Latin Cup
Encyclopedia
The Latin Cup is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition. European clubs could not afford hefty travel costs so competition was staged at the end of every season in a single host country. The competition featured two semi-finals, a third place play-off and a final.
The tournament began in 1949, and was played between the league champions of each of the participating countries. Every four years, a ranking would be determined for the countries based on their sides' performances in the Latin Cup. The competition was last played for in 1957 following the introduction of the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
played and won in both the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the Latin Cup in 1957. Immediately prior to the introduction of the European Cup, the Latin Cup was considered the most important cup for clubs in Europe, the longer-established Mitropa Cup
Mitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
having gone into decline after World War II.
Finals
| Year | Final | Third Place | Venue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | ||
| 1949 |  BarcelonaFC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
2 – 1 |  Sporting |
 TorinoTorino F.C. Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football.... |
5 – 3 |  Stade de Reims |
Estadio Chamartín Santiago Bernabéu Stadium The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators.... |
| 1950 | Benfica |
3 – 3 a.e.t. 2 – 1 a.e.t. |
Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
Atlético Madrid |
2 – 1 | Lazio S.S. Lazio Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football... |
Estádio Nacional Estádio Nacional The Estádio Nacional , also known as Estádio do Jamor, is the Portuguese national football ground. It is located in the Jamor sports complex, in Oeiras, near Lisbon. It was designed by Jacobetty Rosa and the building works started in 1939, with its inauguration happening on 10 June 1944 by the... |
| 1951 | Milan |
5 – 0 | Lille Lille OSC LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the... |
Atlético Madrid |
3 – 1 | Sporting |
San Siro San Siro The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano... |
| 1952 | Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
1 – 0 | Nice OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is... |
Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
3 – 2 | Sporting |
Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... |
| 1953 | Stade de Reims |
3 – 0 | Milan |
Sporting |
4 – 1 | Valencia |
Estádio da Luz |
| 1954 | not held | ||||||
| 1955 | Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
2 – 0 | Stade de Reims |
Milan |
3 – 1 | Belenenses |
Parc des Princes Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed... |
| 1956 | Milan |
2 – 1 | Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions... |
Benfica |
2 – 1 | Nice OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is... |
San Siro San Siro The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano... |
| 1957 | Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la... |
1 – 0 | Benfica |
Milan |
4 – 3 | Saint-Etienne |
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Santiago Bernabéu Stadium The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators.... |
Performances by team
| Team | Champion | Runner-up | Third | Fourth |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2 (1951, 1956) | 1 (1953) | 2 (1955, 1957) | |
| Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
2 (1949, 1952) | |||
| Real Madrid |
2 (1955, 1957) | |||
| Benfica |
1 (1950) | 1 (1957) | 1 (1956) | |
 Stade de Reims |
1 (1953) | 1 (1955) | 1 (1949) | |
| Sporting |
1 (1949) | 1 (1953) | 2 (1951, 1952) | |
| Nice OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is... |
1 (1952) | 1 (1956) | ||
| Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
1 (1950) | |||
| Lille Lille OSC LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the... |
1 (1951) | |||
| Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions... |
1 (1956) | |||
| Atletico Madrid |
2 (1950, 1951) | |||
| Torino Torino F.C. Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football.... |
1 (1949) | |||
| Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
1 (1952) | |||
| Lazio S.S. Lazio Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football... |
1 (1950) | |||
| Valencia |
1 (1953) | |||
| Belenenses |
1 (1955) | |||
| Saint-Etienne |
1 (1957) |
Performances by country
| Team | Champion | Runner-up | Third | Fourth |
| Spain |
4 (1949, 1952, 1955, 1957) | 1 (1956) | 2 (1950, 1951) | 1 (1953) |
| Italy |
2 (1951, 1956) | 1 (1953) | 4 (1949, 1952, 1955, 1957) | 1 (1950) |
| France |
1 (1953) | 4 (1950, 1951, 1952, 1955) | 3 (1949, 1956, 1957) | |
| Portugal |
1 (1950) | 2 (1949, 1957) | 2 (1953, 1956) | 3 (1951, 1952, 1955) |