Most successful clubs in continental Champions Leagues across the world

Real Madrid players celebrating their 2017/18 UCL win.
Real Madrid players celebrating their 2017/18 UCL win.

The Champions League is the most prestigious competition in terms of club football irrespective of the confederations (or continents).

The ever-so-difficult knockout stages attract fans from all over the world and winning the Champions League is every club’s dream. The true greatness of a player is determined by the amount of silverware they have won and all players wish to get their hands on this trophy.

Similar to UEFA's Champions League and CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of African Football (CAF), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and CONCACAF conduct their own respective Champions Leagues.

We look at the most successful clubs in Champions League across the continents:


OFC Champions League: Auckland City (9 titles)

Auckland City
Auckland City

Auckland City Football Club are the most successful club in Oceania with a record nine OFC Champions League titles. This includes seven consecutive title wins between 2011 and 2017 - the highest number of successive continental title wins in football history.

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Based in Auckland's Sandringham, the club have also been a major force in domestic football since its formation in 2004, having won 11 New Zealand Premierships and eight Championships. City are also the only team to win the continental treble thrice.

City are a regular fixture at the FIFA Club World Cup, where they famously achieved a third-place finish in the 2014 edition. They also became the only OFC team to reach the semifinals of the Club World Cup.

Winning Seasons: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017


CAF Champions League: Al Ahly SC (9 titles)

Al Ahly have won a record 118 titles.
Al Ahly have won a record 118 titles.

With 9 CAF Champions League titles to their name, Al Ahly SC are the most successful club in Africa. Moreover, the Cairo-based club is widely considered one of the most decorated clubs in the world.

Al Ahly have had a trophy-laden history ever since its inception on 24th April 1907, and have never been relegated to the Egyptian second division. The Red Devils have won a staggering 42 Egyptian Premier Leagues, 37 Egypt Cups, and 11 Super Cups.

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At the international stage, aside from their nine Champions League titles, Al Ahly have won a CAF Confederation Cup, a record 6 CAF Super Cups, 4 African Cup Winners' Cup, an Afro-Asian Club Championship, an Arab Club Champions Cup, an Arab Cup Winners' Cup, 2 Arab Super Cups, and a bronze medal in the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.

They were awarded the CAF Club of the 20th century in 2001. They are the second most accomplished club in the world in terms of international titles having won a whooping 25 titles, just one short of Real Madrid's tally of 26.

Winning Seasons: 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020

AFC Champions League: Al Hilal SFC and Pohang Steelers (3 titles each)

Al-Hilal players celebrate the 2019 AFC Champions League win.
Al-Hilal players celebrate the 2019 AFC Champions League win.

Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club are the joint all-time AFC Champions League winners along with Pohang Steelers. Both the Asian giants have won a total of three Champions League titles each.

Founded on 15th October 1957, the Riyadh-based club have won 61 official titles on the national and international stage. Internationally, Al Hilal have won a record 7 Asian Football Confederation trophies including the AFC Champions League, the Asian Cup Winners Cup, and the Asian Super Cup.

Al-Hilal won their third Asian Champions League in 2019, defeating Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on aggregate to tie the record set by the Pohang Steelers.

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In domestic competitions, they have won a record 16 top-flight titles, 13 Crown Prince Cups, 7 Saudi Federation Cups, 9 King Cups, 2 Super Cups, and also the Saudi Founder's Cup.

The Blue Waves are one of only four teams to have competed in all seasons of the Saudi Professional League since its inception in 1976.

In September 2009, Al Hilal were awarded the Best Asian Club of the 20th Century by the IFFHS.

Winning Seasons: 1991, 2001, 2019

Pohang Steelers' players celebrating their third AFC Champions League title win in 2009.
Pohang Steelers' players celebrating their third AFC Champions League title win in 2009.

Pohang Steelers from South Korea were formed on 1st April 1973. A founding member of the inaugural K League in 1983, the port city side have been in the country's premier division ever since. Pohang Steelers boast 5 league titles, 4 Korean FA Cups, and 2 Korean League Cups.

The Steelers scaled the heights of Asian football, winning back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in 1997 and 1998. Their last Champions League win dates back to 2009, where they defeated Al Ittihad in the final.

They became Asia's first three-time Continental champions while simultaneously denying their opponents that particular milestone. Following the win, they also famously finished third at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.

Winning Seasons: 1996-97, 1997-98, 2009

CONCACAF Champions League: Club América (7 titles)

Club America players celebrate CONCACAF Champions League win
Club America players celebrate CONCACAF Champions League win

Club América are the most triumphant club in the CONCACAF Champions League with seven titles.

The Mexico City based-club was founded in 1916. The Las Águilas play at the renowned Estadio Azteca, the largest stadium in Latin America. The club records the highest attendance numbers in Mexico and the eighth-highest in the world.

They are one of the founding members of the Primera División and are the only club to have never been relegated along with fierce rivals Guadalajara. They are also the most popular Mexican club and the third most popular from the Américas after Latin American heavyweights Corinthians (Brazil) and Boca Juniors (Argentina).

The club has won a record 13 league titles, 6 Copa Mexico titles, and 6 Campeon de Campeones cups. In international competitions, América have won ten FIFA recognized club trophies, the most for a club from the CONCACAF region. They have won 2 Copa Interamericana cups and a CONCACAF Giants Cup.

Winning Seasons: 1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2014-15, 2015-16

CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores: Independiente (7 titles)

Independiente players celebrating 2017 Copa Sudamericana title win
Independiente players celebrating 2017 Copa Sudamericana title win

Argentina's Club Atlético Independiente are the most accomplished club in Copa Libertadores. The historic El Rojo have won the South American showpiece a record 7 times, including four in a row between the years 1972 and 1975.

Independiente was officially founded on 1 January 1905, although the institution had been formed on 4 August 1904 and had already played in Argentina's first division. The Avellaneda based-club is considered one of Argentina's Big Five clubs with 16 Primera Division wins and 9 National Cups.

The club has won the Copa Interamericana thrice, the Supercopa Sudamericana twice, the Intercontinental Cup twice, the Copa Sudamericana twice, the Campeonato Rioplatense twice and the Recopa Sudamericana once.

El Rojo's most recent achievement was their 2018 Suruga Bank Championship triumph, which made them only the second club after fellow Argentine great Boca Juniors to win 18 CONMEBOL trophies. Independiente along with Boca Juniors, Sao Paulo, and River Plate are the only club to win seven different CONMEBOL tournaments.

Winning Seasons: 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1985

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid (13 titles)

Real Madrid players celebrate their 2017-18 UCL win.
Real Madrid players celebrate their 2017-18 UCL win.

Real Madrid are the undisputed kings of Europe, having taken home the coveted UEFA Champions League a tremendous 13 times.

Founded on 6 March 1902, Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s, winning five consecutive European Cups (including the inaugural edition) and reaching the final seven times.

The Los Blancos recently completed a hat-trick of Champions League victories in 2018, a feat which will be hard to replicate in modern football.

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They have won either the Champions League or Europa League in every decade since their inception except the 1970s, a testament to their consistency at the grandest stages. The Capital club have mastered the art of doing well in the Champions League regardless of their domestic form.

Real Madrid are one of three founding members of La Liga that have never been relegated from the top-flight since its inception in 1929, along with Athletico Bilbao and arch-nemesis Barcelona.

Real Madrid have won 66 trophies in domestic football - a record 34 La Liga titles, 19 Copa del Rey, 11 Supercopa de Espana, a Copa Eva Duarte, and a Copa de la Liga. Madrid's European and international trophy tally stands at a prolific 26.

Madrid have won a record 7 Club World Championships (4 Club World Cups and 3 Intercontinental Cups), two UEFA Cups and four UEFA Super Cups. Real Madrid was recognised as the FIFA Club of the 20th Century on 11 December 2000 with 42.35% of the vote.

Winning Seasons: 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1965-66, 1997-98, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar
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