Longest title-winning streaks in European football

Bayern Munich players celebrate their Bundesliga title win in May 2016.
Bayern Munich players celebrate their Bundesliga title win in May 2016. (Image credit: Getty Images)

It is sometimes said in sport that the hardest thing is not getting to the top, but staying there.

After winning a major trophy, many sides struggle to maintain the same level of hunger or consistency – especially with everyone else trying even harder to catch up.

But over the years, many clubs have won titles consecutively for three, four, five, six years or sometimes even longer.

Here, a look at some of the European teams that won three or more leagues in a row...

AC Milan (three Serie A titles in a row)

AC Milan celebrate with the European Cup after beating Barcelona in the 1994 final in Athens.

AC Milan celebrate with the European Cup after beating Barcelona in the 1994 final in Athens. (Image credit: Getty Images)

AC Milan enjoyed huge success in the late 1980s and early 1990s under Arrigo Sacchi and later with Fabio Capello in charge.

European Cup winners in 1989, 1990 and 1994, Milan also came out on top in Serie A for three consecutive campaigns between 1992 and 1994.

Liverpool (three First Division titles in a row)

Liverpool players celebrate with the First Division trophy in May 1984 after winning the league for a third year in a row.

Liverpool players celebrate with the First Division trophy in May 1984 after winning the league for a third year in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of five English clubs to win three top-flight titles in a row, Liverpool achieved the feat between 1982 and 1984, also adding the European Cup in the 1983/84 campaign.

Before the Reds, two English clubs had won three consecutive league titles: Huddersfield Town between 1924 and 1926; and Arsenal from 1931 to 1933.

Manchester United (three Premier League titles in a row)

Manchester United players celebrate with the Premier League trophy in May 2009 after winning the competition for a third season in a row.

Manchester United players celebrate with the Premier League trophy in May 2009 after winning the competition for a third season in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United were dominant in the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning 13 titles between 1993 and 2013.

The Red Devils took three in a row between 1999 and 2001, before repeating that feat with another triple triumph from 2007 to 2009.

Galatasaray (four Süper Lig titles in a row)

Galatasaray players celebrate after victory against Arsenal on penalties in the 2000 UEFA Cup final.

Galatasaray players celebrate after victory against Arsenal on penalties in the 2000 UEFA Cup final. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Turkey's Süper Lig has been dominated by Istanbul's big three clubs, with Galatasaray the most successful of the trio in recent years.

Between 1997 and 2000, Gala took the title four times in a row, with Fatih Terim's side also beating Arsenal on penalties to claim the UEFA Cup in the last of those campaigns.

Benfica (four Primeira Liga titles in a row)

Benfica players celebrate in May 2017 after winning a fourth consecutive Portuguese title.

Benfica players celebrate in May 2017 after winning a fourth consecutive Portuguese title. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Benfica have won more Portuguese titles than any other club and the Lisbon giants' best run in the competition is four consecutive championships.

Starting in 2013/14, the Eagles won their 33rd, 34th, 35th and 36th titles before finishing seond to Porto in the 2017/18 season. Benfica's city rivals Sporting CP also won four titles in a row back in the 1950s.

Ajax (four Eredivisie titles in a row)

Ajax players celebrate in April 2014 after winning the Eredivisie for the fourth season in a row.

Ajax players celebrate in April 2014 after winning the Eredivisie for the fourth season in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ajax have had some wonderful sides over the years and the Amsterdam club won the Eredivisie three times in a row in the 1960s and again in the 1990s.

But the club's record run came between 2011 and 2014, with four consecutive titles, all of those secured with Frank de Boer as coach.

PSV (four Eredivisie titles in a row)

PSV players celebrate in April 2008 after winning the Eredivisie title for a fourth season in a row.

PSV players celebrate in April 2008 after winning the Eredivisie title for a fourth season in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

PSV are the Eredivisie's second-most successful club after rivals Ajax and the Red and Whites have twice racked up four domestic titles in a row.

The first of those streaks was secured between 1986 and 1989, with the great Romário at the club for the last of those seasons. And PSV went on to dominate again in the 2000s, claiming four titles on the spin between 2005 and 2008.

Paris Saint-Germain (four Ligue 1 titles in a row)

Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate with the Ligue 1 trophy after winning the title in 2023/24.

Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate with the Ligue 1 trophy after winning the title in 2023/24. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Given the huge investment at Paris Saint-Germain since the Qatari takeover in 2011, the Parisians are now expected to win Ligue 1 every season.

Champions in all but two seasons between 2012/13 and 2023/24, PSG's best run of consecutive titles in that time is four, matching Saint-Étienne in the late 1960s and Marseille between 1989 and 1992.

Barcelona (four La Liga titles in a row)

Barcelona players celebrate a goal against Manchester United in the Champions League in 1994.

Barcelona players celebrate a goal against Manchester United in the Champions League in 1994. (Image credit: Getty Images)

After watching fierce rivals Real Madrid win La Liga for five seasons in a row between 1986 and 1990, Barcelona claimed the title for the next four campaigns.

Johan Cruyff's side won four in a row between 1991 and 1994, with a couple of those titles sealed on the final day of the season. Barça also won their first European Cup in 1992, reaching the final again in 1994.

Manchester City (four Premier League titles in a row)

Manchester City players celebrate winning a fourth Premier League title in a row in May 2024.

Manchester City players celebrate winning a fourth Premier League title in a row in May 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester City won the treble in 2022/23 and although the team's next campaign was not quite so successful, it still yielded a fourth Premier League title in a row and a sixth in seven seasons under Pep Guardiola.

City went on an impressive run in the second half of the season to pip Arsenal to the title by two points, with Liverpool in third.

Porto (five Primeira Liga titles in a row)

Porto players celebrate a goal against Maritimo in May 2009.

Porto players celebrate a goal against Maritimo in May 2009. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Only five clubs have won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in the competition's entire history, with Benfica, Sporting CP and Porto taking home all but two of those.

Benfica are the nation's most successful side, but Porto hold the record for the longest run of titles, with five in a row between 1995 and 1999. The Dragons also won four consecutively from 2006 to 2009.

Inter (five Serie A titles in a row)

Inter players celebrate their Scudetto win in May 2010.

Inter players celebrate their Scudetto win in May 2010. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Inter won Serie A for five consecutive seasons between 2006 and 2010, with that streak culminating in the team's treble triumph under José Mourinho in the last of those campaigns.

The Nerazzurri had finished second behind Juventus in the 2005/06 season, but took the title due to the Calciopoli scandal, which saw the Bianconeri disqualified and demoted to Serie B.

Real Madrid (five La Liga titles in a row)

Real Madrid players line up ahead of a match in 1990.

Real Madrid players line up ahead of a match in 1990. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Real Madrid have more La Liga titles than any other club and Los Blancos have twice put together runs of five championships in a row.

Madrid were champions each season between 1961 and 1965 and replicated that run with the famous Quinta del Buitre side, featuring Emilio Butragueño, Hugo Sánchez and more, from 1986 to 1990.

Olympiacos (seven Greek titles in a row)

Olympiacos players celebrate in May 2017 after winning a seventh consecutive Greek title.

Olympiacos players celebrate in May 2017 after winning a seventh consecutive Greek title. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Olympiacos have been a dominant force over the years in Greek football and the Piraeus club hold the record for the most titles won consecutively.

After winning seven in a row between 1997 and 2003, Olympiacos repeated the feat with another seven from 2011 to 2017. Previously, the club had won six on the bounce in the 1950s.

Lyon (seven Ligue 1 titles in a row)

Lyon players celebrate winning their seventh straight Ligue 1 title in May 2008.

Lyon players celebrate winning their seventh straight Ligue 1 title in May 2008. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Olympique Lyonnais dominated French football in the first decade of the 2000s, winning seven straight Ligue 1 titles between 2002 and 2008.

What is even more remarkable is that those are the only league titles Lyon have won in their entire history.

Rangers (nine Scottish titles in a row)

Rangers players celebrate after winning a ninth Scottish Premier League title in a row in May 1997.

Rangers players celebrate after winning a ninth Scottish Premier League title in a row in May 1997. (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of two Scottish clubs to have won nine consecutive league titles, Rangers achieved the feat between 1989 and 1997.

Going for a record 10th title in the 1997/98 Scottish Premier League season, the Gers finished two points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Celtic (nine Scottish titles in a row)

Celtic players celebrate winning their eighth Scottish Premiership title in a row in May 2019.

Celtic players celebrate winning their eighth Scottish Premiership title in a row in May 2019. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Winning nine domestic titles in a row is hugely impressive in any league. In Scotland, Celtic have done it twice.

Scottish Football League Division One champions for nine straight seasons between 1966 and 1974, the Hoops repeated that feat more recently, winning the Scottish Premiership nine times on the spin from 2012 to 2020.

Juventus (nine Serie A titles in a row)

Juventus players celebrate in May 2019 after winning Serie A for the eighth season in a row.

Juventus players celebrate in May 2019 after winning Serie A for the eighth season in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Italy's biggest and most successful club, Juventus won nine Serie A titles in a row between 2012 and 2020.

That incredible streak finally ended in 2020/21, with the Bianconeri coming in fourth behind Inter, AC Milan and Atalanta and only just edging out Napoli for the final Champions League place.

Bayern Munich (11 Bundesliga titles in a row)

Bayern Munich players celebrate in May 2023 after winning the Bundesliga for the 11th season in a row.

Bayern Munich players celebrate in May 2023 after winning the Bundesliga for the 11th season in a row. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Bayern Munich's domestic dominance has reached new levels in recent years, with the Bavarians racking up 11 consecutive league titles between 2013 and 2023.

That run was finally ended by Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season, but the record is set to stand for a very long time.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.