Ranking clubs from Europe's top five leagues who have won the most league titles
A club football season is a long and a gruelling one. Clubs participate in several different competitions during that period and there are multiple titles at stake for some clubs. They end up playing close to 60 games during that period.
The domestic league championship is regarded as a pinnacle achievement in a country. It shows the persistence, hard work and sheer desire of the winning team during the very long season and across 34 to 38 games. Unlike knockout ties, league campaigns stand out due to this requirement of a consistently good performance throughout the season.
Winning a league title even once is a massive accomplishment and the teams that are won these coveted titles consecutively and multiple times deserve a salute. Let's rank such record-holding league champions of Europe's top five leagues and see who comes out on top.
#5 Paris Saint-Germain - 11 titles (Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain, unsurprisingly have won the most Ligue 1 titles in France. They have won the championship 11 times so far including the victory in the recently concluded 2022-23 season. The Parisians' first title was back in the 1985-86 season.
PSG's closest contender in the championship tally is AS Saint-Etienne who have won it 10 times, which is just one short of the current champions. However, the PSG's record is currently not under any threat as Saint-Etienne are now playing in the second division.
#4 Manchester United - 13 titles (Premier League)
The Premier League is regarded as one of the most competitive domestic leagues in Europe. Starting in 1992, it attracts the most spectators on and off the field from across the globe. Participating and winning in such an iconic league is an accomplishment every football club wishes for.
Winning the coveted title more than any other team is an enviable achievement and Manchester United has that bragging rights with 13 league titles. The Red Devils won their first league title in the inaugural 1992-93 season. They managed to win it another 12 times to make them the English team with the most Premier League titles by a country mile, with noisy neighbors Manchester City in second place with seven triumphs.
However, United had some recent poor seasons which denied them taking the tally further ahead. Their last Premier League title win came a decade back, in the 2012-13 season. However, with an improved last season under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils must be hoping to end the decade-long draught in the coming 2023-24 season.
#3 Bayern Munich - 33 titles (Bundesliga)
The Bundesliga is Germany's top-tier domestic league and the team that has won the German league most is Bayern Munich, one of Europe's heavyweights. The Bavarians have won the title 33 times. Bayern won their first league title in the 1932 season and the latest championship victory came on the dramatic final day of the recently concluded 2022-23 campaign.
Bayern's reign seems to last for a very long period as the second-placed team in the list is FC Nurnberg with nine titles and is now playing in Germany's second division. The current Bundesliga team that trails the Bavarians in the title tally is Borussia Dortmund with eight titles. Bayern is managing an impressive title streak of 11 years now as they won the league every year from the 2012-13 to 2022-23 season.
#2 Real Madrid - 35 titles (La Liga)
Spain's domestic league, La Liga, is without any doubt one of the most historic competitions in Europe and is home to some world-class footballers and players. La Liga holds one of the most important fixtures in club football, El Clasico, which plays out one of the biggest rivalries between Real Madrid and Barcelona. It is no surprise that these two teams are standing in the first two positions of all-time league victories.
However, it is Real Madrid who has won the Spanish League title more than their arch-rivals and any other teams in Spain. Los Blancos have won it 35 times whereas the second-placed Barcelona have 27 titles to their name. Real Madrid won their first title in the 1931-32 season and the latest came in the 2021-22 season. Los Merengues will try to win back the title next season after losing it to their arch-rivals in the recently finished 2022-23 season.
#1 Juventus FC - 36 titles (Serie A)
Serie A, the top-tier domestic league in Italy, has been home to many legendary players like Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario. The front-runner of the domestic title count is Juventus with an impressive number of 36 titles. With Inter Milan being the chaser with 19 titles to their name, it is safe to assume that the Old Lady's record titleholder position is to stay for many more years.
Juventus won their first-ever league title in 1905 and the latest victory in the league came in the 2019-20 season. Among these record 33 titles, they managed to win the championship for nine straight seasons from the 2011-12 to 2019-20 season.