Bundesliga
Bundesliga teams have a history of excelling in European competition, but which are the 15 German clubs that have played in the prestigious UEFA Champions League since its inception in 1992/93? bundesliga.com gives you the lowdown...
*Data correct as of 18 May 2025
Club: Bayern Munich
Tournament appearances: 28
Furthest stage reached: Final (3x winner)
It's hardly a surprise that the Rekordmeister are also Germany's most successful team in Europe's elite club competition. In fact, since the competition's rebrand in 1992/93, the Munich side have only missed out on qualifcation on five occasions. Having secured the coveted trophy a hugely impressive three times in the competition's current iteration (6x total), Bayern are the joint-third most successful team in the competition's history, behind only Real Madrid (15x winners) and AC Milan (7x winners). The Bavarians were last crowned at the end of the tournament's 2019/20 edition, downing French giants Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon under then-manager Hansi Flick.
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Tournament appearances: 19
Furthest stage reached: Final (1x winner)
Whilst not quite as successful as their fierce rivals Bayern, the Black & Yellows can still claim to be the only other team in Germany to have been crowned champions of Europe. Better yet, their victory over Italian outfit Juventus in the 1996/97 final took place on Bayern's doorstep: at the Olympiastadion in Munich. BVB have reached two finals since (in 2012/13 and 2023/24), but both times fell at the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to Bayern in the only ever all-German final and 2-0 to Real Madrid. Dortmund may feel that English soil is cursed for them, considering both final defeats came at London's Wembley Stadium.
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Tournament appearances: 14
Furthest stage reached: Final
Despite having rid themselves of their status as Germany's perennial runners-up by claiming the Meisterschale at the end of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, Die Werkself are yet to exorcise their European demons. In their only UCL final appearance to date, in the competition's 2001/02 instalment, Klaus Toppmöller's Leverkusen side faced Spanish giants Real Madrid, and, despite clawing it back to 1-1 after conceding an early goal, were undone on the stroke of half-time courtesy of a spectacular volley from one Zinedine Zidane.
Club: Schalke
Tournament appearances: 8
Furthest stage reached: Semi-finals
Whilst they may currently ply their trade in Germany's second division, Schalke's European pedigree is not to be overlooked. Last featuring in the competition in 2018/19, the Royal Blues' best run came in 2010/11, when - after topping Group B - they knocked out Spanish side Valencia and Italian titans Inter Milan in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, before losing over both legs to Manchester United in the semi-finals.
Club: RB Leipzig
Tournament appearances: 7
Furthest stage reached: Semi-finals
Relative newcomers to Europe's premier club competiton, Leipzig have certainly made waves since their debut Champions League outing in 2017/18. The 2019/20 campaign saw Die Roten Bullen reach the semi-finals under then-coach Julian Nagelsmann, in just the club's 11th season in existence. They topped their group before knocking out Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético Madrid in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, but were stopped by eventual finalists Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, Nagelsmann's impressive cup run will not quickly be forgotten.
Club: Werder Bremen
Tournament appearances: 7
Furthest stage reached: Round of 16
They may not have qualified for the tournament since the 2010/11 season, but in the 2000s, Bremen were something of a mainstay in the Champions League. That being said, despite strong domestic campaigns, they have never made it to the final eight of the competition, having reached the round of 16 twice. In the 2005/06 season - which saw them finish second behind champions Bayern - the Green-Whites came second in Group C, which included eventual champions Barcelona, before crashing out courtesy of the away-goals rule in a dramatic 4-4 tie with Juventus.
Club: Stuttgart
Tournament appearances: 5
Furthest stage reached: Round of 16
The Swabians' inclusion in the 2024/25 Champions League was their first time qualifiying since the 2009/10 season. Their sporadic involvement has not yet seen them progress past the last 16, with aggregate defeats to European giants Barcelona and Chelsea in 2009/10 and 2003/04 respectively. However, there have been memorable results in the group stages, notably a 2-1 downing of Manchester United in 2003/04 and a last-gasp 1-0 away win over Juventus in 2024/25.
Club: Wolfsburg
Tournament appearances: 3
Furthest stage reached: Quarter-finals
Comparitive late-comers to the Champions League, Wolfsburg first trotted out to the famous anthem in the 2009/10 season, following on from their famous Bundesliga-winning campaign in 2008/09. They crashed out of the group stage in their debut outing, but in 2015/16 they enjoyed their best run to date. Topping a group that included Manchester United before knocking out Belgian side Gent in the round of 16, the Wolves would come up against eventual champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Then-manager Dieter Hecking's side were in dreamland following a 2-0 victory at home to the Spanish giants, but Madrid ultimately turned the tie around thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, winning 3-0 at the Bernabéu.
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Tournament appearances: 3
Furthest stage reached: Round of 16
One-time finalists of the old European Cup, the Foals' last appearance in the tournament was their most successful since the 1992 rebrand. Gladbach had enjoyed consecutive seasons in the competition in 2015/16 and 2016/17 but were eliminated in the group stages both times. In 2020/21, however, Borussia came second in a group which included both Real Madrid and Inter Milan. Having claimed impressive points against both, they advanced through to the round of 16, where they were knocked out by Manchester City, losing 4-0 on aggregate.
Club: Hamburg
Tournament appearances: 2
Furthest stage reached: Group stage
Hamburg may have the 1982/83 European Cup to their name, but in the current iteration of the Champions League, the Red Shorts have only qualified twice: appearing in the 2000/01 and 2006/07 editions of the tournament. In 2000/01 they finished third in the group behind Deportivo La Coruña and Panathinaikos, whilst in 2006/07 they came bottom behind Arsenal, Porto, and CSKA Moscow, despite boasting a hugely talented squad which included the likes of Rafael van der Vaart and current Bayern boss Vincent Kompany.
Club: Kaiserslautern
Tournament appearances: 1
Furthest stage reached: Quarter-finals
Fresh off the back of their record-breaking Bundesliga title in 1997/98, having become the first newly promoted side to do so, Lautern enjoyed some success in their only ever Champions League outing in 1998/99. The Red Devils topped Group F ahead of the likes of Portuguese outfit Benfica and Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, but were ultimately knocked out in the quarters (there was no round of 16 back then) by Bayern, who were famously defeated in the final by Manchester United's last-gasp come-from-behind win.
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Tournament appearances: 1
Furthest stage reached: Round of 16
Once finalists of the old European Cup in 1959/60, Frankfurt have only featured once in the revised UEFA Champions League. Qualifying for the tournament's 2022/23 edition by winning the UEFA Europa League title in 2021/22, the Eagles finished behind Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage before being knocked out by Italian side Napoli in the round of 16, losing 5-0 on aggregate.
Club: Hertha
Tournament appearances: 1
Furthest stage reached: Second group stage
The Old Lady's only Champions League appearance came in the 1999/00 season after having grabbed a hugely impressive third-place finish in the Bundesliga the campaign prior. Hertha progressed through what was the old 'first group stage', finishing second behind Chelsea, but came bottom of their group in the second stage, having picked up just two points in a group that included Barcelona, Porto and Sparta Prague.
Club: Union Berlin
Tournament appearances: 1
Furthest stage reached: Group stage
Union's maiden (and only to date) Champions League campaign will not be forgotten by their fans any time soon. After winning promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history in 2019, the Irons finished a club-record fourth in the 2022/23 season to qualify for the Champions League. They may have crashed out of the group stages behind Real Madrid, Napoli and Braga without claiming a win, but it was a fairytale journey for the Köpenickers nonetheless.
Club: Hoffenheim
Tournament appearances: 1
Furthest stage reached: Group stage
Similarly to Union, Hoffenheim qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history off the back of their best-ever Bundesliga season, having finished third at the end of the 2017/18 campaign. The Sinsheimers were eliminated in the group stage, finishing bottom of the group after collecting just three points from their six clashes with Manchester City, Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk. Nevertheless, Champions League nights under the lights at the PreZero Arena are likely to be remembered fondly by TSG fans.