Man United or Liverpool - Which Club Have Won The Most Trophies?
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| Liverpool or Man Utd? Which club have won the most major trophies? |
Liverpool surpassed Man United in Major Trophies?
Liverpool tasted yet more trophy success following their Premier League win, but have they surpassed Man Utd in major titles?
Sir Alex Ferguson famously stated that his mission was to knock his club's great rivals Liverpool off their perch and he managed to do just that. He and Man United won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three Champions League honours during his time with the Red Devils, and is regarded as one of the greatest of all-time.
Following Liverpool's success in their sixth Champions League title in June 2019 and their 19th league title in 2020, however, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp's side have shown that they are able to challenge once again.
But who won has won the most titles in England?
After Liverpool won their sixth UEFA Super Cup title in 2019, beating Chelsea through a penalty shootout in Istanbul, Reds fans were quick to claim that they became the most successful club in English football.
In beating the Blues on that occasion, Liverpool lifted their 46th major trophy, with supporters believing that they had surpassed great rivals Manchester United, who, they said, have 45 major trophies.
While the Reds have now won 47 major prizes – including the league, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League/European Cup, the UEFA Cup/Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup – their count disregards one competition.
Liverpool's 47 major titles excludes the number of Community Shield titles they have won, which is the key point of the discussion – as Man Utd have a record 21 Community Shields to their name, compared to Liverpool's 15.
And so, if Community Shield titles are to count in the trophy haul, Man Utd have won 66 major titles to Liverpool's 62, sealing their status as the most successful side in England.
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Man United and Liverpool Camparision in major trophies:
| Competition | Man Utd Trophies | Liverpool Trophies |
|---|---|---|
| First Division / Premier League | 20 | 19 |
| FA Cup | 12 | 7 |
| League Cup | 5 | 8 |
| UEFA Cup / Champions League | 3 | 6 |
| Europa League | 1 | 3 |
| Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 0 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 4 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 0 |
| Intercontinental Cup | 1 | 0 |
| Community Shield | 21 | 15 |
| Total | 66 | 62 |
*Last update August, 2021.
The rivalry between two of English football’s giants is fuelled in part by the close proximity of the two major cities they represent. We’re counting top-flight titles only here (not second division)…
Manchester United in trophies
Manchester United won their first top-flight title way back in 1908. They went on to win the title again a few years later in 1911 – before a 41-year wait for the next.
That came in 1952 during the Matt Busby era. The legendary manager would clinch the title a further four times in his reign – twice before and twice after the devastating Munich air disaster that killed eight of their squad members (and 23 people in total).
But the Red Devils struggled in the post-Busby era. They were relegated to the Second Division where they soon claimed that title (for a second time in their history) in 1975. Two Second Division titles is all well and good, but the club would not compete for titles at the top table until a certain Alex Ferguson turned up in Manchester.
Ferguson took charge in 1986 and it took him four years to get his hands on his first trophy (FA Cup in 1990), and seven to win his first top-flight title. United were crowned champions in the first season of the newly branded Premiership (later the Premier League) in 1993.
They followed that up with success again the next season; indeed Fergie’s side dominated the early years of the league, lifting the title in eight of the first 11 seasons.
They went on to claim a further five titles which leaves United with a record-breaking tally of 20 top-flight successes, surpassing Liverpool’s old record of 18.
Since the departure of the legendary Scot in 2013 United have struggled to live up to the club’s massive expectations. Louis van Gaal delivered the FA Cup in 2016, but current manager Jose Mourinho has the task of rebuilding a depleted squad in an attempt to return the club to their former glories.
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Domestic Cups
Manchester United share the record for the most FA Cup wins with Arsenal. They have 12 final wins under their belt in total.
It’s a different story in the League Cup, though, where they have lifted the trophy five times.
They also hold the record in the Charity/Community Shield. United have lifted the big shield in the traditional pre-season curtain raiser 17 times. They have shared it with their opponents a further four times, back in the day when the game could be settled as a draw, making it 21 in total.
European Competitions (and Worldwide)
For all their reputation as one of the world’s truly giant clubs, their record of three triumphs in the European Cup (or Champions League, as it’s known now) pales in comparison to the likes of Real Madrid, with 11.
United were the first English team to win the European Cup, in 1968. They also won the Champions League in 2008 – spearheaded by Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and their talismanic world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Their other European successes included one European Cup Winners’ Cup win back in 1991. That was quickly followed by a UEFA Super Cup victory.
United have also enjoyed success on 2 occasions in worldwide competitions having lifted the Intercontinental Cup in 1999 against Palmeiras, and the Fifa Club World Cup in 2008.
List of honours:
20 First Division/Premier League titles
3 European Cups/Champions Leagues
1 UEFA Cup / Europa League
12 FA Cups
5 League Cups
1 European Cup Winners’ Cup
1 UEFA Super Cup
1 Intercontinental Cup
1 FIFA Club World Cup
21 Charity/Community Shields (17 outright, 4 shared)
Manchester Unites Total Trophies Now: 66
Liverpool FC In Trophies
Domestic League Titles
Although they haven’t enjoyed a great deal of trophy success in the last 25 years or so, Liverpool still have plenty of historic victories to their name.
The Reds enjoyed a dominant spell in domestic football in the 1970s through to the end of the 80s under the guidance of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and continued by his assistant Joe Fagan. Despite still being a major player in English football, however, Liverpool haven’t won a league title for over 25 years, since 1990.
Liverpool’s haul of 18 top flight successes had long stood as the record in England until Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson got the better of it in 2011. They took a further step ahead in 2013. In fact, when Liverpool last won the title their rivals United had only seven league titles to their name. Such has been the reversal of fortunes for the the two clubs since the Ferguson era.
Liverpool first won the title in 1901. Their most successful period came in the 1970s and 1980s – between 1976 and 1986 the Reds won eight league championships. On top of Liverpool’s 18 First Division titles they also have four Second Division titles.
Domestic Cups
Liverpool hold the record in the League Cup with 8 triumphs; three more than the next best pair of Chelsea and Aston Villa. The League Cup is also Liverpool’s most recent trophy win, having lifted it in 2012.
They’ve also been successful in the FA Cup on 7 occasions. That leaves them as the joint-fourth most successful side in the tournament, along with Chelsea and Aston Villa, one win behind Spurs but five behind United and Arsenal. They’ve also not tasted success in the grand old competition for over a decade.
They also have the distinction of winning the inaugural – and only – Football League Super Cup back in 1986; a competition that ran once and was disbanded a year later.
European Competitions (and Worldwide)
Liverpool still hold the honour of being the most successful English club in Europe, which is something for the Kop faithful to be proud of. They won the European Cup 4 times in a 7-year spell between 1977 and 1984.
Their fifth and final triumph came just over a decade ago in a fantastic match in Istanbul. Finding themselves 3-0 down to AC Milan at half time they produced a second-half miracle to take the game to extra time. They eventually won on penalties, largely thanks to the heroics of keeper Jerzy Dudek. “The Miracle of Istanbul” is another classic Champions League final that will live long in the memory.
Unlike Manchester United, they do have success in the Uefa Cup (now the Europa League). They have lifted the trophy on 3 occasions, twice in the seventies and more recently in 2001. That saw them go on to lift the European Super Cup the following season against Champions League winners Bayern Munich.
That was their second success in the Super Cup having already lifted it in 1977. They would go on to lift it again in 2005, meaning they have won it 3 times in total.
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List of honours:
18 First Division titles
5 European Cups/Champions League
7 FA Cups
8 League Cups
1 Football League Super Cup
3 UEFA Cups
3 UEFA Super Cups
15 Charity/Community Shields (10 outright, 5 shared)
Liverpool Total Trophies now: 60
TROPHIES TOTAL: MANCHESTER UNITED 66 vs 60 LIVERPOOL
The Major Trophies in England
Premier League
The obvious trophy that all clubs desire is the one you get for winning the top-tier league in the country. Nowadays that is the Premier League, with Division One or the First Division trophy coming before that. With teams having to play thirty-eight league games and finish the season with the most points in order to win the prize, it’s no surprise that the endurance needed to win the Premier League makes it the most craved after trophy in the land.
European Cup
Old Big Ears, as it’s colloquially known in some quarters, is the most prestigious cup competition in club football. In the past it was only open to the champions of each country in Europe that was invited to participate, meaning that you needed to beat the very best to lift the trophy. The changing over to the Champions League format meant lesser teams were able to enter, but with the best of the best making it the final stages more often than not it’s no less prestigious for its widened appeal.
FA Cup
The European Cup is the most sought after prize in European football, but the FA Cup still has its appeal back home in Blighty. With any professional team entitled to enter the competition it is famed for its ‘giant killing opportunities, an event that sees a team from a lower league beat one of the top clubs.
UEFA Cup / EUROPA League
Better known now as the Europa League, Europe’s second-string club competition still has appeal in its own right. The Champions League might be the daddy of the continent, but this is definitely it’s younger brother rather than an unappreciated child that the family have tried to deny knowledge of. Loved more by European teams than English ones for some reason, the Europa League has had a new lease of life in recent years.
League (EFL) Cup
The domestic equivalent to the Europa League, the League Cup’s reputation has perhaps suffered in the past because of sponsorship making it seem like it has less worth than it really does. Variously known as the Milk Cup, the Coca-Cola Cup and the Worthington Cup, this competition is unquestionably less important than the FA Cup, with the fact that the final is held in February meaning the winners have been forgotten by the time the league finishes in May.
Community Shield count as a major trophy?The key point of contention between the sets of supporters is about whether or not the Community Shield counts as a major title. The FA considers the Community Shield to be an official honour in English football, and it is seen as the first game of the new English top-flight season, though its status as a 'major title' has been contested by certain football figures and fans. The Community Shield is seen as a minor trophy to some compared to the likes of the FA Cup and League Cup, with some referring to it as a 'glorified friendly' – especially as yellow card and red cards earned in the match do not carry on to other competitions. However, for the most part, players and managers involved in the Community Shield respect its status as a major trophy, and regard it as the first 'final' of the season. |
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