The Greatest Champions League Finals Ever Played
Ask ten fans for the greatest Champions League final and you'll get eleven answers. Probably more once the second round arrives. This is our selection, and it's opinion, not an official ranking. We picked finals for drama, historical importance and quality, and checked the dates, scores and venues against the records. Scores include extra time; penalty shoot-outs are shown separately.
The finals at a glance
| Final | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| 1967 | Celtic 2-1 Inter | Estádio Nacional, Lisbon |
| 1999 | Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich | Camp Nou, Barcelona |
| 2005 | Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (Liverpool won 3-2 on pens) | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul |
| 2008 | Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (United won 6-5 on pens) | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow |
| 2012 | Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) | Allianz Arena, Munich |
| 2014 | Real Madrid 4-1 Atlético Madrid (after extra time) | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon |
| 2026 | Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal (PSG won 4-3 on pens) | Puskás Aréna, Budapest |
1960: Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
A crowd of well over 120,000 at Hampden Park watched Real Madrid win their fifth European Cup in a row. Ferenc Puskás scored four and Alfredo Di Stéfano three. Ten goals, with Frankfurt scoring first, is still the highest-scoring European Cup final. Plenty of people who saw it called it the best football they ever watched.
1967: Celtic 2-1 Inter
Inter, with their famously defensive catenaccio, went ahead from an early penalty. Celtic, managed by Jock Stein, battered them for the rest of the game. Tommy Gemmell equalised and Stevie Chalmers scored the winner. Celtic became the first British club to win the European Cup, and the "Lisbon Lions" were reportedly all born within around 30 miles of Celtic Park. The final had real significance too: it was the first time catenaccio was beaten by all-out attack on that stage.
1999: Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich
Bayern led through Mario Basler's early free-kick and hit the woodwork twice. As the game went into stoppage time, United were losing. Then Teddy Sheringham equalised from a corner, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær poked in the winner moments later, both substitutes. It completed United's Treble, and Sir Alex Ferguson's "football, bloody hell" became part of the folklore.
2005: Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, Liverpool win on penalties
"The Miracle of Istanbul." Milan, with Paolo Maldini, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko, led 3-0 at half-time; Maldini had scored in the first minute. Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso scored in about six second-half minutes to make it 3-3. Jerzy Dudek made a remarkable double save from Shevchenko in extra time, then saved his penalty to win the shoot-out. It's our pick for the greatest comeback of any European final, but that's opinion.
2008: Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea, United win on penalties
It was the first all-English Champions League final, played in the rain in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front and Frank Lampard equalised. John Terry slipped as he took a penalty that could have won it for Chelsea, and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka to win it for United.
2012: Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich, Chelsea win on penalties
Bayern were playing in their own stadium and dominated the game. Thomas Müller put them ahead late on, but Didier Drogba headed in an 88th-minute equaliser. Petr Čech saved an extra-time penalty from Arjen Robben, then Drogba scored the decisive spot-kick. It was Chelsea's first European Cup, with an interim manager in Roberto Di Matteo.
2014: Real Madrid 4-1 Atlético Madrid
Atlético led the Madrid derby final through Diego Godín and were seconds from the title. Sergio Ramos headed an equaliser in stoppage time, and Real ran away with it in extra time through Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo. It sealed Real's long-awaited tenth title, "La Décima".
2026: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal, PSG win on penalties
This one's recent, so whether it belongs among the greatest is up for debate. Arsenal had just won the Premier League, and holders PSG were looking to retain their crown. It finished 1-1 after extra time in Budapest, and Luis Enrique's side scored four of their five penalties to win the shoot-out 4-3. Arsenal fans will need a while before it's a fond memory.
Honourable mentions
Others have a strong case. There's Nottingham Forest's back-to-back wins in 1979 and 1980, Aston Villa's 1982 win in Rotterdam, and Steaua Bucharest's shoot-out in 1986 where Helmuth Duckadam saved all four Barcelona penalties. Barcelona's 3-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley in 2011 is often cited as a masterclass. Tell us yours; we promise not to judge. Much.
For the bigger picture, see our history of the Champions League. If you fancy a European night of your own, start with our Champions League page or the Football Hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-scoring European Cup final?
Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park in 1960 — ten goals.
What was the biggest comeback in a Champions League final?
Liverpool came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 with AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, then won on penalties.
Who were the first British winners of the European Cup?
Celtic, who beat Inter 2-1 in Lisbon in 1967.
Is this an official ranking?
No. It's our editorial selection; the facts are checked, but which final is 'greatest' is opinion.
Sources and further reading
Fancy seeing it live? Tickets and packages are subject to availability and confirmation in your written quote. We don't arrange flights.