UEFA Champions League

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Introduced in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup and commonly known as the European Cup, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to the champions of Europe's domestic leagues, with its winner considered to be the European club champion. The competition took on its current name in 1992, adding a round-robin group stage in 1991 and allowing multiple entrants from certain countries since the 1997–98 season. Spanish clubs have the most victories (20 wins), followed by England (15 wins), Italy (12 wins), Germany (8 wins), Netherlands (6 wins), Portugal (4 wins) and France (3 wins). Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 15 times. Paris Saint-Germain are the current European champions, having beaten Arsenal on penalties in the 2026 final for their second consecutive title.

In Their Own Story

The rain in Vienna had long since ceased, but the roar of the Prater Stadium still echoed in the minds of the Nerazzurri faithful. Decades later, under the floodlights of the Santiago Bernabéu on a stifling May night in Madrid, history held its breath. The clock ticked toward full time against Bayern Munich, the weight of forty-five years pressing down on every defender. Then came the moment: Diego Milito's finish was not merely a strike; it was the detonation of decades of pent-up longing. As the net rippled, the ghosts of 1964 and 1965 finally smiled upon their successors, bridging the gap between the Grande Inter and the modern champions in a single, breathless second.

Reader's Guide

In its present format, the Champions League begins in early July with three qualifying rounds and a play-off round, all played over two legs. The seven surviving teams enter the league phase, joining 29 teams qualified in advance. The 36 teams each play eight opponents, four home and four away. The 24 highest-ranked teams proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match in late May or early June. The winner of the Champions League automatically qualifies for the following season's Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup.

Did You Know?

• The first European Cup match took place on 4 September 1955, and ended in a 3–3 draw between Sporting CP and Partizan.
• Real Madrid is the only club to have won it five times in a row (the first five editions).
• Only one club has won all of their matches in a single tournament en route to their tournament victory, Bayern Munich in the 2019–20 season.
• Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992, only two top-tier football clubs outside the Big Five European nations have also reached the final: Porto (2003–04) and Ajax (1994–95 and 1995–96).

Historic Victory and Records

On 22 May 2010, Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to win the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. The win gave Inter their third European Cup title, and their first since 1965. That 45 years of wait broke the record of the longest gap between two UCL titles, which was held by Real Madrid before, with 32 years (1966-1998). It was Inter's first appearance in the final since 1972, and they were the first Italian team to appear in the showpiece match since rivals AC Milan won the competition in 2007. The 2010 final was the first not to feature an English side since Porto beat Monaco in 2004 with Jose Mourinho also coaching the winning side.

Managerial Milestones and Departures

The managers of both teams had won the Champions League before: Bayern manager Louis van Gaal won the competition with Ajax in 1995, while Inter's José Mourinho was manager of Porto's 2004 side. The winning manager would therefore become only the third in European Cup history to win as manager of two clubs, following in the footsteps of Ernst Happel (Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburger SV in 1983) and Ottmar Hitzfeld (Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001). The match was Inter's last game under the management of Mourinho as he would move to Real Madrid a few days after the match.

Venue History and Host Selection

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid was selected as the venue for the 2010 UEFA Champions League final at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on 28 March 2008. The stadium had hosted three European Cup finals before: in 1957, 1969 and 1980. Real Madrid themselves won the 1957 final – their second of five consecutive wins – beating Fiorentina 2–0 in front of 120,000 spectators. A.C. Milan won the next final at the stadium, beating Ajax 4–1 in 1969, and Nottingham Forest won 1–0 against Hamburger SV in the most recent final in Madrid in 1980.

Club Legacies and Future Rewards

As the winners, Inter played against 2009–10 UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup, and also entered the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup. The win gave Inter their third European Cup title, and their first since 1965. That 45 years of wait broke the record of the longest gap between two UCL titles, which was held by Real Madrid before, with 32 years (1966-1998). Moreover, it was Inter's first appearance in the final since 1972, and they were the first Italian team to appear in the showpiece match since rivals AC Milan won the competition in 2007.