Chelsea Football Club are an English professional football club based in Fulham, London. They have won eleven international trophies, second only to Liverpool in the number of international trophies won among British clubs. These consist of the UEFA Champions League (formerly the European Cup) twice, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (formerly the European Cup Winners' Cup) twice, the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup) twice, the UEFA Conference League once, the UEFA Super Cup twice, and the FIFA Club World Cup twice.
As the champions of England, Chelsea were invited to participate in the inaugural European Cup in 1955; however, they were pressured into withdrawing from the tournament by the Football League. Three years later, in 1958, Chelsea made their European debut against Copenhagen XI in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The club has played in European football in almost every season since 1997âÂÂ98, only missing the feat twice, in 2016âÂÂ17 and 2023âÂÂ24. Chelsea won their first European title in 1971, defeating Real Madrid in the final to win the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In 2012, Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League, becoming the fifth English team, and the first and only team from London to date, to win the competition. A year later, Chelsea won the UEFA Europa League and became the fourth club to win all three main UEFA club competitions (Champions League, Cup Winners' Cup, and Europa League) at the time. Due to a change in competition dates, with the final of the Champions League being played a week after the Europa League final, Chelsea held both the Champions and Europa League trophies simultaneously, the only side to ever do so. In 2021, Chelsea won their second Champions League title, giving them the distinction of being the only club to have won all of UEFA's three main club competitions more than once. After winning the UEFA Conference League in 2025, a competition that had been established four years earlier, they became the first club to win all four major UEFA men's club competitions.
In European competitions, John Terry holds the club's record for the most appearances, with 124, while Didier Drogba holds the record for the most goals scored, with 36. Chelsea's biggest European win is 13âÂÂ0, which came against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971. Their 21âÂÂ0 aggregate win over the same opposition is a joint-record in European football.
In 1955, Chelsea were invited to take part in the inaugural European Cup, now UEFA Champions League, after they claimed their first domestic league title in the 1954âÂÂ55 season. However, the club declined the invitation after the Football League's secretary, Alan Hardaker, advised them to withdraw, as domestic competitions should take priority. Chelsea had to wait another three years for their European debut, as the club entered the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup for the 1958âÂÂ1960 season. Chelsea's first match in European football was against Copenhagen XI in the first round of the competition, which they won 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate.
As winners of the 1970 FA Cup, Chelsea qualified for the 1970âÂÂ71 edition of the European Cup Winners' Cup (later renamed as the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup), a UEFA governed competition contested by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The club eliminated Greek side Aris Thessaloniki and Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia in the first two rounds of the competition. In the quarter-finals, Chelsea lost the first leg 2âÂÂ0 away to Club Brugge, but won 4âÂÂ0 after extra time at Stamford Bridge to advance to the semi-finals; Chelsea player Tommy Baldwin described the match as "the best game I've ever been involved in". The club then eliminated fellow English team and defending Cup Winners' Cup champions Manchester City, winning both matches by a solitary goal. In the final, Chelsea defeated Spain's Real Madrid 2âÂÂ1 in a replay (the first game ended in a draw), with first-half goals from Peter Osgood and John Dempsey, to win the club's first major international honour.
After their success in 1971, the club had to wait more than two decades for their next European game. Despite losing the 1994 FA Cup final to Manchester United, Chelsea still qualified for the 1994âÂÂ95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, as United qualified for the Champions League through domestic league performance. Chelsea reached the semi-finals of the competition, where they were eliminated by Zaragoza. After losing the first leg 3âÂÂ0 away, Chelsea won the second leg 3âÂÂ1 and were eliminated 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate. In the 1997âÂÂ98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup season, Chelsea won the competition for the second time, defeating VfB Stuttgart 1âÂÂ0 in the final in Stockholm, with Gianfranco Zola scoring a second-half winner. As winners, Chelsea earned the right to play against the 1997âÂÂ98 UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid, in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup. Gus Poyet scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 83rd minute after coming on from the bench in the second half, securing Chelsea's first Super Cup trophy.
Chelsea made their debut in the premier European football competition, the UEFA Champions League, in the 1999âÂÂ2000 season. The team progressed through the group stage and the second group stage to reach the quarter-finals, where they faced Barcelona, reigning champions of Spain. Chelsea won the first leg 3âÂÂ1 at Stamford Bridge, with Zola scoring the opener and Tore André Flo scoring a brace. However, they were defeated 5âÂÂ1 after extra time in Spain two weeks later and were eliminated from the competition with a 6âÂÂ4 aggregate score.
Chelsea qualified for the 2003âÂÂ04 Champions League by finishing fourth in the 2002âÂÂ03 FA Premier League. Their place in the Champions League was secured on the final day of the season, beating fifth-placed Liverpool 2âÂÂ1 at home. The game was dubbed 'the ã20m match' as Chelsea were only ahead of Liverpool on goal difference before kickoff; a win for either side would see them qualify for the following season's Champions League at the expense of the other. Jesper Grønkjær scored the winner in the first half; the goal was later considered by many to be the most important in the club's history and is said to be worth ã1 billion, with many believing that if Liverpool had won that day, the subsequent takeover by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich would never have happened. During this period, Chelsea assembled a team that would be influential in the following years' Champions League campaigns and subsequent Champions League victory, led by players such as Petr ÃÂech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
In 2003âÂÂ04, Chelsea reached the semi-finals after defeating London rivals Arsenal. Having not beaten Arsenal since November 1998, they went into the second leg with a 1âÂÂ1 home draw. In the second leg at Highbury, José Antonio Reyes' goal before the half-time gave the Gunners the lead, however, Chelsea managed to come back and won in the second half through Lampard's goal within six minutes of the restart and Wayne Bridge's winning goal in the 87th minute. In the first leg of the semi-final, Chelsea lost 3âÂÂ1 to ten-man Monaco at the Stade Louis II. Two weeks later at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were leading 2âÂÂ0 shortly before the half-time. Had they kept this score until the end of the match, they would go through to the final on the away goals rule. However, Monaco eventually came back in the second half and the game ended in a 2âÂÂ2 draw. As a consequence, Claudio Ranieri was sacked at the end of the season.
Between 2005 and 2009, Chelsea came close to winning the Champions League several times. In 2004âÂÂ05, the club, managed by José Mourinho, reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Liverpool 1âÂÂ0 on aggregate. The match was notable for the so-called "ghost goal" scored by Luis GarcÃÂa, a goal that shouldn't have stood as the ball allegedly never crossed the goal line. Two years later, in 2007, Chelsea were on the verge of the final, but were again stopped by Liverpool in the semi-finals, this time losing on penalties.
In 2008, Chelsea reached the final after finally defeating Liverpool in the semi-finals at their third attempt in four seasons. The 2008 final, held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, was the first ever all-English Champions League final, with Chelsea facing Manchester United. The game was tightly contested, with the final score after extra time being 1âÂÂ1. In the penalty shoot-out, Chelsea were one kick away from winning the Champions League after ÃÂech saved Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty. However, Chelsea's captain Terry slipped on his run up and his shot hit the post. Edwin van der Sar then saved Nicolas Anelka's spot kick and Manchester United were crowned European champions for the third time. The following season, Chelsea were on course to make their second final in two years. Following a 0âÂÂ0 draw away against Barcelona, Chelsea were leading 1âÂÂ0 at Stamford Bridge, but Barcelona managed to score an equaliser in the 94th minute of the game, progressing to the final on away goals. Several Chelsea players protested against the referee's decisions after the final whistle, most notable José Bosingwa and Drogba. The latter shouted into television cameras that the game was "a fucking disgrace", and both players were handed bans by UEFA for their actions. The match referee, Tom Henning ÃÂvrebø, received death threats and had to be smuggled out of Britain by police.
Chelsea would not appear in the Champions League final again until the 2012 edition, which was held at the Allianz Arena in Munich. After eliminating Napoli, Benfica and Barcelona in the knockout rounds, Chelsea faced Bayern Munich, who would play the final at home, but due to the UEFA rules, the venue was officially counted as a neutral. Bayern controlled the match for the most part and took the lead in the 83rd minute through a shot from Thomas Müller. Drogba equalised five minutes later with a header from Juan Mata's corner. In extra time, Bayern missed several opportunities, including a penalty from former Chelsea player Arjen Robben, and the match went to penalties. Chelsea eventually triumphed 4âÂÂ3, despite Mata missing the first penalty. Two Bayern players, Ivica Oliàand Bastian Schweinsteiger, failed to convert their penalties, while Drogba scored the final penalty of the shoot-out to secure the Blues' first ever Champions League title. As Chelsea faced 35 shots on goal and 20 corners in the final, the match has been dubbed the "Miracle of Munich" due to Chelsea's unlikely victory on Bayern's home soil. As title holders, Chelsea secured a place in next season's Champions League after missing out of qualification, as a result of finishing sixth in Premier League, and earned the right to play in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup against the 2011âÂÂ12 UEFA Europa League winners, Atlético Madrid, which they lost. They also qualified for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, where Chelsea failed to become world champions after losing to Corinthians in the final.
Chelsea became the first Champions League holder to exit in the group stage of the competition the following year, after finishing third in their group behind Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk. However, they continued their season in the UEFA Europa League and eventually won the competition after defeating Benfica in the final with an injury-time header by Branislav IvanoviÃÂ. By winning the Europa League, Chelsea became the fourth club to win all three main UEFA club competitions at the time. In the subsequent 2013 UEFA Super Cup, Chelsea lost on penalties against Bayern Munich.
Chelsea repeated the feat and won another Europa League title in 2019, defeating London rivals Arsenal 4âÂÂ1 in the final. After this success, the club qualified for the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, where they again lost on penalties, this time against Liverpool, the winners of the 2018âÂÂ19 UEFA Champions League.
Nine years after their first Champions League triumph, Chelsea were able to secure a place in the 2021 final, which was held at Estádio do Dragão in Porto against fellow English side Manchester City. It was the third time that two English sides would face in the final (after 2008 â which Chelsea also involved â and 2019). Despite the odds being in Manchester City's favour and City dominating the possession throughout the game, Chelsea prevailed and were crowned European champions for the second time, after Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the match three minutes before half-time, when he collected a pass from Mason Mount to round City goalkeeper Ederson and score. As title holders, Chelsea earned the right to play in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup against the 2020âÂÂ21 UEFA Europa League winners, Villarreal. After losing in the previous three Super Cup games, Chelsea finally won the competition for the second time after triumphing on penalties. They also qualified for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, where Chelsea became world champions for the first time after winning the final against Palmeiras.
In the 2024âÂÂ25 season, Chelsea competed in the newly-established UEFA Conference League, the third-tier European competition, and lifted the trophy after beating Real Betis 4âÂÂ1 in the final. Chelsea won 12 of their 13 matches during the season (excluding qualifying rounds), and also scored 42 goals, a record by an English club in a single season in major European competition. By winning, they became the first club to win all five major UEFA men's club competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup, Super Cup, and Conference League).
As the winners of the 2020âÂÂ21 Champions League, Chelsea earned a place in the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the first edition to feature 32 teams. Managed by Enzo Maresca and led by Cole Palmer, who won the tournament's best player award, Chelsea defeated the reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3âÂÂ0 in the final to become world champions for the second time.
All results (home, away, neutral, and aggregate) list Chelsea's goal tally first.
Colour key
All statistics are correct as of 17 March 2026.
Including matches in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, European Cup Winners' Cup / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and each competition's associated qualifying rounds.
Colour key
All statistics are correct as of 17 March 2026.
Including matches in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, European Cup Winners' Cup / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and each competition's associated qualifying rounds.
Key