From their league triumph in the 1907/08 season to the recent EFL Cup success, Manchester United won 69 major trophies. In this post we look at how many trophies Man Utd have won, and look at individual years in more detail.
The most prestigious honour of any team is always the league they’re competing for, and for years Man Utd dominated the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson
League (20)
Contents
First Division (7)
1907-08
It was in the 20th First Division season Manchester United’s first league title arrived. Managed by Ernest Mangnall, to this day the only man to coach Manchester United and Manchester City, they finished a whopping nine points ahead of Aston Villa.
Before winning back promotion to top-tier football in 1906, Man Utd spent a decade in the Second Division.
1910-11
Mangnall repeated the feat three years later, once again finishing ahead of Aston Villa. But it was a close call this time as United had to win on the final day, which they did emphatically with a 5-1 scoreline against Sunderland.
It was the club’s first full-season at Old Trafford.
1951-52
Having finished second in four of the previous five post-World War II seasons, Manchester United crowned their 50th season in the Football League with a third league title.
Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford on the final day with a mathematical chance of snatching the title, but the hosts prevailed 6-1 with the help of John Rowley’s hattrick. Ironically, Rowley’s nickname was “The Gunner”.
1955-56
A youthful Manchester United side finished 11 points ahead of their nearest rivals Blackpool and Wolves. It was a Manchester-themed season with Manchester City lifting the FA Cup trophy on the back of Bert Trautmann’s heroics.
1956-57
In Bobby Charlton’s first season, Matt Busby became the first manager to retain a league title for Manchester United.
1964-65
This time it was George Best’s turn to be the revelation of the season. Established star Denis Law topped the scoring chart with 28 goals.
1966-67
Matt Busby’s fifth league title, but it was also the club’s last triumph for 26 years. It was the season after England won the World Cup on home soil with the help of Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles.
Premier League (13)
1992-93
The inaugural Premier League season was a forerunner for Manchester United’s upcoming dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite not leading the league at any point before January, signing Eric Cantona midseason from reigning champions Leeds United inspired the Red Devils.
Ryan Giggs won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second time, while fellow teenagers Gary Neville and David Beckham made their first steps that season.
1993-94
United nearly won a domestic treble this season before Aston Villa ended the dream in the League Cup final. As for the league, they led the standings from the fourth matchday right up to the last. Cantona won the PFA Player of the Year award.
1995-96
The previous season saw the Frenchman suspended for eight months, which helped Alan Shearer’s Blackburn Rovers clinch a surprise title. Normal service resumed with Cantona back on the teamsheet.
Sir Alex replaced veterans Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis with academy products with great effect.
1996-97
Fourth out of five. Manchester United raced clear in the new league format with yet another title. Although new signings Euro 1996 star Karel Poborsky and Johan Cruyff’s son Jordi failed to shine, the Red Devils still managed to defend their title with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer the club’s top-scorer in his first season.
1998-99
The treble season was spectacular from start to finish. While the cup nights had a more do-or-die attitude, the league season was also far from guaranteed. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal fought well until the final week of the season as a narrow home win against Spurs brought back the title.
Jaap Stam and Dwight York instantly showed their worth after big-money transfers at the season start. Despite starting the league season with two draws and a 3-0 defeat at Highbury in the fifth round, Manchester United clawed back with some authority.
1999-2000
United won the league with the then-record number of goals (97) and points difference (18). They finished the campaign unbeaten at home.
2000-01
This was United’s seventh Premier League title out of the first nine seasons. The final point difference (10) didn’t tell the whole story as Man United lost each of their last three games. It was also the first time Sir Alex’s team won three on the trot.
2002-03
The previous season Manchester United finished third, which was their lowest position since the Premier League existed. To regain control from the free-flowing Arsenal, some big moves were needed.
And one of them was Rio Ferdinand for a British record fee from Leeds United. Manchester United were unbeaten for the second half of the season in Beckham’s last steps with the club before a move to Real Madrid.
2006-07
For the first time in the Premier League era, Manchester United went multiple seasons without a title. On the 50th anniversary of Busby Babes’ first European adventure, Cristiano Ronaldo had a breakout season.
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea posed the bigger challenge, but United finished top with five points difference.
2007-08
This was Cristiano’s year. Manchester United won the Premier League and Champions League with the Portuguese star laying the foundation for a Ballon d’Or triumph on the individual front.
Despite a poor start in which they had a single point from the first three games, they regained momentum with eight successive wins.
2008-09
A season marked by the excellent trio of attackers – Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez – Sir Alex became the first coach in English football to win three successive league titles on two separate occasions.
Cristiano Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
2010-11
In the middle of the season, Sir Alex overtook Sir Matt Busby as the longest-serving manager in the history of Manchester United. This title helped United hold the record outright with 19.
2012-13
The end of an era. In Sir Alex’s final season, new-signing Robin van Persie played a starring role. Despite losing three times to fierce rivals Chelsea that season, Manchester United parted ways with the iconic manager in style.
It was the 13th Premier League title for Sir Alex and Ryan Giggs.
European Cup/Champions League
1967-68
Matt Busby led Manchester United to a remarkable European Cup success after having to build a new squad in the wake of the Munich Air Disaster. While they lost the league to city rivals Manchester City, this success made them the first English club to lift Europe’s premier competition.
George Best was the breakout star as the North Ireland winger ended the season with 32 goals in all competitions, including a brace in a 4-1 European Cup final win against Benfica.
Before the era of the group stage, Manchester United had to knock out Hibernians, FK Sarajevo, Gornik Zabrze and European giants Real Madrid in two-legged ties to reach the Wembley final.
1998-99
With United edging closer to a fifth Premier League title in seven years, all the question was whether this domestic dominance translated to Europe. And they got the answers in a remarkable fashion.
The Red Devils were dominated and led by Bayern Munich in the Champions League final staged at Camp Nou before outrageous sequences of actions in injury-time. David Beckham’s corner-kicks found their way into Oliver Kahn’s net through the last touches of Teddy Sheringham and Solskjaer.
With Premier League and FA Cup wins, Manchester United became the first English team to win the treble. Their noisy neighbors shared this extraordinary feat under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, however.
2007–08
This one in Moscow also had drama at bucketload. The first all-English final went into penalties with Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener cancelled by Chelsea’s Frank Lampard before the half-time break.
The intense extra-time didn’t change the score, although Chelsea lost a penalty-kick specialist Didier Drogba to a red card. And, on the shootout, Cristiano uncharacteristically had his kick saved by Petr Cech.
But Manchester United got a lifeline when John Terry, who had a chance to end the tie, slipped under the influence of the wet surface. United celebrated their third Champions League after Nicolas Anelka miserably failed to do what Ryan Giggs comfortably showed – scoring from 12 yards.
FA Cup (12)
Arsenal have one over Manchester United in FA Cup scores. The Gunners won the competition for a record 14 times. The Red Devils only managed to win it twice in the 21st century.
1908–09
Final: Bristol City 1-0
Alexander Turnbull, who was another to play for both Manchester United and Manchester City, scored the goal that clinched the former’s first FA Cup triumph, a year after their first league title.
1947–48
Final: Blackpool City 4-2
This ended a 37-year hiatus without a major trophy for Manchester United. Stan Pearson and Jack Rowley scored 13 of United’s 22 goals in the FA Cup.
1962–63
Final: Leicester City 3-1
It was the first trophy since the Munich Air Disaster for Manchester United. Scottish players David Herd (2) and Denis Law scored the goals in the final.
1976–77
Final: Liverpool 2-1
After losing the previous season’s final to Southampton, Manchester United won each of the last four rounds by a similar scoreline: 2-1. That run started with a replay of the fifth-round tie against the Saints.
1982–83
Final: Brighton & Hove Albion (2-2, 4-0)
Ron Atkinson was the manager as Manchester United won their fifth FA Cup after a final against relegated Brighton needed a replay. Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside, who scored the goals in the semi-final against Arsenal, were on the scoresheet.
1984–85
Final: Everton 1-0
For the first time in the club’s history, Manchester United won two FA Cups in three seasons. Whiteside once again showed his knack for scoring crucial goals with the only strike of the final against Everton. They knocked out the other Merseyside club Liverpool in the last four.
1989–90
Final: Crystal Palace (3-3, 1-0)
Sir Alex’s first trophy was very crucial in keeping the new coach at the club since they finished 13th in the league. Both the semi-final against Oldham Athletic and the final required replays.
1993–94
Final: Chelsea 4-0
This was the first time Manchester United won both the Premier League and FA Cup. It could’ve been a domestic treble if it wasn’t for the League Cup final defeat to Aston Villa. All the four goals against Chelsea came in the final half-hour.
1995–96
Final: Liverpool 1-0
Two years later, Manchester United became the first club to win the domestic double twice. In Wembley’s final, Eric Cantona scored the only goal against their fierce rivals four minutes from time.
1998–99
Final: Newcastle United 2-0
More than the final victory against Ruud Gullit’s Newcastle, the semi-final drama is the most memorable event of this cup run. Ryan Giggs scored a solo goal in extra-time to keep Manchester United’s treble dream alive.
2003–04
Final: Millwall 3-0
Division One side Millwall were huge underdogs in the final stage at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, with Wembley under construction. Before their public fallout in the following seasons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy (2) scored the goals.
2015–16
Final: Crystal Palace 2-1
In a game mostly remembered for Alan Pardew’s premature dance, Jesse Lingard scored an extra-time winner for the Red Devils. Louis van Gaal’s side also left it late with Anthony Martial’s winner against Everton in the semi-final.
1990-91 European Cup Winners’ Cup
Final: Barcelona 2-1
In the first season English clubs reintroduced to European football after the Heysel disaster suspension, Cup Winners’ Cup debutant Manchester United lifted the trophy with a win against Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona. Mark Hughes scored both goals to beat his former club.
2016-17 UEFA Europa League
Final: Ajax 2-0
Jose Mourinho finished the league campaign in sixth place, but he considered winning three trophies (Community Shield and League Cup were the others) with the team he had at Manchester United as one of his biggest achievements in a colorful managerial career.
Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the goals in the Stockholm final against Peter Bosz’s youthful Ajax side.
2008 FIFA Club World Cup
Final: LDU Quito 1-0
Manchester United had this opportunity as a 2007-08 Champions League winner. The final wasn’t straightforward like the previous game against Gamba Osaka, but Wayne Rooney scored the goal that added a new trophy to Manchester United’s cabinet.
Second Division (2):
1935-36, 1974-75
League Cup/EFL Cup (6):
1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, 2022–23
Community Shield (21):
1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016