The English football champions are the annual winners of the top-tier competition in the English football league system. Following the codification of professional football by the Football Association in 1885, the Football League was established in 1888, after meetings initiated by Aston Villa director William McGregor.

The new league's inaugural season was 1888–89, and the first club to be crowned champions was Preston North End, whose team completed its fixtures unbeaten. In its first four seasons, with only twelve to fourteen clubs involved, the league was a single entity in which all the teams were from the North or the Midlands. Professionalism had been embraced more readily in those areas than in the South of England. The Football League expanded its membership in 1892 when it absorbed the rival Football Alliance. With 28 members, the league was split into two divisions. Most of the former Alliance clubs joined the new Second Division, while the original league became the First Division, with promotion and relegation between the two.

Rules stipulating a maximum wage for players were abolished in 1961. This resulted in a shift of power towards bigger clubs with more financial means. Financial considerations became an even bigger influence from 1992, when the clubs then in the First Division defected to form the FA Premier League, which became the new top tier. A series of progressively larger television contracts has put unprecedented wealth into the hands of top flight clubs.

List of champions by season SeasonChampions (number of titles)Runners-up (number of times)Third place (number of times)Football League (1888–1892) 1888–89Preston North End Aston Villa Wolverhampton Wanderers 1889–90Preston North End Everton Blackburn Rovers 1890–91Everton Preston North End Notts County 1891–92Sunderland Preston North End Bolton Wanderers Football League First Division (1892–1992) 1892–93Sunderland Preston North End Everton 1893–94Aston Villa Sunderland Derby County 1894–95Sunderland Everton Aston Villa 1895–96Aston Villa Derby County Everton 1896–97Aston Villa Sheffield United Derby County 1897–98Sheffield United Sunderland Wolverhampton Wanderers 1898–99Aston Villa Liverpool Burnley 1899–1900Aston Villa Sheffield United Sunderland 1900–01Liverpool Sunderland Notts County 1901–02Sunderland Everton Newcastle United 1902–03The Wednesday Aston Villa Sunderland 1903–04The Wednesday Manchester City Everton 1904–05Newcastle United Everton Manchester City 1905–06Liverpool Preston North End The Wednesday 1906–07Newcastle United Bristol City Everton 1907–08Manchester United Aston Villa Manchester City 1908–09Newcastle United Everton Sunderland 1909–10Aston Villa Liverpool Blackburn Rovers 1910–11Manchester United Aston Villa Sunderland 1911–12Blackburn Rovers Everton Newcastle United 1912–13Sunderland Aston Villa The Wednesday 1913–14Blackburn Rovers Aston Villa Middlesbrough 1914–15Everton Oldham Athletic Blackburn Rovers League suspended due to the First World War 1919–20West Bromwich Albion Burnley Chelsea 1920–21Burnley Manchester City Bolton Wanderers 1921–22Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur Burnley 1922–23Liverpool Sunderland Huddersfield Town 1923–24Huddersfield Town Cardiff City Sunderland 1924–25Huddersfield Town West Bromwich Albion Bolton Wanderers 1925–26Huddersfield Town Arsenal Sunderland 1926–27Newcastle United Huddersfield Town Sunderland 1927–28Everton Huddersfield Town Leicester City 1928–29The Wednesday Leicester City Aston Villa 1929–30Sheffield Wednesday Derby County Manchester City 1930–31Arsenal Aston Villa Sheffield Wednesday 1931–32Everton Arsenal Sheffield Wednesday 1932–33Arsenal Aston Villa Sheffield Wednesday 1933–34Arsenal Huddersfield Town Tottenham Hotspur 1934–35Arsenal Sunderland Sheffield Wednesday 1935–36Sunderland Derby County Huddersfield Town 1936–37Manchester City Charlton Athletic Arsenal 1937–38Arsenal Wolverhampton Wanderers Preston North End 1938–39Everton Wolverhampton Wanderers Charlton Athletic 1939–40 to 1945–46League suspended due to the Second World War 1946–47Liverpool Manchester United Wolverhampton Wanderers 1947–48Arsenal Manchester United Burnley 1948–49Portsmouth Manchester United Derby County 1949–50Portsmouth Wolverhampton Wanderers Sunderland 1950–51Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United Blackpool 1951–52Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal 1952–53Arsenal Preston North End Wolverhampton Wanderers 1953–54Wolverhampton Wanderers West Bromwich Albion Huddersfield Town 1954–55Chelsea Wolverhampton Wanderers Portsmouth 1955–56Manchester United Blackpool Wolverhampton Wanderers 1956–57Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur Preston North End 1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers Preston North End Tottenham Hotspur 1958–59Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester United Arsenal 1959–60Burnley Wolverhampton Wanderers Tottenham Hotspur 1960–61Tottenham Hotspur Sheffield Wednesday Wolverhampton Wanderers 1961–62Ipswich Town Burnley Tottenham Hotspur 1962–63Everton Tottenham Hotspur Burnley 1963–64Liverpool Manchester United Everton 1964–65Manchester United Leeds United Chelsea 1965–66Liverpool Leeds United Burnley 1966–67Manchester United Nottingham Forest Tottenham Hotspur 1967–68Manchester City Manchester United Liverpool 1968–69Leeds United Liverpool Everton 1969–70Everton Leeds United Chelsea 1970–71Arsenal Leeds United Tottenham Hotspur 1971–72Derby County Leeds United Liverpool 1972–73Liverpool Arsenal Leeds United 1973–74Leeds United Liverpool Derby County 1974–75Derby County Liverpool Ipswich Town 1975–76Liverpool Queens Park Rangers Manchester United 1976–77Liverpool Manchester City Ipswich Town 1977–78Nottingham Forest Liverpool Everton 1978–79Liverpool Nottingham Forest West Bromwich Albion 1979–80Liverpool Manchester United Ipswich Town 1980–81Aston Villa Ipswich Town Arsenal 1981–82Liverpool Ipswich Town Manchester United 1982–83Liverpool Watford Manchester United 1983–84Liverpool Southampton Nottingham Forest 1984–85Everton Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur 1985–86Liverpool Everton West Ham United 1986–87Everton Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur 1987–88Liverpool Manchester United Nottingham Forest 1988–89Arsenal Liverpool Nottingham Forest 1989–90Liverpool Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur 1990–91Arsenal Liverpool Crystal Palace 1991–92Leeds United Manchester United Sheffield Wednesday Premier League (1992–present) 1992–93Manchester United Aston Villa Norwich City 1993–94Manchester United Blackburn Rovers Newcastle United 1994–95Blackburn Rovers Manchester United Nottingham Forest 1995–96Manchester United Newcastle United Liverpool 1996–97Manchester United Newcastle United Arsenal 1997–98Arsenal Manchester United Liverpool 1998–99Manchester United Arsenal Chelsea 1999–2000Manchester United Arsenal Leeds United 2000–01Manchester United Arsenal Liverpool 2001–02Arsenal Liverpool Manchester United 2002–03Manchester United Arsenal Newcastle United 2003–04Arsenal Chelsea Manchester United 2004–05Chelsea Arsenal Manchester United 2005–06Chelsea Manchester United Liverpool 2006–07Manchester United Chelsea Liverpool 2007–08Manchester United Chelsea Arsenal 2008–09Manchester United Liverpool Chelsea 2009–10Chelsea Manchester United Arsenal 2010–11Manchester United Chelsea Manchester City 2011–12Manchester City Manchester United Arsenal 2012–13Manchester United Manchester City Chelsea 2013–14Manchester City Liverpool Chelsea 2014–15Chelsea Manchester City Arsenal 2015–16Leicester City Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur 2016–17Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur Manchester City 2017–18Manchester City Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur 2018–19Manchester City Liverpool Chelsea 2019–20Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United 2020–21Manchester City Manchester United Liverpool 2021–22Manchester City Liverpool Chelsea 2022–23Manchester City Arsenal Manchester United 2023–24Manchester City Arsenal Liverpool 2024–25 Liverpool Arsenal Manchester City 2025–26Arsenal Manchester City Manchester United

List of champion clubs by titles won 24 clubs have won the English top level title, including seven which have won the Premier League (1992–present). The most recent to join the list were Leicester City (2015–16) and before that, Nottingham Forest (1977–78) and Derby County (1971–72).

Seven teams have at some point held first or joint first place in the number of titles won: Preston North End (1889–1895), Sunderland (1893–1899, 1936–1953), Aston Villa (1897–1953), Arsenal (1948–1976), Liverpool (1966–1971, 1973–2011, 2025–present), Manchester United (1967–1971, 2009–present), and Everton (1970–1971).

Eight teams have finished as runners-up without ever finishing top: Bristol City (1906–07), Oldham Athletic (1914–15), Cardiff City (1923–24), Charlton Athletic (1936–37), Blackpool (1955–56), Queens Park Rangers (1975–76), Watford (1982–83), and Southampton (1983–84). Of these, Cardiff City came closest to winning the league, matching champions Huddersfield Town in points but losing out on goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), the precursor to goal difference.

Where teams in the table are tied for championship wins, they are ordered by earliest title won. 

RankClubWinnersWinning seasons1Manchester United20171907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13Liverpool20151900–01, 1905–06, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1946–47, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2019–20, 2024–253Arsenal14121930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2025–264Manchester City1071936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–245Everton971890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–876Aston Villa7101893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10, 1980–817Sunderland651891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36Chelsea641954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–179Sheffield Wednesday411902–03, 1903–04, 1928–29, 1929–30Newcastle United421904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–2711Blackburn Rovers311911–12, 1913–14, 1994–95Huddersfield Town331923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26351953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59Leeds United351968–69, 1973–74, 1991–9215Preston North End261888–89, 1889–90Burnley221920–21, 1959–60Portsmouth201948–49, 1949–50Tottenham Hotspur251950–51, 1960–61Derby County231971–72, 1974–7520Sheffield United121897–98West Bromwich Albion121919–20Ipswich Town121961–62Nottingham Forest121977–78Leicester City112015–16

See also List of football clubs in England by competitive honours won List of English football championship-winning managers

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