A club’s success is measured by the number of silverware they have been able to claim over the years. When thinking about the most successful clubs in the world, familiar names come to mind, like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, and Barcelona. Undoubtedly, these clubs are considered successful due to their comprehensive history and recent success and dominance in European football.
However, none of these clubs make it into the top five when considering the whole world. So then who does? This article discusses the 7 most successful football clubs based on trophies won; find out how many of the above make it into this list.
7. Barcelona
Barcelona is a Spanish professional football club that competes in La Liga, the Spanish top flight. Barcelona is considered one of the Spanish and European giants due to the immense success they have achieved throughout the club’s history.
The Catalans used to be sixth in the list of most successful football clubs in terms of trophies won, with 95 titles. They have won 75 domestic titles, including 26 La Liga titles and 20 European and international titles, which include five Champions League trophies.
Barcelona has seen many star players come through their club, with notable players including Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Iniesta, and Messi, a multi-Ballon d’Or winner.
6. Real Madrid
Real Madrid is another Spanish giant based in Madrid. Real is among the most decorated clubs in the history of football. They recently surpassed Barcelona’s tally of 95 trophies with their tremble (La Liga, Supercopa de Espana, and the Champions League) in the 2021/22 season.
Madrid is now the sixth most successful football club with a tally of 96 trophies. However, they are the second-most successful side in Spain with a total of 69 domestic trophies, and are most successful when it comes to European football, with a now a tally of 14 Champions League titles.
Their notable players include Ronaldo, Makelele, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who is considered the best Real Madrid player of all time.
5. Celtic FC
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasglow. The scots are fifth on our list, though they are not the most decorated club in Scotland. But they are amongst the only five clubs to have ever won more than 100 trophies in the history of world football.
With their current Premiership title in the 2021/22 campaign, Celtic has claimed 107 trophies, including 52 Scottish league titles. The club holds the record for the first-ever British club to win the UEFA Champions League in the 1966/67 season. Their most notable players include Shunsuke Nakamura, Fraser Forster, Henrik Larsson, and Scott Brown.
4. Atletico Penarol
Atletico Penarol is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. Penarol is the second most decorated club in Uruguay and has never been relegated since joining the Primera Division, the Uruguayan top flight, in 1900.
With 109 trophies, including 50 Primera Division titles and five Copa Libertadores titles, Atletico Penarol sits fourth on this list. Their most notable player is Diego Forlan.
3. Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is another Uruguayan club to make the list. They are the most decorated club in the country’s football history but are third worldwide with 115 trophies. The titles include 48 Primera Division trophies, 8 Copa de Competencia, 7 Copa de Honor, and 22 international titles, including three Copa Libertadores.
Diego Godin is their most notable player.
2. Rangers
Rangers is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasglow and are the most decorated football club in Scottish history, with 55 Premiership titles. They have also won the Scottish Cup 34 times now, the Scottish League Cup 27 times, and are one-time winners of the European Cup.
With 116 trophies, Rangers are the second-most successful football club in terms of titles won, and their notable players include Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Kris Boyd, and Mark Hateley.
1. Al Ahly SC
Al Ahly SC is an Egyptian professional football club based in Cairo. It is the only African club to make the list and is currently regarded as the most successful worldwide by trophy count. They have successfully claimed 118 trophies throughout their history, including 42 Egyptian Premier League titles, 37 national cup titles, and 27 international titles, which include 10 CAF Champions League titles.
Al Ahly is also a three-time bronze medalist in the FIFA World Cup, and their notable players include Hossam Hassan, Mohamed Aboutrika, Wael Gomaa, and Essam El-Hadary.
