again in the final in 2007, 2018, 2019 and 2022, winning the 2019 final under manager Jurgen Klopp.

5. Juventus – 9 

Juventus have struggled to remain at the top in recent years but that doesn’t change the fact that they are one of the biggest clubs in football history. The Italian side has been a powerhouse in Europe since the 1970s when they reached their first Champions League final. Since then, they have played in the final in 1983, 1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2015 and 2017.

However, they only triumphed in two occasions – 1985 and 1986. Juve are currently putting faith in young players as they attempt to return to the top of European football.

6. FC Barcelona – 8

Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015. Photo/ Sky Sports.

Closing our list of clubs that have played in the Champions League final the most is FC Barcelona. According to our research, the Catalans have played in eight finals of Europe’s top premier club competition. They first reached the final in 1961, which they lost. They were handed defeat again in 1986 before winning the 1992 edition.

Barcelona were again in the Champions League final in 1994, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015, winning the last four. In total, they have won the last five finals.