When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
The Champions League is the biggest club competition in soccer. Launched in 1955 as the European Cup, it has been held on an annual basis ever since.
Until 1992, the European Cup was a straight knockout tournament that featured only the champions of domestic leagues.
It underwent a rebrand in 1992, becoming known as the Champions League. A year earlier, a group stage had been introduced for the first time, although it was originally used as the last phase before the final.
The Champions League is the pinnacle of the European club game. The World Cup might still have more prestige, but the Champions League is widely considered to be home to the highest quality soccer on the planet.
The odds for the Champions League winner 2023/24 winner have been taken from the DraftKings Sportsbook, which is offering $200 in bonus bets after you bet $5.
Great payment and customer support
Access to fantasy sports with one account
Bet $5, Get $200 + $150 in No Sweat Bets
21+ | T&Cs apply
Manchester City are the favorites to win the Champions League with the best online sportsbooks. Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches of all time and City have a very strong squad at their disposal.
In Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Enrique, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are all managed by a former Champions League winner.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona are among the dark horses, with Napoli and Newcastle United two of the outsiders.
Manchester City won the Champions League in 2022/23. They finished top of their group ahead of Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Copenhagen, before beating RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the knockout phase.
Manchester City defeat Inter 1-0 in the Champions League final. The Italian outfit finished second in their group, behind Bayern Munich but ahead of Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen. They then overcame Porto, Benfica and AC Milan to reach the final.
Club | Number of Titles |
Real Madrid | 14 |
AC Milan | 7 |
Bayern Munich | 6 |
Liverpool | 6 |
Barcelona | 5 |
Ajax | 4 |
Inter | 3 |
Manchester United | 3 |
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. The Spanish giants dominated the early years of the competition, triumphing five years on the bounce between 1956 and 1960.
AC Milan are second on the list with seven successes, followed by Bayern Munich and Liverpool on six apiece.
A total of 22 clubs from 10 countries have won the European Cup/Champions League. England has provided the largest number of individual winners, with six clubs having triumphed, but the might of Real Madrid means Spain has supplied the most victors with 18.
Juventus have finished as runners-up more often than any other team, with seven defeats in the final. Atletico Madrid have reached three finals without ever lifting the trophy.
Nottingham Forest and Porto are the only clubs to have a 100 percent record in the final after competing in more than one of them.
Club | Season |
Manchester City | 2022/23 |
Real Madrid | 2021/22 |
Chelsea | 2020/21 |
Bayern Munich | 2019/20 |
Liverpool | 2018/19 |
Real Madrid | 2017/18 |
Real Madrid | 2016/17 |
Real Madrid | 2015/16 |
Barcelona | 2014/15 |
Real Madrid | 2013/14 |
Round | Draw Date | Match Date |
Group Stage, Matchday One | 31 August 2023 | 19-20 September 2023 |
Group Stage, Matchday Two | 31 August 2023 | 3-4 October 2023 |
Group Stage, Matchday Three | 31 August 2023 | 24-25 October 2023 |
Group Stage, Matchday Four | 31 August 2023 | 7-8 November 2023 |
Group Stage, Matchday Five | 31 August 2023 | 28-29 November 2023 |
Group Stage, Matchday Six | 31 August 2023 | 12-13 December 2023 |
Round of 16 | 18 December 2023 | 13-14 & 20-21 February 2024 and 5-6 & 12-13 March 2024 |
Quarter-finals | 15 March 2024 | 9-10 April 2024 and 16-17 April 2024 |
Semi-finals | 15 March 2024 | 30 April-1 May 2024 and 7-8 May 2024 |
Final | 15 March 2024 | 1 June 2024 |
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
Wide range of betting options
Top notch customer service
Promo Code 'SPORTS'
$500 Free Bet
21+ | VA only | Gambling problem? Call 1-800-532-3500
A total of 26 teams have qualified for the group stage so far. The remaining six spots will be filled by sides that come through the qualification play-offs.Most of the usual suspects will be present, including Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga, Real Madrid and Barcelona from La Liga, Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1, and Manchester City from the Premier League.
Lionel Messi has won the Champions League four times. He first lifted the trophy in 2006, but the Argentine was only a bit-part player at Barcelona back then. He was much more prominent when the club went on to win the tournament in 2009, 2011 and 2015, but Messi failed to get his hands on the trophy during his time with Paris Saint-Germain.His great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, has won the Champions League five times – four with Real Madrid and one with Manchester United. Paco Gento is the most successful player in the history of the competition. He won six European Cups with Real Madrid between 1956 and 1966.
Soccer fans based in the United States can watch the Champions League on CBS Sports.
Greg Lea is a freelance soccer journalist from London. He is the former editor of The Set Pieces, and has contributed to the Guardian, FourFourTwo, and ESPN. A Crystal Palace fan, he is a long-time subscriber to the belief that it's the taking part that counts. Email: [email protected]
More info on Greg Lea
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.