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Success in football is sometimes difficult to quantify, with ambitions and targets differing from club to club depending on their size, quality and financial clout.
However, trophies remain the gold standard when it comes to measuring success in the beautiful game and the world’s most successful football clubs all have one thing in common – an enviable horde of silverware.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the most successful clubs on the planet by trophy count.
20) FCSB (Romania) – 59
FCSB, or Steaua București before their name change in 2017, are the pride of Romania and have collected just shy of 60 trophies during their illustrious history. Steaua famously lifted the European Cup in 1986, becoming the first (and last) Romanian club to do so. This year, they ended a nine-year wait for a domestic league title.
19) Galatasaray – 62
One of Turkey’s leading footballing institutions, alongside rivals Fenerbahce and Besiktas, Galatasaray lead the way in their homeland for trophies earned with a whopping 62. Gala won the most recent of their 25 Super Lig titles at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. Their only major success on the continent came in the form of a UEFA Cup title in 2000.
18) Boca Juniors – 62
The name Boca Juniors conjures up images of enigmatic Argentinean footballing geniuses and stands packed with eardrum-bursting atmospheres, though the Azul y Oro have also been serial winners down through the years. Alongside being crowned national champions on 35 separate occasions, Boca have won the Copa Libertadores six times, though their last win in that competition was in 2007.
17) Anderlecht – 64
Anderlecht have won the Belgian top flight a record 34 times, making them the most successful club in the Pro League by a considerable distance, while their achievements on the continental stage with iconic wins in the Cup Winners’ Cup (1976 & 78) and UEFA Cup (1983) are still remembered vividly today. More recently, Anderlecht haven’t got their hands on a major trophy since 2017.
16) Manchester United – 70
Manchester United have been lurching from crisis to crisis since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, though the club has still managed to attract silverware during their darker days. United have featured in nine cup finals over the last nine seasons, winning five times to add to their impressive overall trophy count of 70. The 20-time English title winners have also won five European trophies, including three Champions Leagues.
15) Liverpool – 71
England’s most prolific continental adventurers, Liverpool have won the European Cup/Champions League a bombastic six times, while their 2024/25 Premier League title success put them level for most top flight domestic wins alongside rivals Man Utd. The Reds have also won the League Cup a record ten times, while only two clubs (Arsenal & United) have won the FA Cup more often than the Merseysiders.
14) Juventus – 72
Success this decade has been hard to come by, however, the Old Lady can still claim to be Italy’s most trophied club of all time. Juve have won Serie A a record 36 times, with their last Scudetto secured in 2019/2020. Juventus have also won more Coppa Italias (15) than anyone else, though their European Cup win in 1985 and Champions League triumph in 1996 remain their most treasured achievements.
13) Ajax – 76
From the endless list of world-class starlets that have been produced by their academy to their stylistic influences on the pitch, Ajax have arguably contributed more to the sport of football than any other club. Amsterdam giants Ajax have also won a record 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups in their homeland, though their proudest moments have come on the continent. Ajax have been crowned European Cup/Champions League winners on four separate occasions. They also won the UEFA Cup in 1992 and Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987, while Ajax have been named World Champions twice.
12) Olympiacos – 84
Olympiacos did the Greek domestic double last season to bring their mammoth historic cup count up to 82. The Erythroleykoi have won more Super League, Cup and Super Cup titles than any other club in their homeland, while their unprecedented Conference League success in 2024 made them the first Greek side ever to win a major European trophy.
11) Al-Faisaly SC – 84
Winners of 35 Jordanian league titles, 21 FA Cup and 17 Super Cups, Al-Faisaly SC are one of the most successful clubs in Asia. The emergence of a serious rival in the form of Al-Hussein Irbid has lessened their domestic dominance of late, however, and Al-Faisaly haven’t won a league title since 2022. The Blue Eagles have also won the AFC Cup, a competition which is a step behind the AFC Champions League, twice in 2005 and 2006.
10) Bayern Munich – 85
Bayern Munich have had a stranglehold on German football for decades, though their grip has been particularly tight during the modern era. Between 2013 and 2023, Bayern won 11 successive Bundesliga titles, indeed, they’ve won more than 70 pieces of domestic silverware overall. Bayern have also been champions of Europe on six separate occasions, with their last Champions League triumph coming in 2020.
9) Porto – 86
The FC Porto team that beat the odds on football betting sites UK and beyond to win the Champions League in 2004 under an emerging Jose Mourinho is perhaps the club’s most legendary side, though the Dragons from Oporto have won much more besides over the years. Porto have won the Primeira Liga title a huge 30 times and the Taca de Portugal on 20 separate occasions. Their success in Europe hasn’t been limited to the glory of 2004 either. Porto won the European Cup in 1987 and the Europa League twice, once in 2003 and again in 2011.
8) Benfica – 87
Another Portuguese behemoth, Benfica, is the next entry in our list. The Eagles have swooped in for more Primeira Liga (38) and Taca de Portugal (26) titles than anyone else, though their brace of European Cup wins in the 1960s, which were inspired by all-time great Eusebio, stand apart as their greatest moment. In total, Benfica have amassed a sensational 87 pieces of silverware during the club’s sparkling history.
7) Barcelona – 97
From Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and Romario to Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi, Barcelona have platformed some of football’s greatest showmen over the last 50 years, and alongside capturing the hearts and imaginations of fans everywhere, Barca have combined entertainment with a trophy-winning culture. Among their incredible haul are 28 La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues and three FIFA World Club Cups.
6) Real Madrid – 102
The undisputed kings of Spain and of European football, Real Madrid have become synonymous with success and are objectively considered as the biggest football club on the planet. Los Blancos have won more La Liga titles (36) than anyone else, though their record haul of 15 European Cups/Champions League has earned them a place on the loftiest of pedestals. No other club on the continent has even reached double-figure wins in that competition, highlighting just how incredible Real’s achievements have been.
5) Penarol – 112
Penarol are Uruguay’s most famous footballing entity and a pillar of the game in South America. The Decano have won an unmatched 52 Uruguay league titles during their 132-year history, though their collection of five Copa Libertadores and three Intercontinental Cups are given extra special reverence in Montevideo.
4) Nacional – 118
Another entry from Uruguay, Nacional have won fewer league titles (49) than Penarol, though they have eclipsed their rivals in most other competitions, particularly on the continent, where they have won double-figure trophies, including three Copa Libertadores, two Copa Interamericanas, three Intercontinental Cups and four Copa de Honor Couseniers.
3) Rangers – 119
Even though they have only won one Scottish Premiership title since 2011, Rangers have won a joint record-high 55 top-tier championships in their homeland, while the blue half of Glasgow’s Old Firm have also won a record 28 Scottish League Cups and 34 FA Cups. Success in Europe has been limited however, with Rangers’ only piece of continental silverware arriving in 1972 in the form of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
2) Celtic – 120
Squeezing in just ahead of their bitter Glaswegian rivals are Celtic, who have won an eye-watering 120 trophies since their formation way back in 1887. Aided by Rangers’ insolvency and liquidation in 2012, Celtic have won the Scottish title in 13 of the last 14 years, while their tally of 42 Scottish FA Cups makes them the most successful club in that competition. Celtic became the first British club to win the European Cup in 1967, though they have made little in the way of progress on the continent since.
1) Al Ahly – 125
Africa’s preeminent football club, Al-Ahly, have had domestic football in Egypt sewn up for the last 66 years, winning the league title there a record 45 times while finishing as runner-up 12 times. The Red Giant completed their latest hattrick of successive title wins during the 2024/25 campaign, while they have also won the Egyptian Cup on an unparalleled 39 occasions. Al Ahly’s have also set the bar continentally, winning a record 15 AFC Champions Leagues, a haul that includes four trophies since 2020.
