The Champions League is the biggest club competition in world football to many. Europe's biggest and best teams all meet with the aim of lifting the iconic trophy each season.
European football did exist before it was called the UEFA Champions League, but the 1992 rebrand has elevated the competition to new heights. The greatest managers of all time have taken part in the tournament over the years.
The likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp have reached the rare landmark of winning 50 matches as a manager in the competition. But who did it in fewer matches?
10-6: Jose Mourinho Reaches Landmark Before Sir Alex Ferguson
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho
Legendary Arsenal and Monaco boss Arsene Wenger is one of the only managers on this list who never actually got his hands on the Champions League trophy. Despite this, the French tactician still took just 113 matches to record 50 wins.
Diego Simeone, who also hasn't won the competition, reached the milestone in 10 fewer matches. All of those games came as Atletico Madrid manager, and the Spanish giants could still lift the trophy at the end of the 2025-26 season.
One of the greatest managers in football history, Carlo Ancelotti, took longer than some would expect to reach 50 Champions League wins. The Italian has won Europe's elite trophy five times, but took 100 matches to get 50 wins.
Sir Alex Ferguson may be the finest manager to ever grace the Premier League, but he isn't necessarily seen in the same light in continental football. The iconic Scot oversaw a historic comeback in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich and added a second Champions League crown in 2008. He took 98 games to get 50 wins on the board.
That was bettered by Jose Mourinho. Initially bursting onto the scene as the manager who masterminded Porto's 2004 triumph, 'The Special One' took a while to get going after managing his first Champions League match in 2001, but reached 50 victories quicker than Fergie (93 matches).
Fastest Managers to 50 Champions League Wins (10-6)
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5-1: Luis Enrique Makes History
luis enrique psg
Two Champions League winners with Liverpool make the top five. First, the genius behind the greatest comeback in the competition's history. The English giants overturned a 3-0 deficit against AC Milan in the 2005 final. Known as a tactical master, Benitez secured 50 wins in just 91 games.
His record was beaten by one game by Jurgen Klopp. First taking charge on Europe's biggest stage with Borussia Dortmund, the German reached the final four times in his career, but only won one (2019)
Younger football fans may be taken by surprise to find out that ex-Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is third on this list. However, he was seen as a revolutionary boss in the 1990s. He lifted the trophy in his first season competing as Ajax manager and won 50 games in just 83 attempts.
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Some managers could not stop winning trophies in their career from Sir Alex Ferguson to Luiz Felipe Scolari to Valeriy Lobanovskyi.
It's hard to find a managerial list where Pep Guardiola isn't near the top. The Catalan-born hero quickly turned Barcelona into one of the best teams in football history after taking charge in 2008. He won the trophy in 2009 and 2011, before adding another as part of Manchester City's 2023 treble-winning side.
Luis Enrique has recently overtaken his ex-Barca teammate after guiding reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain to a 5-4 win against Bayern Munich. He's aiming to win his third Champions League as a manager in 2026, and has taken only 77 games to rack up 50 wins.
Fastest Managers to 50 Champions League Wins (5-1)
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