Champions League holders: Paris join Real Madrid as back-to-back winners
Saturday, May 30, 2026
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Paris Saint-Germain have become the second club to win back-to-back titles in the UEFA Champions League era, matching Real Madrid.
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After beating Arsenal on penalties in the final in Budapest, Paris are now only the second side to have successfully defended the title in the UEFA Champions League era.
Real Madrid became the first club to complete back-to-back Champions League title wins in 2017, and they repeated the feat 12 months later for good measure. Paris were already the first holders to reach the final since Madrid in 2017/18, and Luis Enrique's men duly went one step further in Budapest, in the process avoiding becoming the first defending champions to finish as runners-up since Manchester United lost the 2008/09 final to Barcelona.
How Champions League holders have fared*
Only once have the holders failed to negotiate the first hurdle of their defence – Chelsea, group-stage casualties in 2012/13 – with the rest dropping out in the knockout phase. Seven have succumbed in the last 16 (including the inaugural 1992/93 campaign), ten in the quarter-finals and eight in the semis. Seven reigning champions have made it to the final, but only Real Madrid – twice – and now Paris have managed to avoid falling at the last hurdle.
| Season | Defending champions | Stage |
| 1992/93 | Barcelona | Second round |
| 1994/95 | AC Milan | Runners-up |
| 1995/96 | Ajax | Runners-up |
| 1996/97 | Juventus | Runners-up |
| 1997/98 | Dortmund | Semi-finals |
| 1998/99 | Real Madrid | Quarter-finals |
| 1999/00 | Man United | Quarter-finals |
| 2000/01 | Real Madrid | Semi-finals |
| 2001/02 | Bayern | Quarter-finals |
| 2002/03 | Real Madrid | Semi-finals |
| 2003/04 | AC Milan | Quarter-finals |
| 2004/05 | Porto | Round of 16 |
| 2005/06 | Liverpool | Round of 16 |
| 2006/07 | Barcelona | Round of 16 |
| 2007/08 | AC Milan | Round of 16 |
| 2008/09 | Man United | Runners-up |
| 2009/10 | Barcelona | Semi-finals |
| 2010/11 | Inter | Quarter-finals |
| 2011/12 | Barcelona | Semi-finals |
| 2012/13 | Chelsea | Group stage |
| 2013/14 | Bayern | Semi-finals |
| 2014/15 | Real Madrid | Semi-finals |
| 2015/16 | Barcelona | Quarter-finals |
| 2016/17 | Real Madrid | Winners |
| 2017/18 | Real Madrid | Winners |
| 2018/19 | Real Madrid | Round of 16 |
| 2019/20 | Liverpool | Round of 16 |
| 2020/21 | Bayern | Quarter-finals |
| 2021/22 | Chelsea | Quarter-finals |
| 2022/23 | Real Madrid | Semi-finals |
| 2023/24 | Man City | Quarter-finals |
| 2024/25 | Real Madrid | Quarter-finals |
| 2025/26 | Paris | Winners |
*Marseille were barred from entering in 1993/94
How many sides defended the European Cup?
It was a very different story in the early days of the competition: Madrid won the first five editions! Seven other teams also successfully defended their title pre-1992/93: Benfica, Inter, Ajax (twice), Bayern (twice), Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and AC Milan.
How many teams have retained the trophy in the European Cup and Champions League eras?
European Cup era: 13/36
UEFA Champions League era: 3/33**
**not including 1993/94