Over the years we have been treated to some incredibly tight finals in the Champions League, but not every showdown has gone down to the wire.
While drama and last-minute winners often define this iconic tournament, some finals have been utterly one-sided, with dominant performances that left fans stunned. From emphatic scorelines to sheer displays of brilliance, a few clubs have etched their names into history with unforgettable blowouts on Europe’s biggest stage.
In this blog, we look back at the biggest Champions League final wins, celebrating the teams that didn’t just win, but also made a statement.
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AC Milan 4 – 0 Barcelona (1993-94)
Milan’s thrashing of Barcelona in Athens in the 1993–94 Champions League final remains the only final to have been decided by a four-goal margin – and with a clean sheet, no less.
What makes this match particularly memorable is the fact that Milan entered the game as underdogs, missing several key players including Marco van Basten, Gianluigi Lentini, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. Barcelona, managed by Johan Cruyff, were the clear favourites, with a line-up featuring current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, alongside the likes of Hristo Stoichkov and captain José Mari Bakero.
Daniele Massaro gave the Rossoneri a two-goal lead in the first half, before Dejan Savićević added a third just two minutes after the interval. Marcel Desailly sealed the victory with a graceful run into the box and a perfectly placed curler in the 58th minute.
As a side note, this final accumulated a total of nine yellow cards, which is quite remarkable in itself!
Real Madrid 4 – 1 Juventus (2016-17)
Real Madrid have firmly established themselves as giants of the Champions League over the years, but this match marked the occasion of their 12th title in the competition.
Having last met in a Champions League final in 1998 – a match Madrid won 1-0 – they faced Juventus once again, this time at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. On this occasion, Madrid secured a far more convincing victory, winning by a three-goal margin.
What made this triumph even more significant was that it marked the first time in the competition’s history that a team had successfully retained the title – an achievement that, in hindsight, makes their third consecutive win the following year more remarkable.
Real Madrid 4 – 1 Atlético Madrid (2013-14)
The final between Madrid rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, held three years prior to the Juventus clash, was equally emphatic. It marked the fifth occasion that two teams from the same domestic league had contested the final, and notably, the first time both sides hailed from the same city.
Although the final scoreline wasn’t reached within the standard 90 minutes, the drama of the match makes it impossible to overlook. Atlético’s centre-back Diego Godín opened the scoring in Lisbon during the first half with a looping header over Iker Casillas, giving his side a 1-0 lead. It wasn’t until the 93rd minute that Real Madrid’s own centre-back, Sergio Ramos, dramatically levelled the match with a powerful header, sending it into extra time.
After a goalless first half of extra time, which left both sides reassessing their approach at 1-1, Carlo Ancelotti’s team came out resurgent. Whatever was said during the brief interval clearly had an effect, as Los Blancos went on to score three times in the final 15 minutes.
Goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed Real Madrid’s 10th Champions League title – their long-awaited La Décima.
FC Porto 3 – 0 Monaco (2003-04)
True football fans appreciate not only the significance of the scoreline, but the nature of this final itself. It was the match that truly announced José Mourinho on the world stage, as his Porto side embarked on an unexpected journey to the final, where they faced fellow underdogs Monaco.
In a game that captured the imagination of neutral fans across the globe, Mourinho’s men rose to the occasion, lifting the trophy thanks to goals from Carlos Alberto, Deco and Dmitri Alenichev.
This victory marked the first – and still the only – time a Portuguese club has won the Champions League in its current format, having claimed the UEFA Cup just a year earlier.
Real Madrid 3 – 0 Valencia (1999-2000)
Real Madrid’s triumph in the 1999–2000 season marks the fourth and final occasion on this list where a Champions League final was won by a three-goal margin. It was also the first final to feature two clubs from the same country, with Madrid redeeming what had been their poorest domestic campaign in La Liga, finishing with just 62 points.
Fernando Morientes opened the scoring, before Steve McManaman doubled the lead with a superb volley from the edge of the area. The iconic Raúl then wrapped things up in the closing stages, securing the title and handing manager Vicente del Bosque his first Champions League crown.
As well as finding the net in the final, McManaman made history by becoming the first English player to win the Champions League with a non-English club.
