Know the meaning of a treble in football
Pep Guardiola’s team is one prize away from a legendary treble after winning the 2023 English Premier League by edging Arsenal and the 2023 FA Cup by defeating rivals in the Manchester derby.
Meaning of treble in football and all teams list to win it
Inter know all about winning a treble 🏆 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JxrONejjcn
— GOAL (@goal) June 10, 2023
Two down one to go for Manchester City!
Guardiola would only consider bringing up the “T word” in public after he witnesses his team win the FA Cup on June 3, putting them in a position to go down in history. Here we have explained what is a treble, including its significance and historical frequency.
What is a treble in football?
One of the biggest accomplishments any professional football club can make is winning a triple, if not the best. Why? Because it actually combines three achievements into one. To achieve a treble, a team must simultaneously win the league championship, the domestic cup, and the continental cup. It’s a brutally challenging feat because winning on several fronts is among the hardest things a team can do.
Real Madrid, the club with the most European championships in UEFA history, has never won a treble, underscoring how challenging it is to win all three trophies in a single season in Europe. Some teams on other continents have dominated in their own nation for years, allowing them numerous chances to win the triple, with continental glory frequently being the final piece needed to complete the set.
No top-level professional club has ever won more than four domestic plus continental trebles in history, despite the presence of dominant clubs in regions like Oceania and Africa.
All European clubs to win the treble in history
A treble has been achieved at the highest level of European football nine times in history by seven different clubs. The only two European teams to win the treble twice are Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The Netherlands is the only nation to have had two distinct clubs achieve a European triple, while Manchester United is the only English club to have ever done it.
| Season | Club | Country | Trophies |
| 1966/67 | Celtic | Scotland | European Cup, Scottish League, Scottish Cup |
| 1971/72 | Ajax | Netherlands | European Cup, Eredivisie, KNVB Bekker |
| 1987/88 | PSV | Netherlands | European Cup, Eredivisie, KNVB Bekker |
| 1998/99 | Man United | England | Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup |
| 2008/09 | Barcelona | Spain | Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey |
| 2009/10 | Inter Milan | Italy | Champions League, Serie A, Coppa Italia |
| 2012/13 | Bayern Munich | Germany | Champions League, Bundesliga, DFB Pokal |
| 2014/15 | Barcelona | Spain | Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey |
| 2019/20 | Bayern Munich | Germany | Champions League, Bundesliga, DFB Pokal |
Historical football trebles from other continents
Auckland City of New Zealand has won the league, domestic cup, and continental honours in the same season four different times, which is the most top-level continental trebles of any team in history.
In their history, only one other club, Al Ahly of Egypt, has completed a trifecta, most recently in 2019–20 when they won the CAF Champions League in addition to the Egyptian League and cup double. Nobody else in the world has won the treble more than once, with the exception of Cruz Azul of Mexico, who did it twice.
Asia (AFC)
- Yomiuri / Tokyo Verdy (Japan): 1987
- Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): 2019/20
Africa (CAF)
- Englebert / TP Mazembe (DR Congo): 1967
- Vita Club (Zaire): 1973
- MC Alger (Algeria): 1976
- Hearts of Oak (Ghana): 2000
- Al Ahly (Egypt): 2005/06, 2006/07, 2019/20
- Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia): 2011
North America (CONCACAF)
- Cruz Azul (Mexico): 1969, 1997
- Defence Force (Trinidad & Tobago): 1985
- Monterrey (Mexico): 2019/20
Oceania (OFC)
- Auckland City (New Zealand): 2005/06, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2022
- Waitakere United (New Zealand): 2007/08
- Hienghene Sport (New Caledonia): 2019