Which football team is the most successful in the world?
Surprisingly, no clubs from the top five European Leagues featured near the top of the list of most successful football clubs in the world.
Football just like any other sport in the world is all about winning. Not just winning matches but winning trophies and titles. Football clubs around the globe are also judged on how many trophies the team have won in their history.
Only a few football clubs can pride themselves on having a rich history of being competitive and winning titles year after year, generation after generation.
The debates among any rival fans of who support the bigger club will always be ongoing but a simple way to end the debate is by looking at the trophies your respective club has won. Join us as today we take a look at which football team is the most successful in the world.
When fans think of the most successful and most famous clubs in the world, the usual names of Premier League’s Manchester United and Liverpool; LaLiga’s Real Madrid and FC Barcelona; Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich; and Serie A’s Juventus come to mind. But surprisingly, none of these illustrious institutions make the top five on the list of the most successful football clubs in the world.
5. Penarol (111 trophies)
Penarol are one of the biggest clubs in South America football, having never been relegated from Uruguay’s Primera Division in 132 years. The club have won an incredible 53 league titles, five Copa Libertadores titles and three Intercontinental cups.
Interestingly, Penarol are the only club to have players represent Uruguay across every one of their FIFA World Cup appearances.
4. Celtic (116 trophies)
Scotland's Celtic take fourth place on the list. Celtic have won seven domestic trebles, and 13 league and cup trebles, while also lifting an incredible 54 Scottish League Championship.
3. Rangers (117 trophies)
James Tavernier holds the trophy//Getty
Celtic’s direct rivals Rangers are next up on the list. Rangers are third on the list with 117 major trophies won in their illustrious history, one more than Rangers. The club have won 55 Scottish League Championships, 34 Scottish Cups and a record 28 League Cups.
2. Nacional (117 trophies)
Uruguay’s Club Nacional de Football are one of the most successful clubs in the world and have a very long and rich history. Nacional have won Uruguay’s Primera Division title 49 times, with their last triumph coming in 2022.
Nacional lead their rivals Penarol in trophies won on the international competition stage. They are the only Uruguayan team to have won the Copa Interamericana twice.
1. Al Ahly (124 titles)
El Ahly's goalkeeper Mohamed el-Shenawy holds the winner's trophy//Getty
Egypt’s Al Ahly are the club with the most trophies in football history. The club have dominated Egyptian football over the years and continue to do so in the modern day and have shown no signs of slowing down.
The club have won a record 44 Egyptian Premier League titles, 39 Egypt Cup titles and 14 Egyptian Super Cups, while they also have won the most CAF Champions Leagues, the most African Cup Winners’ Cups and the most CAF Super Cups. The Egyptian giants were also named the CAF Club of the 20th Century.
FAQs
The English Premier League is the most-watched league on the planet, with it reaching 920 million homes in 189 countries. Manchester United who won the first season of the Premier League in 1992-93 are also the most successful club in the league with 13 titles and 20 English league titles overall.
Bayern Munich are the most successful club of the Bundesliga era, having been crowned German champions 32 times.
Real Madrid have won a record 36 LaLiga titles, while direct rivals FC Barcelona are second on the list with 27 LaLiga trophies.
Juventus are the club with the most Serie A titles having won 36 Italian top-flight titles as of 2024. Inter Milan are second on the list with 20 league titles, with their most recent one coming during the 2023-24 season. AC Milan are third on the list with 19 league titles to their name.
Paris Saint-Germain have won a record 12 Ligue 1 titles, with their most recent triumph coming in the 2024-25 season. AS Saint-Etienne are second on the list with 10 league titles.
With over a decade of experience in sports writing, Hardik Malhotra has built a distinguished career in the internet industry. His expertise spans across various domains including Art Direction, Web Content Writing, and Content Management, all underscored by a high degree of initiative. Hardik’s passion for sports is reflected in his professional journey and personal interests.