Manchester United Football Club is one of the most successful and most celebrated club in world football. This football club has crafted a legacy and history that is defined by moments of triumph, resilience, and unparalleled dominance.
From the Busby Babes of the 1950s to Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning heroes, the club’s history is punctuated by seasons that reshaped English and European football.
In this article we will be looking at the 10 greatest seasons in Manchester United history that highlights their tactical innovations, key players, and cultural significance.
We will be ranking these seasons based on trophies won, total points, historical significance, and lasting impact, while also considering legendary performances and record-breaking moments.
The 10 Greatest Seasons in Manchester United History
1. The 1956–57 Season: The ‘Busby Babes’ Era
The 1956–57 season was a special season for Manchester United, led by their coach Matt Busby and a team of young players nicknamed the “Busby Babes.”
Most of these players were only 21 or 22 years old. They played fast, exciting football and won the English league title for the second year in a row. Their secret was that they were playing together like best friends and scoring lots of goals—103 in total, which is like scoring almost three goals every game!
There were star players like Tommy Taylor (who scored 34 goals) and Bobby Charlton (a teenager who scored 12 goals in his first season) made fans cheer.
Today's #UnitedReview contains a poster of the last line-up of the Busby Babes from 5 February 1958. Fans at the game are invited to hold it up during the minute's silence as we pay our respects to those we lost in the Munich Air Disaster. pic.twitter.com/oov86RwYSw
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 3, 2018
These ‘Busby Babes’ became the first English team to play in the European Cup, a big tournament against the best clubs in Europe. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Real Madrid, a team full of famous players.
Manchester United also reached the FA Cup final, but bad luck struck when their goalkeeper, Ray Wood, got hurt early in the game. They lost the match 2-1 to Aston Villa because they didn’t had a proper goalkeeper.
This season showed how talented and fearless the Busby Babes were. Sadly, many of these players’ stories ended too soon because of the Munich plane crash the next year. But in 1956–57, they gave fans memories to cherish forever.
2. The 1967–68 Season: First European Cup Win
In the 1967–68 season, Manchester United made history by becoming the first English team to win the European Cup, the biggest club tournament in Europe.
Managed by Matt Busby, who survived a tragic plane crash ten years earlier, the team beat Benfica 4-1 in an exciting final at London’s Wembley Stadium. The game was tied 1-1 after normal time, but United scored three quick goals in extra time.
George Best, their superstar player, danced past the goalkeeper to score, while Brian Kidd, celebrating his 19th birthday, headed another goal. Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the 1958 crash, scored twice and cried tears of joy after the win.
Over 92,000 fans cheered in the stadium, and millions watched on TV. Even though United finished second in the league that year, losing to rivals Manchester City, their European victory brought pride to the club and honored the memory of the players lost in the Munich disaster.
3. The 1992–93 Season: Ending the Title Drought
The 1992-93 season was special for Manchester United. They won the very first Premier League title, ending a 26-year wait for a league championship. The team finished with 84 points, 10 points ahead of Aston Villa who came second.
United didn’t start the season well. They were as low as 10th place in the table at one point. Things changed when Eric Cantona joined from Leeds United for £1.2 million in November. Cantona helped the team score more goals and win more games.
Mark Hughes was United’s top scorer with 15 league goals. The team also had the best defense, letting in only 31 goals all season.
#OnThisDay 3rd of May 1993:
— Cantona Collars AKA Larry (@Cantona_Collars) May 3, 2024
After 26 years without a league title, United had finally won it.
Below is Alex Ferguson's fantastic pre match team talk to the fantastically hungover team 😂👌 pic.twitter.com/0YzKcWB8EP
The title was confirmed on May 2, 1993, when Aston Villa lost to Oldham Athletic. This victory started a great period of success for Manchester United under manager Alex Ferguson.
4. The 1993–94 Season: Winning First Domestic Double
In the 1993-94 season, Manchester United did something special by winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup for the first time ever. The team had a very strong defense, letting in only 38 goals in 42 league games.
Players like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister worked hard to protect their goal. Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes scored lots of goals to help the team win matches. In the FA Cup final, United beat Chelsea 4-0 with goals from Hughes and Brian McClair.
This double victory showed that United could fight hard in tough games and win big trophies. Fans loved seeing their team become champions of England and lift the FA Cup in the same season!
5. The 1998–99 Season: Winning the Treble
The 1998–99 season was magical for Manchester United!
Manchester United remain the only English club to have won the treble. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/tBO2F5Xj3Z
— United Update (@UnitedsUpdate) April 17, 2019
They won three big trophies—the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League—all in one year, something no English team had ever done.
In the Premier League, they chased Arsenal all season and finally won the title on the last day by beating Tottenham 2-1. A week earlier, they won the FA Cup by defeating Newcastle United 2–0 with goals from Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham.
But the biggest moment came in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. United were losing 1–0 until the last two minutes when Sheringham scored, and seconds later, Ole Gunnar Solskjær kicked the ball into the net to win 2-1.
Players like David Beckham, Dwight Yorke, and goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel worked hard all season, and manager Sir Alex Ferguson became a hero for leading the team to this amazing “Treble”. Fans still cheer about those exciting games today!
6. The 2007–08 Season: Premier League and Champions League Winners
Manchester United had an amazing 2007-08 season under Sir Alex Ferguson. They won both the Premier League and the Champions League trophies. In the league, United started slowly but got better as the season went on.
They beat teams like Chelsea and Liverpool on their way to winning their 10th Premier League title, finishing just two points ahead of Chelsea.
The Champions League final was played in Moscow on May 21, 2008, where United faced Chelsea. Cristiano Ronaldo scored first, but Frank Lampard tied the game. After no more goals in extra time, the match went to penalties.
John Terry missed a crucial penalty for Chelsea when he slipped, and Edwin van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka’s shot to win the trophy for United.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the star player that season, scoring an incredible 42 goals in all competitions5.
7. The 2008–09 Season: Third Consecutive Premier League Title
The 2008-09 season saw Manchester United win their third Premier League title in a row for the second time in their history.
Despite a slow start and playing in seven different competitions that season, United finished strong with 18 wins in their final 21 games. They collected 90 points to hold off a tough challenge from Liverpool, who actually beat United both home and away during the season.
The title was secured on May 16, 2009, when United played to a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford. This victory made United the first team to win three straight English top-flight titles twice, having also done it between 1999 and 2001.
Nine years ago today, Robin van Persie delivered Manchester United the Premier League title in style 🤭
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 22, 2022
(via @ManUtd) pic.twitter.com/zEt8FEGVaw
The championship tied Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles at that time.
Young Italian striker Federico Macheda became an unlikely hero during this season, scoring important late goals that helped United stay ahead in the title race.
8. The 2010–11 Season: Breaking Liverpool’s Record
The 2010-11 season was a historic one for Manchester United. They won their 19th league title, breaking Liverpool’s long-standing record of 18 titles.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s team showed amazing form at home, winning almost all their matches at Old Trafford.
Though they struggled away from home, winning only five games on the road, their overall performance was strong enough to claim the championship.
Wayne Rooney played a crucial role, scoring important goals including a spectacular overhead kick against Manchester City.
Javier Hernández, a new signing, also impressed with his goal-scoring ability. United secured the title on May 14, 2011, with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers.
📆 May 14, 2011
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 14, 2020
Manchester United clinch their 19th Premier League title, breaking Liverpool's record for the most decorated club in English league football 😤 pic.twitter.com/huWjytnEsK
Rooney scored the equalizing penalty that gave them the point they needed to become champions.
The team celebrated their record-breaking achievement at Old Trafford after beating Blackpool 4-2 in their final game.
9. The 2012–13 Season: Sir Alex Ferguson’s Last Season
"The final chapter of football's greatest manager" 👏#OnThisDay in 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson's final ever game as Manchester United manager was a 🔟-goal thriller at West Brompic.twitter.com/1SXvikkZBR
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) May 19, 2020
Sir Alex Ferguson ended his 27-year career as Manchester United manager with a championship win in the 2012-13 season. His team won their 20th league title by beating Aston Villa 3-0 in April 2013, finishing 11 points ahead of Manchester City.
Robin van Persie, who joined from Arsenal that season, scored 26 league goals including a hat-trick in the title-clinching game against Villa.
Ferguson announced his retirement on May 8, 2013, saying “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about. It is the right time”. His final game was a thrilling 5-5 draw with West Bromwich Albion.
After Ferguson left, David Moyes took over as manager. Ferguson still misses managing sometimes, especially the big European games. His final season gave United fans one last trophy to celebrate before saying goodbye to their legendary manager.
10. The 2016–17 Season: Mourinho’s Success
Twice #UCLfinal winner José Mourinho is confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United, signing a 3-year deal. pic.twitter.com/1TSlTiX3MW
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 27, 2016
José Mourinho’s first season at Manchester United in 2016-17 brought important success despite finishing sixth in the Premier League.
The team won three trophies – the Community Shield, League Cup (beating Southampton 3-2 in the final), and most importantly, the Europa League with a 2-0 victory over Ajax.
This Europa League triumph was especially valuable as it qualified United for the Champions League.
The season featured a 25-match unbeaten run in the league, though many ended as draws. United’s biggest problem was scoring goals – they managed just 54 in the Premier League, far fewer than the teams above them. Zlatan Ibrahimović led the team with 17 league goals.
By winning the Europa League, Mourinho turned what could have been an average first season into a successful one, as United became only the fifth team to win all three main European club trophies.
Final Thoughts
Manchester United’s best seasons all had great coaches, smart game plans, and players who stepped up in big moments. From Matt Busby’s early teams to Alex Ferguson’s treble winners, United always aimed to be the best.
The club has struggled since Ferguson left, but Erik ten Hag’s recent cup wins show United can still succeed.
These great seasons show what makes United special – they never give up, play with skill, and always aim high. These qualities will always be part of Manchester United’s story.
