There is nothing quite as exciting as a midweek night spent watching the world's greatest club competition. The UEFA Champions League has filled our hearts with joy over the years, serving up moments of sheer magic that we can't help but relive time and time again. Who can forget Steven Gerrard's heroic performance as Liverpool staged an unforgettable comeback against Milan in the 2005 final? Or the agony on John Terry's face as he missed that crucial penalty for Chelsea against Manchester United in 2008? And then, of course, there was the mesmerizing mastery of Messi as he left Jerome Boateng in his dust at the Camp Nou in 2015. For years, this competition has brought joy to football lovers across the globe, and the 2023/24 season has been no exception. After a grueling knockout round that tested the mettle of even the toughest teams, we're now down to the final two: the perennial winners, Real Madrid, and the plucky underdogs, Borussia Dortmund, who defied even the smartest football prediction and betting tips to make it to the final. The stage is set for a thrilling finale on June 1st at the iconic Wembley Stadium. Will Real Madrid add to their already impressive trophy haul, or will Dortmund pull off a stunning upset? Here are three Ahead of the final next month, here are some of the most relevant all-time UEFA Champions League records. **Most successful clubs in the UEFA Champions League?** A total of 23 clubs have won the competition. Real Madrid hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition fourteen times, including the inaugural edition. They have also won the competition the most consecutive times, with five straight titles from 1956 to 1960. AC Milan have 7 titles, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have 6, while Liverpool have won the tournament 5 times. Can Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League for the 15th time? BetKing has the best odds for that.
**Most wins in UEFA Champions League history** It is no surprise that Real Madrid have won the most games in the competition’s history, given their utter dominance over the years. Their 293 wins puts them comfortably in first place, ahead of Bayern Munich (236), Barcelona (203), Manchester United (161), and Juventus (153). Borussia Dortmund are 16th with 88 wins in their history, just 24 wins away from breaking into the top 10. Can they make it 89 by pulling off the ultimate underdog win at Wembley? Their only previous UCL final appearance came in the defeat to Bayern Munich in 2013. This is a chance for the Yellow Submarine to set things right.
**Most appearances** Participating in the UEFA Champions League is a reward for a high finish in your domestic league, or in recent years, a Europa League triumph. Some players have been so dominant that it is almost ludicrous to imagine a season of Champions League football without them. Here are 5 players with the most appearances in tournament history. Cristiano Ronaldo (187) has made the most appearances in the history of the competition. The ex-Real Madrid star is a true Champions League legend. Iker Casillas (181), 8-time Balon d’Or winner Lionel Messi (163), Xavi Hernández (157), and Karim Benzema (152) make up the top 5. This year’s final could see two of the modern greats play their last game in the competition. Certainly, Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, who has announced he will hang up his boots after EURO 2024. Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus has confirmed he will be leaving the club this summer, after 12 seasons. He has scored 21 goals in 78 Champions League appearances. Take advantage of our daily bet tips and back the Dortmund legend to say goodbye with a goal in the final.
**Most goals in UEFA Champions League history** The UEFA Champions League has been the ultimate stage for some of the world's finest strikers since its inception in 1992/93. Legendary forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Karim Benzema have made their mark with impressive goal-scoring records. However, Ronaldo (140) and Messi (129) are the only players to have scored over 100 goals in the competition. Robert Lewandowski (94), Karim Benzema (90) and Raul Gonzalez (71) complete the top 5. Speaking of goals, a few players in this year’s final will be looking to provide the killer blow for their teams. Jude Bellingham has 4 goals in 10 Champions League appearances and will be eager to add to that tally. Vinicius Junior (5 goals, 4 assists) is chasing Harry Kane (8 goals) for the Golden Boot. Could we see another European final hat-trick after Ademola Lokman's treble against Bayer Leverkusen? Take advantage of our daily bet tips by backing Vini Jr to score against Dortmund in the final.
**Champions League final goals** Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League and is also among a small group of players, including Gareth Bale, Filippo Inzaghi, and Hernan Crespo that have scored 2+ goals in a Champions League final. Can Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham join this exclusive list? Or maybe all it takes is one goal.
**Disciplinary record** Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga are among the top 10 players with the most fouls in this season's Champions League. They've committed 36 fouls between them and received 3 yellow cards each. Real Madrid as a team has committed 122 fouls and received 21 yellow cards in 12 games. Borussia Dortmund has matched Madrid's 122 fouls and received 20 yellow cards. Notably, neither team has had a player sent off this season. With an average of 10 fouls per game for each team, we are likely to see a few cards fly around, in a tense final atmosphere.
There you have it, some of the most important records in UEFA Champions League history. Cristiano Ronaldo stands out as the competition’s greatest ever player, but will the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior or Jude Bellingham break any of these records? Perhaps the secret to success in this competition is playing for Real Madrid, and the Spanish giants are one game away from potentially winning the competition for the 15th time. While Borussia Dortmund have been incredible so far, our bet of the day is for Los Blancos to extend their dominance in Europe. Take advantage of BetKing’s best odds and Bet Builder odds by backing Ancelotti’s men to win the Champions League.
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