Real Madrid CF in international football

Did You Know?

• Real Madrid won the European Cup five times in a row in the 1950s.
• The club has qualified for 29 consecutive seasons of the Champions League since 1997–98.
• Real Madrid won the one-off Copa Iberoamericana against Boca Juniors in 1994.

Latin Cup

Real Madrid represented Spain in the 1955 Latin Cup as La Liga champions, defeating Belenenses 2–0 in the semi-final and Reims 2–0 in the final, both at the Parc des Princes in Paris. In 1957, they won the competition at the Santiago Bernabéu, beating Milan in the semi-finals and Benfica 1–0 in the final. The Latin Cup was discontinued after the introduction of the European Cup and is not recognized by UEFA.

European / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Real Madrid first participated in the Cup Winners' Cup eleven years after its 1960 start, reaching the final but losing to Chelsea in a replay. In 1975, they advanced to the quarter-finals, losing to Red Star Belgrade on penalties. Their second final came in 1983, where Aberdeen defeated them in extra time. Madrid reached the quarter-finals in their last appearance in 1994. This is the only European tournament Real Madrid has entered but never won.

UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League

Real Madrid never played in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the precursor to the UEFA Cup that is not considered a UEFA competition. The club won the UEFA Cup twice in a row, in 1985 and 1986. Since the tournament was renamed the UEFA Europa League, Real Madrid has not competed in it.

Intercontinental Cup / FIFA Club World Cup

Real Madrid won the Intercontinental Cup three times, in 1960, 1998, and 2002. Invited to the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in 2000 as 1998 Intercontinental Cup winners, they finished fourth after losing the third-place play-off on penalties to Necaxa. They qualified for the cancelled 2001 tournament. Since then, Real Madrid has won the FIFA Club World Cup a record five times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022) and the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup in 2024.