European Clubs That Have Won 20+ League Titles (2025 Update)
By: AT
Image Credit: Jonny Gios
On April 27, 2025, Premier League (EPL) giants Liverpool FC defeated league rivals Tottenham Hotspur by a 5-1 score at Anfield. This victory sealed Liverpool’s 20th league title, though only their second said title since the inception of the EPL in 1992-93; Liverpool’s previous EPL title occurred* in 2019-20, during which they mustered a then-league-record and outstanding club-record 99 points, including 32 wins, from their 38 matches.
Liverpool’s 18 titles in the pre-EPL-era were hoisted throughout a 90-year period, beginning in 1900-01 when the league was called “The Football League” and consisted of only 18 clubs. Five years later, after The Football League expanded to 20 clubs in 1905, Liverpool won their second league title. Liverpool earned subsequent titles consecutively in 1921-22 and 1922-23, and another in the post-Second World War (WWII)-era in 1946-47.
Then, Liverpool established two distinct dynasties: one in the 1960s led by manager Bill Shankly, and another in the 1970s under legendary manager Bill Paisley, who had won the 1946-47 league title as a Liverpool player. Under Shankly, Liverpool mustered league titles in 1963-64 and 1965-66, while also earning their first FA Cup titles during the in-between season.
Conversely, after helping Liverpool win the 1972-73 league title as an assistant manager, Paisley led Liverpool to league titles in 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1978-79. Ultimately, those titles resulted in the club earning 10 league titles and their first gold star.
The 1980s, The Reds’s most successful decade in English football, boasted a Paisley-era in which Liverpool added three more titles in 1979-80 — a consecutive said title at that point — 1981-82 and 1982-83. In 1983-84, newly appointed manager Joe Fagan led Liverpool to a third-consecutive league title, a first in club history. In the second half of the 1980s, led by player-manager Kenny Dalglish — another legend of the beautiful game — Liverpool garnered league titles in 1985-86, 1987-88 and 1989-90, capping an 11-season period in which they won seven league titles.
Combined with their EPL titles from 2020 and 2024, The Reds therefore join an elite cohort of major European clubs that have won 20 league titles, thereby earning the right to engrave the famous second star above their crest. Liverpool join the following major European clubs from the top five leagues (Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier League and LaLiga) that have won 20 league titles. (No French club has earned 20 Ligue 1 titles.)
England (+ Liverpool): Manchester United (20 titles)
In addition to Liverpool, between the former First Division and the current Premier League Manchester United* are the only other English club — during their 146-year history — to hoist 20 league titles. Their first league title arrived in 1907-08, which marked the 20th anniversary of the First Division. The Red Devils won their second league title only three years later during the 1910-11 season. After that, The Red Devils did not win another league title until the 1951-52 season. After that season, Manchester United won two additional league titles during the 1950s, which United won consecutively in 1955-56 and 1956-57.
In the following season, however, the club suffered a major tragedy when their team plane crashed during take-off in Munich; eight Manchester United players lost their lives and two players suffered career-ending injuries. While chasing a third consecutive title, Manchester United dropped 21 points during the final 14 matches and finished (ironically) 21 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers, which won their second league title.
Over the next 35 years, the club experienced a rocky period during which winning trophies occurred sporadically. However, they enjoyed a five-year window between 1963 and 1968, which included two league titles — in 1964-65 and 1966-67 — one FA Cup in 1962-63 and a European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) in 1967-68.
On November 6 1986, Manchester United unknowingly made the best decision in their club’s history: hiring Sir Alex Ferguson (SAF) as manager. After coaching Scotland — his home country — during the 1986 FIFA World Cup, SAF presided over a club in turmoil and promised United a return to the glory days preceding the Munich disaster.
His promise began to pay off in the 1990s after winning the inaugural and second Premier League titles in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, respectively. In the second half of the 20th century’s final decade, United won three titles in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1998-99. During the 1998-99 season, United achieved ultimately glory, winning first (and only) treble — winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and UCL — in club history.
At the turn of the century — still under SAF’s reign — United continued their elite form and captured two consecutive league titles, which culminated in the club’s first three-peat. Amid the rise of the “Invincibles“ at Arsenal and José Mourinho’s impeccable championship-level management at Chelsea, SAF managed to win only one league title — in 2002-03 — over the following five seasons. However, Arsenal’s relative decline and Mourinho’s sacking in fall 2006 enabled SAF to steer United towards another three-peat from 2006-07 to 2008-09, during which the club also claimed a third UCL title in 2007-08.
Over the next four years — the last of SAF as manager of the club — United won their 19th and 20th league titles in 2010-11 and 2012-13, respectively. However, in 2009-10 and 2011-12, The Red Devils infamously lost the league title on both occasions during the last matchday at the hands of Chelsea and Manchester City.
After returning to championship status in 2013, SAF announced his retirement on a very high note and the club later hired David Moyes from Everton FC as SAF’s replacement. Since then, United have gone on a roller coaster and have not won another league title. Moreover, they continue looking for a lasting identity, which has resulted in management turnover approximately every second year.
Germany: Bayern Munich (34 titles)
Across the Alps and into Bavaria lies Bayern Munich, which won 34 league titles in their 125-year history. Similar to Juventus, Bayern won their first league title in 1932 under a differently branded and formatted league — the German football championship — following a 2-0 victory in the competition’s final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Entering the “Golden Years,” Bayern won their first league title (second overall) under the current German professional football format — with the Bundesliga at the top of the German football pyramid — during the 1968-69 season. Then, Bayern won three consecutive league championships from 1971-72 to 1973-74. The “Golden Years” coincided with the rise of an elite West German national team that captured the 1972 UEFA European Championship and the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
In the 1980s, Bayern continued exhibiting their dominance with six additional titles, including a three-peat from 1984-85 to 1986-87. Aside from their three-peat Bayern earned their three additional titles during the following seasons: 1979-80, 1980-81 and 1988-89.
Over the next 20 years — from 1990 to 2010 — Bayern Munich won an additional 11 league titles, including two instances that comprised consecutive championships — in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, as well as 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Then, after a two-year drought marred by back-to-back league titles — in 2011 and 2012 — for rivals Borussia Dortmund, Bayern became Die Meister once more… for the next eleven seasons between 2012-13 and 2022-23, a German record. During that time, Bayern won two trebles — the league title, the domestic cup and the UEFA Champions League — during the 2012-13 and 2019-20 seasons. Although Bayer Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title win in 2023-24 ended Bayern’s streak of league titles, the Bavarian club returned to championship status after capturing the 2024-25 Bundesliga title in convincing fashion.
Note: One may notice that Bayern Munich’s crest sits below five stars, rather than a conventional three stars following 30 titles. Bayern’s kits display five stars because the Deutsche Fussball League’s matchwear guidelines indicate that 30 titles earns five stars. With this system in place, Bayern earned their second star after five titles; the first star is awarded to a club following their third title. Finally, 10 titles earn three stars, whereas 20 titles earn a fourth star.
Italy: Inter Milan & Juventus FC
Inter Milan (20 titles)
Inter Milan earned their 20th league title in 2023-24 after defeating archrivals AC Milan 2-1 at the iconic San Siro. Inter hoisted their 19 other league titles within a 111-year period between 1909-10 and 2020-21. Their first, in 1909-10, occurred at a time when the league was named “Prima Categoria”. Inter won their second said title in 1919-20, which marked the first season of action in Italian football after World War One.
Then, after a decade in which the Italian first division had undergone two different rebrands, Inter earned their third Scudetto (colloquially known in Italy as the league title) in 1929-30, the first season in which the league was named “Serie A”. Later that decade, with the world on the brink of WWII, I Nerazzuri won two Serie A titles in three seasons, winning the league title in 1937-38 and 1939-40, and hoisting their first Coppa Italia title during the in-between season.
Fast forward after WWII, Inter reestablished dominance in the mid-1950s, winning consecutive Serie A titles for the first time in 1952-53 and 1953-54. However, the Milan-based club attained new heights in the 1960s, winning three Scudetti within four seasons: 1962-63, 1964-65 and 1965-66. That period was also defined by Inter winning consecutive European Cup (now UEFA Champions League, or UCL) titles in 1963-64 and 1964-65, and earning their 10th league title in 1966. As a result, Inter kicked off the 1966-67 season with a golden star donned above their club crest.
In the next 40 years, Inter experienced success sporadically, winning the Scudetto three times — 1970-71, 1979-80 and 1988-89 — and such titles as the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup (now UEFA Europa League) thrice, each.
In 2005-06, after winning the 2004-05 Coppa Italia title, Inter began another era of dominance. During this era, Inter earned a club-record five consecutive Scudetti between 2005-06–2009-10. That period began with I Nerazzuri also winning the Coppa Italia in 2005-06, and ended with them winning another Coppa Italia and the UCL in 2009-10. Their 2009-10 UCL final victory — a 2-0 score — against Bundesliga club Bayern Munich sealed their legendary half-decade of dominance and their first treble (league title, domestic cup title and UCL title) in club history.
After that, however, Inter slid into stagnation and mediocrity. After losing their prestige in both Europe and Italy, I Nerazzuri were bought in 2013 by Indonesian businessman Erik Tohrir. Despite the change of ownership, Inter failed to improve. After a half-decade of stagnation, in 2016, Chinese firm Suning Commerce Group Ltd purchased a majority stake (68.6%) of the club.
In the final years of Juventus FC’s dominance throughout the 2010s, Inter began enhancing both club infrastructure and their squad incrementally. Inter’s actions paid off in 2020-21, when they cruised to their 19th Serie A title and ultimately overthrew the mighty Juventus by ending their nine-year reign as Serie A winners. Despite just celebrating their first league title since their treble-winning season in 2009-10, Suning defaulted on their €395 million debt, which prompted the Chinese firm to sell their majority position to American private-equity firm Oaktree Capital. Three years later, Inter won that elusive 20th title, a first in the Oaktree Capital-era.
Juventus FC (36 titles, originally 38)
Not too far away from Milan, Juventus FC became the first Italian club to achieve this exceptional accolade. The Piedmont-based club won their first Scudetto during the Prima Categoria-era in 1905. Their second league title was achieved under the format of the 1925-26 Prima Divisione, which comprised two conferences in the top division, with the top team from each conference facing off in the final. In the 1926 final, Juventus defeated Bologna following a 2-1 tiebreaker victory.
Their next eight league titles — won under the Serie A format hereafter — occurred during a period between the 1930-31 and 1957-58 seasons. Then, Juventus reached 20 league titles following the 1981-82 season, which included five titles within a span of seven seasons from 1971-72 to 1977-78.
As of the 1980s, Juventus claimed a myriad of titles that included two additional titles in three seasons — in 1983-84 and 1985-86 — and three titles in four seasons from 1994-95 to 1997-98.
Following a tumultuous first decade of the 21st century — which included four consecutive league titles from 2001-02 to 2004-05 and a relegation to Serie B in 2005 following the Calciopoli scandal — Juventus rose into a dynasty during the 2010s. In 2011-12, Juventus went on a 43-match unbeaten run and won their first league title in nine years. Juventus would go on to win another eight consecutive Scudetti, with their 30th league title earned following the 2013-14 season. Their 36th and final league title to date would be hoisted following the 2019-20 season during the Cristiano Ronaldo and not-so-pleasant COVID-19-era.
Note: In addition to relegation to Serie B in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal, Juventus were also stripped of their 2003-04 and 2004-05 league titles, with the latter awarded controversially to Inter Milan.
Spain: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona (28 titles)
Travelling back to southern Europe, we discover two clubs within Spain that have won as many as 28+ league titles. First, there lies FC Barcelona within the Catalunya region. The club’s first title came during LaLiga’s inaugural season in 1929, which was then named Primera División. That season consisted of 10 clubs, each of which played 18 matches. Barcelona emerged on top with 25 points (a win earned two points).
Barcelona would return to a championship pedigree immediately after World War II — a period also marred by domestic political turmoil and civil war — by winning titles in 1944-45, 1947-48 and 1948-49. The Primera División comprised 14 clubs in each of those seasons, with each club playing a total of 26 matches.
In the 1950s, Barcelona won three additional league titles, which were followed by one more championship in 1959-60. In an era of 16 clubs contending for the league title, Barcelona’s consecutive titles in 1959 and 1960 earned the club its first and second berths to the new European Cup (now UCL). Barcelona entered the 1960s on an incredibly high note with seven league titles and standing high as two-time defending league champions.
Then, however, the Catalan club endured a 14-year drought without a league title. The 1960s proved an incredibly difficult year for the club, winning only two Copa del Rey titles — the Spanish cup — in 1962-63 and 1967-68. Barcelona’s eighth league title finally materialized in 1973-74, a season dominated by the flair of legendary Dutch forward Johan Cruyff. At this point, the league was rebranded to “LaLiga” and consisted of 18 clubs.
Although Barcelona managed to win four additional Copa del Rey titles — 1970-71, 1977-78, 1980-81 and 1982-83 — they would not win another league title until 1984-85, which constituted English manager Terry Venables’s first season at the helm and the first time that the club was managed by an Englishman. The club also mustered three titles in the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1978-79, 1981-82 and 1988-89. Spanish clubs would qualify for this competition after winning a Copa del Rey championship.
Despite the iconic stature of the Catalan club, Barcelona became a bona fide elite club only within the past few decades. The club earned their 10th title and a first star on their crest in 1990-91, with a squad that included the likes of superstars Ronald Koeman and Romario. This achievement kickstarted a period of domestic dominance that included four consecutive league titles and three titles in the relatively new Supercopa de España — Spanish super cup — between 1991 and 1994. The club also won their first European Cup in 1991-92, which was the competition’s final year under the old format and brand. Barcelona also won their first UEFA Super Cup that same year.
In the late 1990s, Barcelona rose once more to domestic prominence after winning two consecutive league titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99. Then, in part owing to the rise of the Galáticos-era at Real Madrid, Barcelona have to wait until 2005 and 2006 for their 17th and 18th league titles, with the latter year ending with Barcelona winning their second UCL title under Dutch manager Frank Rijkaard.
However, in 2008-09, the Catalan club closed the 2000s on an incredibly high note under Pep Guardiola by winning their first treble — LaLiga, Copa del Rey and UCL — in club history, which was then followed by an eighth Supercopa de España, a third UEFA Super Cup and their first FIFA Club World Cup title in club history.
From a domestic perspective, Barcelona dominated the 2010s, winning three LaLiga titles in the first four years — 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2012-13 — the first of which being the club’s 20th league title, thereby earning a second star on their crest.
Then, Barcelona won a second treble in 2014-15 under Luis Enrique, which was followed by a joint-record fifth UEFA Super Cup and a third FIFA Club World Cup. However, the second half of the 2010s comprised no European silverware; the club won three additional league titles, three Copa del Rey titles and two Supercopa de España titles.
Since 2020, Barcelona squandered several chances at gaining domestic and European success. By the halfway-mark of the decade, Barcelona has mustered only one league title. However, Barcelona has been gaining ground in their quest to re-establish LaLiga dominance, winning their domestic treble in 2024-25 — all of which at the expense of archrivals Real Madrid.
Speaking of Madrid, although Barcelona possess a record number of Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España titles, the record of most LaLiga titles won belongs to the only club that has won the Club of the Century award: Real Madrid.
Real Madrid (36 titles)
Arguably the most successful club in the sport’s history, Real Madrid became a powerhouse during the 1930, which included two consecutive league titles in 1931-32 and 1932-33 and two Copa del Rey titles in 1934 and 1936, which were the club’s sixth and seventh such titles. During World War II and the Spanish Civil War, a certain Santiago Bernabéu became president of the club and began rebuilding the club once both conflicts came to an end. After acquiring legendary Argentine Alfredo Di Stéfano, Madrid immediately rose to prominence, winning the Copa del Rey in 1946 and 1947, respectively, as well as four LaLiga titles in a five-year span between 1953-54 and 1957-58.
Madrid continued their dominance in the 1960s, winning five league titles between 1960-61 and 1964-65, including their 10th title – and thus earning their first star above their crest – in 1964, and the Copa del Rey in 1961-62. Despite finishing runners-up only one point behind local rivals Atlético Madrid – which won their fourth league title – Madrid returned to champion status from 1966-67 to 1968-69. During this 15-year period – from 1956 to 1969 – Madrid also became a European powerhouse, winning the newly formed European Cup during the competition’s first five years of existence between 1955-56 and 1959-60, as well as during their league title-less season in 1965-66.
Although the first half of the 1970s comprised only one LaLiga title in 1971-72 and a Copa del Rey title in 1973-74, Madrid dominated the Spanish first division in the second half of that decade; the club won five LaLiga titles during a span of six seasons from 1974-75 to 1979-80, which included their second and third league doubles in 1974-75 and 1979-80. The club exited the 1970s as one of the best clubs in the world and entered the 1980s with their 20th league titles, which earned them a second star to engrave above their crest.
Madrid regained their league prestige in the late 1980s, winning LaLiga for an additional four consecutive seasons from 1986-87 to 1989-90, which brought the club to a quarter-century worth of titles. During that period, Madrid also achieved their third league double with a Copa del Rey title in 1988-89. The club also won their first three Supercopa de España between 1988 and 1990, which rendered the 1988-89 season as a novel domestic-treble-winning season.
Interestingly, the 1990s mirrored the 1970s and 1980s, with Madrid winning only one Copa del Rey title and a Supercopa de España during the first half of the decade; both titles were won in 1993. In the second half of the decade, however, Real Madrid returned to their usual selves, capturing two league titles in 1994-95 and 1996-97, a Supercopa de España in 1997 and a seventh (now-) UEFA Champions League title in 1996-98 after defeating Juventus 1-0 in the final. This UCL title constituted their first such triumph in 32 years.
At the turn of the century, the club seemingly lost their domestic dominance at the hands of Catalan rivals FC Barcelona. Madrid would win only two league titles in the first half of the 2000s, particularly in 2000-01 and 2002-03, which were accompanied by the Supercopa de España on both occasions. However, Madrid kept their swagger in Europe, hoisting the UCL twice – the club’s eighth and ninth such titles – in a three-year period between 1999-2000 and 2001-02.
While Madrid’s European prestige faded during the second half of the 2000s, they returned to winning ways in LaLiga, claiming back-to-back titles in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The first of these two titles earned the club a third star above their crest, becoming the first Spanish club to achieve this elite accolade.
As the club entered the second decade of the 21st century – a period dominated by club superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi – in 2010-11, Madrid captured their first Copa del Rey title in 18 years after defeating rivals Barcelona 1-0 to win their 18th title; the club won their 19th title in 2013-14 against Barcelona as well, this time emerging victorious in a 2-1 score.
With respect to league titles, Madrid once again struggled to overcome their early decade curse, winning only one title under “The Special One” José Mourinho in 2011-12; the club also won a Supercopa de España during that year. Then, it would not be until 2016-17 that the club would return as LaLiga champions, which was followed by the club’s 10th Supercopa de España title.
However, it is worth noting that Madrid claimed their 10th UCL title – known colloquially as La Decima – in 2013-14 after defeating local rivals Atlético Madrid 4-1 after extra-time in the competition’s final. Managed by Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid became the first club to win 10 UCL titles.
In addition, by the time Madrid won their 33rd LaLiga title in 2017, the club also won their second of three consecutive UCL titles under manager and former Madrid player Zinedine Zidane, defeating Juventus once again in the final. In 2018, club midfielder Luka Modrić broke the Ronaldo-Messi dominance by winning the 2018 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Croatian to win the award.
As the turn of the decade was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ensuing lockdowns and hiatuses of football leagues across the world, Real Madrid returned to action by surpassing rivals Barcelona and capturing their 34th league title and hoisting the trophy unceremoniously behind closed doors. During that season, the club also won their 11th Supercopa de España title.
This time, Madrid managed to break their elusive curse as they won LaLiga and the Sueprcopa de España in 2021-22 under Ancelotti’s second stint as Real Madrid manager. Moreover, the club overcame all odds and achieved their 14th UCL title, which earned then club forward Karim Benzema his first Ballon d’Or.
In 2023-24, only two seasons later, Madrid found themselves in a similar privileged position: winning the LaLiga and the UCL titles, a 36th and 15th, respectively. Their UCL final victory that year — a 2-0 score against Dortmund — placed Ancelotti as the all-time UCL record winner with four UCL titles.
Other European Clubs
Outside of Europe’s top five leagues — notably Europe’s sixth to 10th-best leagues — nine clubs have achieved the elite accolade of winning 20 league titles (no club from Czechia’s First League has won 20 league titles). The clubs to have achieved this include:
The Netherlands — Eredivisie:
Ajax — 36 league titles
PSV Eindhoven — 26 league titles
Belgium — Belgian Pro League:
Anderlecht — 34 league titles
Portugal — Primeira Liga:
SL Benfica — 38 league titles (a record among clubs from European major European leagues)
FC Porto — 30 league titles
Sporting CP — 21 league titles
Türkiye — Süper Lig (including Turkish Football Championship)
Fenerbahçe — 28 league titles
Galatasaray — 25 league titles
Besiktas — 21 league titles
*Unless indicated otherwise, all information for Liverpool and Manchester United is cited from those linked sources.
Comment below on who you believe will become the next European club to win 20 league titles!
