How many Champions Leagues have Real Madrid won?

 Real Madrid are very experienced in the latter stages of the Champions League, but how many times have they won the tournament?

The Europe’s premier competition will feature two of its most successful clubs as Real Madrid and Liverpool clash in Kiev. Real Madrid have been marked as favorites to take the title on May 26 and for good reason. Los Blancos are the most successful side in Champions League history having won six titles since the tournament was re-branded in 1992. If one was to add Real Madrid’s haul from the Champions League predecessor tournament, the European Cup, the Spanish giants have won Europe’s premier competition 12 times, making them the most successful team in the competition by a comfortable margin, with five more titles than second placed AC Milan.

Real Madrid won the first ever European Cup in 1956 and defended the trophy for five straight seasons before being knocked out by Barcelona in the 1960-61 season. Since then, no club has ever held on to the European Cup or Champions League for more than three seasons. Real Madrid reclaimed their crown in 1966, after losing two finals before eventually beating Partizan Belgrade to win the competition for the sixth time.

Next: 5 reasons Real Madrid will beat Liverpool

That would be the last time that Real Madrid would lift the European Cup in its old format. Los Blancos would have to wait 32 years for their seventh title, at which stage, the European Cup was re-branded as the Champions League. Since their 1-0 win over Juventus in 1998, Real Madrid have won the Champions League another five times with titles in 2000 and 2002. In 2014, Real Madrid defeated city rivals Atletico Madrid in the first ever Champions League final contested between two clubs from the same city. In beating their cross town rivals, Real Madrid lifted the trophy for an unprecedented 10th time.

Heading into the final in Kiev, Real Madrid are currently the reigning European champions having won the title in 2016 and retaining it in last year’s final against Juventus, making them the first club to retain the title since its re-brand in 1992.

Should they beat Liverpool in this year’s final, they will retain the Champions League for a third year in row, bringing their total European titles to 13 and their Champions League title haul to seven, further cementing their place as European football’s best side.