UEFA Champions League

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UEFA Champions League, commonly known as the Champions League, is an annual club association football competition organized 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.

The tournament's history dates back to 1897, when local clubs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire participated in a Pan-European tournament known as the "promise of the challenge". This was followed by the founding of the Mitropa Cup in 1927, which brought senior European soccer teams from Central Europe together for an international framework. The idea behind this tournament was conceived by Austrian Hugo Misel.

In the following years, various continental cups were established, including the Coupe des Nations in 1930 and the Latin Grail in 1949. However, it wasn't until Gabriel Han suggested creating international continental Cups in Europe that champions should be crowned, that UEFA decided to hold a tournament. The European Champions League for Groups was founded in 1955 and played its first official season in 1955-56.

The competition has undergone several name changes over the years, with the most recent being the adoption of the current title in 1992. Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won a record six titles. The English clubs have also had significant success, with six winning teams claiming the title.

In terms of participation, each team plays eight opponents, four home and four away, as part of the league phase. This format allows for a comprehensive assessment of each team's abilities before advancing to the knockout rounds. The competition has seen several notable moments throughout its history, including the 1895 World Championship match between Sunderland and Heart of Midlothian.

The current European champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who won their second consecutive title in 2026 by beating Arsenal on penalties. Bayern Munich is the only club to have won all their matches in a single tournament en route to victory, achieving this feat in the 2019-20 season.