When Liverpool walk out of the tunnel at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday evening for the 2022 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, it’ll mean that English clubs will have made the final of the competition 25 times throughout its history.
For the Merseyside club, it’ll be their tenth final in total, a streak that began with their first European Cup final appearance all the way back in 1977 when they defeated German side Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 to claim the title for the first time.
But have Liverpool reached the showpiece final more times than any other English side and how many English sides have won the competition previously?
Which English side has reached the most Champions League finals?
Nine different English sides have previously reached the Champions League/European Cup final since its inception in 1956, though one team in particular has proven to be distinctly more successful than the others to date.
Liverpool (10)
Of course, that’s Liverpool, who as mentioned before, will take part in their tenth Champions League final when they enter the fray on Saturday evening against La Liga champions Real Madrid.
Starting from their European Cup victory in 1977, Liverpool have played their part in a lot of entertaining finals since, especially in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as the Merseyside outfit reached four finals across an eight-year span.
Their famous comeback win against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005 is perhaps their fans’ most treasured Champions League final memory however, as goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek proved the hero in the penalty shoot-out after the Reds fought back from being 3-0 down on the night.
Manchester United (5)
The next most successful club from England in terms of reaching the biggest final in European football is Manchester United with five previous appearances.
The Red Devils were actually both the first English finalists and winners of the European Cup back in 1968 as Matt Busby’s side thrilled a full house at Wembley en route to a 4-1 extra-time victory against Portuguese outfit Benfica.
United’s last Champions League final in 2011 also, by coincidence, took place at Wembley, though on this occasion Barcelona proved too strong for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on the night as they ran out comfortable 3-1 victors.
Chelsea (3)
Current Champions League holders Chelsea slip into third spot on the list with three finals appearances to their name.
The west London side’s first Champions League final saw them battle it out in an all-English clash with Manchester United on the turf at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in 2008. A final perhaps best known for its famous picture of John Terry being consoled by manager Avram Grant after missing his penalty in the shoot-out, saw United lift the title.
Chelsea’s two finals appearances since have proved much more enjoyable for their fans though, as victories over Bayern Munich and Manchester City in 2012 and 2021 respectively have twice seen them lift the famous trophy.
Nottingham Forest (2)
The last English side to make more than one Champions League final appearance is current Championship side Nottingham Forest.
Under the great Brian Clough, Forest both reached and won back-to-back finals in 1979 and 1980.
The first of those saw them defeat Swedish side Malmo 1-0 at the Olympiastadion in Munich before the club then repeated the feat the very next season by defeating German outfit Hamburger SV 1-0 in Madrid.
The others (1)
Five other English sides have also reached the Champions League final throughout competition history on one occasion.
The first of those saw Leeds United lose out to Bayern Munich 2-0 back in 1975, though, Aston Villa would return the favour by defeating Bayern Munich 1-0 in 1982 as they claimed their first of four European titles.
The other three English sides to all reach a single Champions League final throughout history are Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City, though all three sides did end up on the losing end of results.
Which English team has the most Champions League titles?
Even despite the result versus Real Madrid in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, Liverpool will remain the English team to have won this competition the most times throughout history.
| Club | Titles | Seasons Won |
| Liverpool | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019 |
| Manchester United | 3 | 1968, 1999, 2008 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2 | 1979, 1980 |
| Chelsea | 2 | 2012, 2021 |
| Aston Villa | 1 | 1982 |