UEFA Champions League

SoccerEuropeContinental2025-2026Founded 1955

The UEFA Champions League, commonly known as the Champions League, is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robin league phase to qualify for the double-legged knockout rounds, and a single-leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.

Founded

1955

Governing body

UEFA

Tier

Continental

Current season

2025-2026

History

Founded in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, UEFA's premier club competition has crowned every great European football team of the modern era — from Real Madrid's five consecutive titles in the 1950s, to AC Milan's Sacchi-Capello dynasty, Manchester United's 1999 treble, Barcelona's tiki-taka teams, and Real Madrid's record 15 European Cups. Rebranded the UEFA Champions League in 1992, the competition expanded to include runners-up and now multiple national-league qualifiers.

Structure

From 2024–25 the competition uses a single-table league phase: 36 clubs play 8 matches each against eight different opponents. The top eight automatically advance to the round of 16; teams 9–24 contest a knockout play-off. The bracket is fixed once seeded, and progression to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final follows two-legged knockout ties — except the final, a single match at a pre-selected neutral venue.

Format

Three points for a win and one for a draw apply throughout the league phase. Tiebreakers cascade through goal difference, goals scored, away goals, wins and disciplinary record. UEFA seeds the knockout draw based on league-phase finish.

Live radio