The Home of Football in Europe Quiz

Answer: AC Milan 2-1 Benfica

The 1963 European Cup final was the first European final to be held at Wembley Stadium, as well as being the first European Cup final not to feature a team from Spain. Instead, the reigning champions, Benfica, were making their third consecutive appearance in the final, having won the previous two. Their opponents, AC Milan, were making their second appearance in European club football's showpiece, having reached the final in 1958 when they lost to Real Madrid. Benfica had a fairly routine progress to the final; as holders, they received a bye in the preliminary round, and went unbeaten across the two legs of each of the three remaining ties. Milan, who entered through their being the champions of Italy, did enter in the preliminary round, thus playing two games more than their opponents, and lost two games in their progress, to Ipswich Town and Dundee.

The final at Wembley was held on Wednesday 22 May 1963, kicking off at 3.00pm in front of a crowd of 45,715, around half of the stadium's capacity. Benfica took the lead after 19 minutes through their superstar forward Eusebio. However, Milan responded in the second half through the competition's top scorer, Jose Altafini, who went into the game having already scored 12 goals. In the 58th minute he got the equaliser, before he scored his fourteenth of the tournament eight minutes later to put Milan ahead. This was the fianl score, and saw Milan become the first Italian side, and the first from outside the Iberian peninsula, to win the European Cup.

Answer: West Ham United 2-0 TSV 1860 Munich

The second European final to be held at Wembley came in 1965, when the European Cup Winners' Cup final was hosted there. With the final featuring West Ham, the holders of the FA Cup, the game was the second single-match European final to be played in the home city of one of the finalists, following the 1957 European Cup final (when Real Madrid beat Fiorentina 2-0, in Madrid). West Ham's opponents were 1860 Munich, who had won the previous season's DFB Pokal. Both had identical records in the competition up to the final, having entered in the first round - across their quartet of two-legged ties, they had both won five, drawn two and lost just one of the eight games they had played to make it to the final. West Ham's defeat came in the away leg of their second round tie against Sparta Prague, while 1860 Munich lost the away leg of their semi-final against Torino, which led to their having to play a replay on a neutral ground.

The final took place on 19 May 1965, with kick off at 7.30pm, and a crowd of 97,974 packed inside Wembley. While both sides had a bright first half, with chances coming at either end, it was a period of just three minutes in the second that ultimately led to the conclusion of the tie, with Alan Sealey scoring in the 70th minute from an acute angle, before snatching a second in the 72nd minute to put West Ham two goals ahead. This was how the game ended, and saw West Ham become the second English side to win a European trophy. They also remain, as of Wembley Stadium's tenth European final in 2024, the only London club to have won a European trophy in the "Home of Football".

Answer: Manchester United 4-1 Benfica

The European Cup final returned to Wembley in 1968, the first time in five years that Europe's showpiece club match had been played in England. Manchester United became the first English side to reach the final, where they played two-time former champions Benfica, who were in their fifth final in eight seasons (including the very first played at Wembley). Both teams had played a total of four two-leg ties to reach the final, with Manchester United winning four of the eight games they had played to reach the final and just a single defeat against Polish side Gornik Zabrze. Benfica also won four of their eight games, which included both games in the semi-final against Italian champions Juventus.

The final took place on 29 May, kicking off at 7.45pm in front of 92,225 spectators. Although Manchester United had the best of the attacking play in the first half, they failed to find a way through Benfica's determined defence. But, eight minutes into the second, Bobby Charlton headed a David Sadler cross past goalkeeper Jose Henrique to give the English champions the lead. They retained this until eleven minutes from full time, when Jaime Graca equalised. Twice in the last five minutes, Eusebio had chances to win the game for Benfica before being stopped by Manchester United keeper Alex Stepney, which led to the game becoming only the second European cup final to go to extra time. But, over the first nine minutes of extra time, George Best, Brian Kidd and Charlton again scored three times to put Manchester United 4-1 up, a scoreline they maintained to the end to become the first English side to win the European Cup.

Answer: Ajax 2-0 Panathinaikos

Three years after it had last hosted the European Cup final, Wembley again played host to the final in 1971. For the third year running, the champions of the Netherlands reached the final, with Ajax making their second appearance in the showpiece event, having lost two years previously to AC Milan. They faced Greek side Panathinaikos, who were making their first appearance in a European final. Both clubs had entered the competition at the first round stage, and, as per usual with the competition at this time, had played a total of four two-leg ties. Ajax had won five of their eight games, which included recovering from a 1st leg deficit to overcome Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, while Panathinaikos had reached the final having got through both their quarter-final against Everton, and their semi-final against Red Star Belgrade by virtue of away goals.

The final itself at Wembley kicked-off at 7.45pm on 2 June, with a crowd of 83.179 watching. Ajax, embracing the philosophy of "Total Football", took the lead after just five minutes through forward Dick van Dijk, and proceeded to dominate the game, with Panathinaikos unable to get past the Dutch side. Despite their domination however, it wasn't until the 87th minute that Ajax doubled their lead through Arie Haan, with the game eventually ending 2-0, providing the Netherlands with their second successive winner of the trophy, following the victory of Ajax's great rivals Feyenoord the previous year. Ajax's victory also began a period of domination that saw them win the trophy in three successive seasons, following up their 1971 triumph in 1972 and 1973.

Answer: Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge

In 1978, the European Cup final was played at Wembley for the fourth time, with it also being the second occasion that the reigning English champions had got to European football's showpiece in their own country. In this case, it was Liverpool, who were playing in their fourth European final in five seasons, and their second successive in the European Cup, which they had won the previous year. They faced Belgian champions Club Brugge, who were the first Belgian side to reach the final. As holders, Liverpool received a bye in the first round, and so only had to play three ties, each over two legs, to get to the final(six games), they won four, losing away to Dynamo Dresden in Round 2 and Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Semi-Final. Brugge had to play two more games than Liverpool, and ended with a record of five wins and three defeats, with away leg defeats to Panathinaikos, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

The final itself kicked off at 7.15pm on 10 May, with an estimated crowd of 92,500 present in the stadium. However, the game itself did not live up to the history of previous finals, with the Belgian side lining up to try and restrict Liverpool's obvious attacking threat. Brugge's first major scoring opportunity came early in the second half, when first Jan Sorensen, and then Lajos Ku failed to convert. It was in the 64th minute that the deadlock was broken, when Kenny Dalglish received a pass from Graeme Souness to lift the ball into the net and give Liverpool the lead. This was how the result finished, leading to Liverpool becoming the third side since 1971 to retain the trophy, after first Ajax from 1971 to 1973, and then Bayern Munich from 1974 to 1976. Liverpool also became the first English side to win back-to-back European Cups, a feat achieved in the following two seasons by Nottingham Forest.

Answer: Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria

In 1992, the European Cup final returned to Wembley for the first time in 14 years, with the intervening period having seen English clubs banned from European competition between 1985 and 1990. That season was the first in which the European Cup had featured a group stage, rather than it being a straight knock-out tournament, which saw the finalists having to play two more games than previously to reach the final. Italian champions Sampdoria got to the final with a record of six wins, two draws and two defeats, with one in the away leg of their second round tie against Honved, and the other away to Anderlecht in the group stage. Barcelona meanwhile also won six times, but lost three with a single draw - defeat had come in the away legs against Hansa Rostock in round one and Kaiserslauten in round two, and the away game against Sparta Prague in the group.

Kicking off at 7.15pm on 20 May with a crowd of 70,827 in the stadium, Barcelona's players were conscious of the fact that they were playing in the club's third European Cup final, which they had never won, while their bitter rivals Real Madrid had played in nine finals up to that point, winning six of them. Despite this, the game was closely fought, with both sides packed full of attacking talent that made the 0-0 scoreline at the end of the game that much more remarkable. During extra time, Sampdoria moved to a defensive mindset, looking to stifle Barcelona and get to a penalty shoot-out. However, in the 112th minute, it was Barcelona's Dutch sweeper, Ronald Koeman, who broke the deadlock with a free kick past goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, and led to the Spanish giants winning European football's biggest prize for the first time.

Answer: Parma 3-1 Royal Antwerp

In 1993, one season after the European Cup final returned to Wembley, the stadium played host once again to the final of the Cup Winners' Cup, the first to be held there since 1965. Unlike the European Cup, which was renamed as the UEFA Champions League that season, the Cup Winners' Cup retained its straight knock-out format, with the two finalists needing to get through a total of four two-leg ties to reach Wembley. For both, this was a first European final, with Coppa Italia holders Parma playing Beker van België winners Royal Antwerp. Parma's record in the competition, only their second foray into Europe, saw them win a total of four out of the eight games they played, with just a single defeat in the home leg of their semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Antwerp meanwhile were able to reach the final on the back of winning just two of their eight games, away to Admira Wacker in round 2 and at home to Spartak Moscow in the semi-final - the first round against Glenavon required a penalty shoot-out, while the quarter-final against Steaua Bucharest was won on away goals.

With kick-off at 7.15pm on 12 May in front of a crowd of 37,393, the final got going almost immediately, with Lorenzo Minotti opening the scoring for Parma in just the ninth minute, and Francis Severeyns equalising for Antwerp two minutes later. However, despite this the Italian side, who featured the mercurial Swedish forward Tomas Brolin among their number, quickly took control of the game and, with half an hour gone, retook the lead through striker Alessandro Melli. The score remained like this until just six minutes from the end, when midfielder Stefano Cuoghi made the game safe with a third for Parma, giving the club its first European trophy just a year after making their European debut.

Answer: Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United

In 2000, the original Wembley Stadium was closed, with it being demolished three years later to make way for a brand new venue on the same site. The new Wembley Stadium opened in 2007, and was immediately lauded as a world-class venue. As a result, it was selected (in 2009) to host its first European final, that of the UEFA Champions League in 2011. The two finalists proved an appropriate mix, as the game featured Manchester United, who had won their first European Cup final at Wembley in 1968 (the first won by an English club), and Barcelona, who had won the last European Cup final played at Wembley. Manchester United reached the final with an unbeaten record, winning four and drawing two of their group stage games, while in the knock-out rounds they won five, with only their away leg against Marseille in the second round resulting in a draw. Barcelona had an identical record in the group stage, but lost the away leg of their second round tie against Arsenal, and drew the home leg of their semi-final against arch-rivals Real Madrid. The game would also be the third European final between the two teams, with Manchester United prevailing in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup, and Barcelona coming out on top in the Champions League in 2009.

Since 2010, the Champions League final was scheduled to be played on a Saturday evening. As a result, the game kicked-off at 7:45pm on 28 May, with more than 87,000 fans inside the stadium. At the time, Barcelona were regarded as the greatest club side in European football, with a number of highly skilful players using the so-called "tiki-taka" style of play espoused by their coach, Pep Guardiola. This led to domination of possession by the Spanish side over the course of the game - although Pedro's 27th minute opener was cancelled out seven minutes later by a equaliser for Manchester United from Wayne Rooney, the one-sided contest continued across the entire game, with Lionel Messi and David Villa scoring for Barcelona in the second half, leading to a 3-1 victory. This was Barcelona's fourth overall victory in the competition, their second at Wembley, and their third over the course of just six seasons.

Answer: Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

In 2013, just two years after the final was last held there, Wembley again played host to European football's showpiece. This was a history making instance, as it was the first time that a pair of German clubs had reached the Champions League final, and just the fourth instance of two clubs from the same country reaching this stage. The previous three were: Real Madrid v Valencia in 2000, Juventus v AC Milan in 2003 and Manchester United v Chelsea in 2008.

The game was the tenth final for Bayern Munich, and the third in four years, although they had not won the trophy since their fourth title in 2001. This included losing the 2012 final, which had seen them become only the second team in the competition's history to play a final in their own stadium. For Borussia Dortmund, it was their second final appearance, having won in 1997. Bayern reached the final having lost twice; once in the group stage, and in the home leg of their knockout tie against Arsenal. Borussia's record in the competition was better, having gone through the group stage unbeaten, and only losing the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid.

The game was scheduled for 25 May, and kicked off at 7:45pm, with almost 87,000 fans in the stadium. For the first half-hour, Borussia dominated the game, with Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer called into action five times. However, Borussia were unable to capitalise and allowed their opponents back into the contest, with a number of chances for Arjen Robben. Bayern ultimately took the lead in the 60th minute when Mario Mandzukić scored after a flowing move between Robben and Franck Ribery. The lead lasted eight minutes as Borussia were awarded a penalty scored by İlkay Gündoğan. However, Bayern began to dominate the closing stages, creating a number of chances that eventually saw Robben put clean through in the final minute to score the winner. The club's victory was the second stage of their treble that season - having already won the league title, a week after their Champions League victory, they also won the DFB-Pokal.

Answer: Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

Wembley's hosting of the 2024 Champions League final was not originally scheduled, as the stadium had been planned as the host for the 2023 final. The disruption caused by the COVID pandemic led to the schedule being put back by a year. The game featured Real Madrid, playing their 18th final in the competition, and German club Borussia Dortmund, who had reached the final for the third time. Borussia's previous appearance in the final had also been at Wembley, when they lost to rivals Bayern Munich eleven years earlier, while for Real Madrid it was the first time they had played a final at Wembley. Real Madrid were unbeaten on their route to the final, achieving a perfect record in the group stage; but, in the knockouts, they won just two of their six games, drawing the remainder, which included both legs of their quarter-final against Manchester City, which they won on penalties. Borussia lost their opening group game before winning three and drawing two of the other five, while in the knockouts they lost just one game, the opening leg of their quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

The game kicked-off at 8:00pm on 1 June with a crowd of just over 86,000 watching. A cagey opening erupted to life in the 21st minute when Borussia winger Karim Adeyemi rounded Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, only to see his shot blocked by Dani Carvajal. Two minutes later, Adeyemi released Niclas Fullkrug, whose shot hit the post. Borussia had a third major chance when a shot from Adeyemi was saved, only for Fullkrug to hit the post a second time with the follow-up. It was not until 15 minutes from the end that a breakthrough was made, when a corner was nodded into the Borussia net by Carvajal to give Real Madrid the lead. Nine minutes later, Vinicius Junior added a second to complete a 2-0 victory for the Spanish side, giving them a sixth Champions League victory in eleven seasons, and a record extending fifteenth title overall.