Manchester United are one of the most successful football clubs in Europe. They have a long and illustrious history competing in European club competitions. In this article, we will take a look at how many major European trophies Manchester United have won over the years.
Champions League/European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (previously known as the European Cup) is the most prestigious club competition in Europe. Manchester United have won the competition 3 times:
- 1967-68 – Beat Benfica 4-1 in the final at Wembley
- 1998-99 – Beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final in Barcelona
- 2007-08 – Beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the final in Moscow
Manchester United’s first European Cup win came in 1968, just 10 years after the Munich air disaster had claimed the lives of many of United’s “Busby Babes”. The victory at Wembley completed manager Matt Busby’s dream of winning the competition he had helped to create.
In 1999, Alex Ferguson’s legendary United side featuring the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs won the trophy in dramatic fashion, coming from 1-0 down to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in injury time. Current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winning goal.
United’s most recent Champions League triumph came in 2008 against Premier League rivals Chelsea. After a 1-1 draw, the final went to penalties where United prevailed 6-5 after Chelsea captain John Terry slipped and missed a crucial spotkick.
Europa League/UEFA Cup
Manchester United have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League competition once:
- 2016-17 – Beat Ajax 2-0 in the final in Stockholm
This trophy was won under Jose Mourinho in 2017, when United beat Ajax 2-0 in the final in Stockholm. Goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win and gave United their first Europa League title.
Winning the Europa League also qualified United for the next season’s Champions League, returning them to Europe’s top table after a one year absence.
European Cup Winners’ Cup
The Cup Winners’ Cup was a European football competition contested between 1960 and 1999 by the winners of each European domestic cup competition. Manchester United won the competition once:
- 1990-91 – Beat Barcelona 2-1 in the final in Rotterdam
This Alex Ferguson side featuring Mark Hughes and Brian McClair beat Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona 2-1 in the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup final. United had won the FA Cup the previous season to enter the competition.
European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is contested between the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League. Manchester United have won this competition once:
- 1991 – Beat Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in the final in Monaco
United won their only Super Cup in 1991 after beating Red Star Belgrade 1-0 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Brian McClair scored the only goal of the game as United picked up the trophy after their Cup Winners’ Cup success earlier that year.
Overall Tally
So in summary, Manchester United have won a total of 7 major UEFA competitions:
- 3 x Champions League/European Cup
- 1 x Europa League/UEFA Cup
- 1 x Cup Winners’ Cup
- 1 x Super Cup
This makes Manchester United one of the most successful English teams in European competition. Only Liverpool with 8 major UEFA tournament wins have more European trophies among English clubs.
Manchester United’s period of dominance in Europe came during Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as manager between 1986 and 2013. Five of United’s seven European trophies came under Ferguson.
The club will be looking to add to their collection of European silverware as they continue their push to return to the top of the European game under their current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Champions League Performance
As the Champions League is the pinnacle of club football in Europe, let’s take a more detailed look at Manchester United’s record and performance in Europe’s premier competition.
In total, Manchester United have appeared in 25 Champions League/European Cup campaigns. They have reached the final on 5 occasions, winning 3 times as we noted above.
United’s appearance record by round is as follows:
- Group Stage/1st Round – 25 appearances
- Quarter-Finals – 18 appearances
- Semi-Finals – 10 appearances
- Runners-Up – 2 appearances (2009 & 2011)
- Winners – 3 appearances (1968, 1999, 2008)
Based on this data, Manchester United have progressed from the group stage in 25 out of 25 seasons in the Champions League era. This is an impressive 100% record and demonstrates their consistency at qualifying from the initial group stage.
Reaching 10 semi-finals and 5 finals also shows United to be one of the most successful English clubs in the knockout stages of the competition. The fact they have converted 3 of their 5 final appearances into victories underlines their pedigree in the latter stages of the tournament.
Champions League Win Ratio
Manchester United’s win ratio in the Champions League stands at 55%, with 168 wins from 306 games played. This is the 4th highest win ratio among English teams in the competition.
United’s win percentages by competition round are:
- Group Stage – 61% win ratio
- Round of 16 – 50% win ratio
- Quarter-Finals – 61% win ratio
- Semi-Finals – 50% win ratio
- Final – 60% win ratio
This shows that United have been consistently strong in the group stages and quarter-finals. Their 50% win ratio in both the Round of 16 and semi-finals highlights that they have struggled at times to progress from these rounds, although their overall appearance record shows they have still managed to reach the latter stages with regularity.
Goals Scored
Manchester United have scored a total of 475 goals in their 306 games in the European Cup/Champions League. This is the 3rd highest by an English club behind only Liverpool (551) and Real Madrid (567).
United’s goalscoring record by competition stage is:
- Group Stage – 172 goals (2.05 goals per game)
- Round of 16 – 67 goals (1.52 per game)
- Quarter-Finals – 94 goals (2.02 per game)
- Semi-Finals – 52 goals (1.56 per game)
- Final – 15 goals (3 per game)
This shows that United have always carried an attacking threat in the tournament. Their goals per game ratio is excellent throughout each stage, but particularly strong in the final where they average 3 goals per game when reaching that stage.
Appearance Statistics
Ryan Giggs holds the record for the most Champions League appearances for Manchester United with 141.
The top 5 players for United in terms of Champions League appearances are:
| Player | Appearances |
|---|---|
| Ryan Giggs | 141 |
| Paul Scholes | 124 |
| Gary Neville | 115 |
| Rio Ferdinand | 107 |
| Wayne Rooney | 96 |
This highlights the important contributions made by members of Manchester United’s famous “Class of ’92” like Giggs and Scholes who appeared so often for United in Europe’s top competition.
Goal Scoring Statistics
The record for most Champions League goals scored for Manchester United is held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored 38 goals for United in the competition.
The top 5 Champions League goalscorers for United are:
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 38 |
| Wayne Rooney | 30 |
| Ryan Giggs | 28 |
| Paul Scholes | 24 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 15 |
Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was a phenomenon in front of goal for United in Europe. He scored 0.68 goals per game, the highest strike rate of any United player to have made over 20 appearances.
Conclusion
To conclude, Manchester United have won a total of 7 major European trophies in their history. This includes 3 Champions League titles, making them one of the most successful English clubs in European competition.
United enjoyed a particularly dominant spell in Europe under manager Sir Alex Ferguson between 1990-2013, winning 5 of their 7 European trophies during this time. Their last European success came in 2017 when they lifted the Europa League trophy.
In the Champions League, United have reached 10 semi-finals and 5 finals. Their 25 group stage qualifications and 18 quarter-final appearances highlight their consistency in going deep into the competition. A 55% win ratio and 475 goals scored also underline their strong record of performance.
Players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy set multiple appearance and goalscoring records for United in Europe’s top club competition. Their contributions played a key part in helping the club achieve such success and status in the Champions League era.
