The clubs with the most league titles in world football: Celtic, Rangers, Olympiacos…
Liverpool have moved back level with Manchester United on 20 top-flight league titles – but the two historic giants of the English game are some way off the most league championships won across world football.
Step aside PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus – this lot bring a whole new meaning to the term ‘perennial champions’, with all of them having won more than double the number of league titles Manchester United and Liverpool have.
Here are the 10 clubs across world football that have won the most league titles.
10. South China – 41 (Hong Kong)
The Hong Kong Premier League was only founded back in 2014, but the unique administrative region of China has had a top-flight league dating back to 1908, making it the oldest in all of Asia.
The South China Athletic Association football club predates even that, going back to 1904.
From their historic titles dating back to the 1920s, they continued winning league titles until their last and 41st in 2012-13. They haven’t won one in the modern Hong Kong Premier League era and in 2017 withdrew from the top division, going amateur after relegating themselves down to the second tier.
9. Al-Ahly (Egypt) – 44
One of the most famous clubs in Africa, Al-Ahly have won Egyptian Premier League in over half of the seasons since it was formed back in 1948, including each of the first nine. That’s 30 more than their historic rivals Zamalek.
The Red Devils are looking to make it three in a row in 2024-25 and have won six of the last seven.
Egyptian football legends Hossam Ashour and Hossam Hassan are two of the most decorated footballers in history, having turned out for the club in two of their most dominant eras with 13 and 10 league titles won respectively.
8. Olimpia Tegucigalpa – 45 (Honduras)
Honduras’ most successful football club has produced some memorable players over the years, from prime Barclaysman Wilson Palacios to La Liga cult hero ‘Choco’ Lozano.
The club won their first Honduran title back in 1957-58 and their 45th and most recent with the 2023-24 Clausura title.
The Clausura and Apertura league system favoured in Central and South America gives dominant clubs two bites of the cherry in one year and is partly why you’ll find plenty more representation from Latin America in this list.
7. Olimpia Asuncion – 47 (Paraguay)
The meat in the sandwich of our Olimpia-prefixed triptych are Asuncion of the Paraguayan capital.
The club famously produced Roque Santa Cruz, who returned to his boyhood club as a veteran between the years of 2016 and 2021.
Adding to the three league titles he won back in the 1990s as a nipper, he added a further five Apertura and Clausura titles following his return. That’s eight of the 47 they’ve won in their history.
After leaving a second time, Santa Cruz made the remarkable decision to sign for their city rivals Libertad. And he’s still going at the age of 43, having won a further three league titles with the club.
6. Olympiacos – 48 (Greece)
It’s not Real Madrid, nor Juventus, or Ajax or any number of other glamorous European giants that top the list for the most league titles won in Continental Europe.
No, that distinction belongs to Greek giants Olympiacos.
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men have reclaimed their crown in 2024-25 after a couple of off years in which the Greek Super League title was claimed by AEK and PAOK.
While Olympiacos finished in a disappointing third place last term, they complemented their decades of domestic dominance by becoming the first Greek side to win a European title by beating Fiorentina 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final.
QUIZ: Can you name every club to win a title in Europe’s major leagues since 1990?
5. Nacional – 49 (Uruguay)
Luis Suarez rejoined his boyhood club in one of the brief stops on this trophy-laden victory lap of his career.
After firing Atletico Madrid to the 2020-21 La Liga title, the striker scored eight goals in 14 appearances to help Nacional win the 2022 Uruguayan Primera Division and Torneo Clausura – 16 years after winning them with the club for the first time as a youngster.
4. Penarol – 52 (Uruguay)
Imagine winning 49 league titles and not being the most successful club in your nation. Nacional trail Penarol by three.
Rivals Nacional might boast Suarez, but Penarol have seen the likes of Federico Valverde and Darwin Nunez rise through their ranks.
They extended their lead over Nacional with the 2024 Uruguayan Primera Division, having won their first way back in 1900. It’s still early days in the 2025 campaign but they’re looking a decent bet to retain their title.
=2. Rangers – 55 (Scotland)
Steven Gerrard famously never won a league title as a player with Liverpool, but he did so after moving into coaching north of the border.
The legendary Reds captain’s coaching career trajectory hasn’t quite gone to plan with unsuccessful stints at Aston Villa and Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq.
But at Ibrox he’ll be remembered as the man who delivered their 55th league title, won in record time in a historic unbeaten campaign. It also scuppered Celtic’s bid for a 10th successive crown, something never before achieved in Scottish football.
=2. Celtic – 55 (Scotland)
Celtic have just sealed the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership title, making it four in a row and 13 of the last 14.
It’s been a long time coming after their Old Firm rivals’ imperial era in the 1990s, but Celtic are now level on top-flight titles.
They won their latest in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Dundee United at Tannadice, and their ambitions appear to be fully focused on moving ahead of Rangers next year.
“I am very hungry to win,” Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“We want to be the most successful team we can be. I will be here next year, 200%. I said 150% a few weeks ago. I have never been happier here.”
1. Linfield – 57 (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland’s all-time top goalscorer David Healy has led South Belfast’s Linfield to six NIFL Premiership titles in recent times, including four on the trot between 2018 and 2022.
They haven’t had things all their own way in recent years, with Larne claiming the last two titles before Healy’s men got their crown back in 2024-25 – an unprecedented 57th league title.
Linfield have had a lot to celebrate in the modern era, but their success dates way back to the 19th century. They won their first five titles in the late 1800s and added a further 13 before the World War II.
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club to win the English league title?