Some find success sweet but fleeting, others spend years building to the pinnacle, and then there are those whose lasting glory evolves into a dynasty.
After tearing Manchester City apart in large spells of their 4-2 Champions League victory on Wednesday, Paris St-Germain look well on track to join the latter bracket.
The back-to-back European champions sliced through City with astonishing ease to take a 3-0 lead into half-time, and were still able to score another despite a spirited second-half fightback from the Premier League leaders.
After obliterating Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2025 final before squeezing past Arsenal on penalties in last season’s showpiece game, Luis Enrique’s side are aiming to win a third consecutive European crown.
They would be the fifth team to do so going back to 1956, and just the second in the Champions League era.
“This PSG team are on a different level,” Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live at half-time.
“They have just run all over Manchester City, who haven’t been able to string passes together. It’s been an absolute pummelling for Man City.”
To mark PSG’s latest display of attacking excellence, we’re looking at how the Parisians compare to those clubs who have enjoyed the most dominant eras in European competition.
Some will point out that football existed before the European Champion Clubs’ Cup began in 1955 – so apologies to Stan Cullis’ ‘world-champion’ Wolves outfit and the Mitropa Cup’s early Vienna heavyweights.
However, this top 10 debate is centred around winning European football’s grandest prize.
Paris St-Germain 2025-present
OK, straight in with the current champions, because this is a dynasty in the making.
Paris St-Germain are hoping to enter that bracket and the 4-2 win against Manchester City on Wednesday reminded the rest of Europe why you shouldn’t bet against them becoming continental champions for a third successive season.
PSG had a lacklustre start to the domestic season – they always do, don’t they? – but boast an uncanny ability to click into gear when it matters.
In Manchester, Luis Enrique’s side were at their unstoppable best. A ruthless blend of silky flicks and slick off-the-ball movement that saw a dazed City caught several frames behind.
“Unbelievable. PSG, what a team,” Sutton said.
“PSG’s press, I don’t think there’s another team that press with their intensity and ferocity.
“This [City] is one of the best teams in the Premier League getting an absolutely roasting. This is them [PSG] having a slow start to the season. Heaven help everyone.”
The Parisians have been France’s most dominant force since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments 15 years ago, but it took a change of approach for the holy grail of continental success to arrive.
“It’s the end of the glitter,” professed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after years of lavish spending, ushering out the “flashy, bling-bling” era.
Instead, Enrique arrived in 2023 intent on building a coherent team. There was still significant investment, but on younger players who could be moulded by his philosophy and discipline while given room to flourish.
The result was two scintillating Champions League triumphs.