Ranking the five best Champions League winners this century

The Champions League remains the most coveted prize in European club football – the ultimate test of a team’s quality, resilience and style. Domestic dominance can define a season, but the Champions League defines an era.

Since the turn of the century, countless great sides have tried to scale Europe’s highest peak, yet only a select few have done so in a way that has truly shaped football history.

Here, we rank the five greatest Champions League-winning teams of the 21st century – the sides whose triumphs combined brilliance, balance and a touch of the divine.

5. AC Milan 2007

Redemption was the word of the year for AC Milan. Two years after their shattering collapse in Istanbul, Carlo Ancelotti’s men returned to the final against the same opponents – Liverpool – and this time made no mistake. Kaka was at the height of his powers, orchestrating everything with silk and swagger, while the veteran core of Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo delivered a masterclass in European know-how. Pippo Inzaghi’s brace sealed a 2-1 victory in Athens and with it Milan’s seventh European Cup. This wasn’t the flashiest team of the era, but it was one of the most complete – experienced, ruthless and powered by a midfield that knew how to suffocate and dominate.

4. Manchester United 2008

Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2008 Manchester United side struck the perfect balance between attacking flair and defensive solidity. Cristiano Ronaldo was entering his imperial phase, scoring 42 goals in all competitions, supported by the relentless energy of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Behind them stood the bedrock pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, guarded by the ever-reliable Edwin van der Sar. United’s campaign peaked with victory over Chelsea in a rain-soaked Moscow final, sealed on penalties after John Terry’s infamous slip. It was Ferguson’s second European crown and the culmination of a season in which United were both stylish and streetwise – a team that could dazzle or dig in, depending on the occasion.

3. Real Madrid 2017

Real Madrid’s 2016-17 vintage wasn’t just dominant – it was historic. Zinedine Zidane’s team became the first in the Champions League era to retain the trophy, doing so with a brand of controlled chaos that only they could master. Cristiano Ronaldo, now a pure penalty-box predator, scored 12 goals in the campaign, including two in the final as Madrid dismantled Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos dictated from midfield, Casemiro provided balance, and Sergio Ramos ensured defensive grit. This was a team capable of blowing opponents away in 15 minutes or grinding them down over 90 – a perfect blend of glamour and grit that defined Madrid’s modern dynasty.

2. Manchester City 2023

After years of heartbreak, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City finally conquered Europe – and did it with a level of control rarely seen in modern football. Erling Haaland’s arrival turned City from artisans into assassins, while the midfield axis of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan gave Guardiola’s side an almost algorithmic precision. They dismantled Bayern Munich and Real Madrid en route to the final, where a hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan completed the club’s first-ever Champions League triumph and an historic Treble. City’s football that season bordered on mechanical perfection. Not the most romantic champions, perhaps, but among the most technically and tactically complete of all time.

1. Barcelona 2011

Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona didn’t just win the Champions League – they redefined the sport. The 2010-11 team remains the gold standard for collective footballing brilliance. Built around the genius of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Barca played with a hypnotic rhythm that overwhelmed even the best opponents. Their 3–1 victory over Manchester United at Wembley was less a contest and more a coronation, as Ferguson himself admitted: “They gave us a hiding.” Every player seemed in perfect synchrony; every movement had purpose. The legacy of that side endures not only in trophies – La Liga and Champions League – but in the very language of modern football. This was the beautiful game at its most beautiful.

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