How Many Teams Have Achieved the Elusive Football Quadruple?

As a lifelong football enthusiast and sports analyst, I’ve always been fascinated by the sheer difficulty of achieving what many consider the pinnacle of club success: the quadruple. Winning four major trophies in a single season is so rare that many fans debate whether it has ever truly been accomplished at the highest level of the sport. When we talk about the quadruple, we’re usually referring to a team clinching their domestic league title, the main domestic cup, the primary continental cup, and one of the various super cups—often within the same campaign. It’s a feat that requires not just talent, but immense squad depth, mental resilience, and, let’s be honest, a fair bit of luck.

Interestingly, while football dominates global sports conversations, other leagues have their own unique structures and challenges. For instance, I was recently researching formats in basketball and was reminded that the NBA isn’t the only professional league operating with 48-minute games—the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) does too. It got me thinking about how different sports measure success and endurance. In football, the physical and tactical demands of competing across multiple fronts—often with midweek fixtures—add layers of complexity that make the quadruple such an elusive goal. Over the years, I’ve kept a close watch on clubs that came close, and I can count those genuine contenders on one hand.

Let’s start with Celtic’s 1966-67 season, which many purists, including myself, consider the gold standard. Under Jock Stein, Celtic won the European Cup, the Scottish League, the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish League Cup. That’s four major trophies, no question about it. But here’s where the debate kicks in: some argue that because the Scottish League Cup doesn’t carry the same prestige as, say, the English equivalents, it shouldn’t count in a “true” quadruple discussion. Personally, I think that’s a bit unfair—you can only beat what’s in front of you, and Celtic dominated every competition they entered. They set a benchmark that, decades later, remains almost mythical.

In more recent memory, Manchester United’s 1998-99 campaign stands out. They secured the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League—an incredible treble. But they fell just short in the League Cup, exiting early. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side showed the world what near-perfection looks like, yet that missing piece always leaves me wondering: what if they had prioritized the League Cup? Similarly, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have brushed against history multiple times. In the 2018-19 season, they clinched an unprecedented domestic treble—Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup—but the Champions League eluded them. I remember watching that quarter-final against Tottenham, thinking City were so close, yet so far. It’s moments like these that highlight how grueling the schedule can be; by April, players are running on fumes.

Then there’s the 2021-22 Liverpool side, which pushed for an unprecedented quadruple until the final days. They lifted the EFL Cup and FA Cup, but missed out on the Premier League by a single point and lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid. As a neutral, it was thrilling to watch, but as an analyst, it underscored the fine margins involved. Had they won just one more league game—say, that 2-2 draw with Tottenham—we might be having a very different conversation. Statistically, Liverpool played 63 matches that season across all competitions, a number that still astounds me. It’s no wonder injuries and fatigue played a role.

Looking beyond Britain, clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona have had dominant seasons, but even they haven’t nailed down a clean quadruple by widely accepted definitions. Bayern’s 2012-13 treble was magnificent, yet they didn’t sweep every available trophy. And let’s not forget the added complexity of super cups—like the Community Shield or UEFA Super Cup—which some include in “quadruple” talks. I’ve always been of the opinion that if you’re going to count those, you need to be consistent. Otherwise, it dilutes the achievement.

So, how many teams have actually done it? In my book, just one: Celtic in 1967. But if we broaden the criteria slightly, you could include sides like Ajax in 1971-72 or PSV in 1987-88, depending on how you classify their cup wins. Frankly, I prefer keeping the bar high—it preserves the magic. What’s clear is that the quadruple remains one of football’s holy grails. With the game becoming more competitive and financially balanced, I suspect it will only get harder. Maybe one day, a team with the depth of Manchester City or the grit of Atlético Madrid will pull it off. Until then, we can enjoy the near-misses and debates that make football so endlessly compelling.