UEFA Champions League

Publication date: 11 Jul 2025

About the UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is the most prestigious European international football competition, played each year among the clubs competing in the top divisions. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) organizes the football tournaments.

Real Madrid holds the record for the most titles won with 14 victories.

The tournament itself consists of several stages and begins with five qualifying rounds. According to the total of the two games (home and away), the winner advances to the next qualifying round. Then comes the group stage. The teams are drawn in 8 groups of 4 teams. Next comes the 1/16 finals, 1/8 finals, 1/4 finals, semi-finals and finals. Finals consist of a single match on neutral ground. The stadium for the final match is chosen by the UEFA committee. It must have a UEFA 5-star rating and meet all the requirements. 

Official website of UEFA

2025-2026 UEFA Champions League

Qualifying for the new season will run from July 8 to August 12.

The main stage of the 70th season of Europe’s top club competition will take place from September 16, 2025, to May 6, 2026.

The Champions League final will be played on May 30, 2026, in Munich at the Allianz Arena.

History of the UEFA Champions League

The European Champion Clubs’ Cup was founded in 1955. From 1955 to 1956, the first competition was an elimination tournament with two home and away matches played in each round.

In 1991-1992, the tournament format was changed by including a group round.

Nowadays, the winner of the Champions League qualifies for the Club World Cup held under the auspices of FIFA.

The club that wins the Champions League is entitled to keep the trophy for 10 months.

In 2005, Liverpool, after their 5th win, were given the cup in perpetuity.

In the 2009-2010 season, new cup retention rules came into effect. From now on, the original trophy will not be kept for life. A club with 5 wins or 3 straight wins will be entitled to have a special embroidery on their uniform.

Winners of the previous League seasons

The year Venue Results
2025/2025 the final took place in Munich, Germany at the Allianz Arena (Munich Football Arena) Paris Saint-Germain 5:0 Inter
2023/2024 the final took place in London, England at Wembley Stadium Real Madrid 2:0 Borussia Dortmund
2022/2023 the final was held in Istanbul, Türkiye, at the Ataturk Stadium Manchester City 1:0 Inter
2021/2022 the final was held in Paris, France at the Stade de France Stadium Liverpool 0:1 Real Madrid 

2026-2027 UEFA Champions League

The exact dates for the next season of the tournament are being determined.

Keep an eye on the dates of football tournaments and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.

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