UEFA Champions League, also known as UCL or simply Champions League, is a European club football competition that pits the top clubs from each of Europe’s largest national leagues against each other. Unlike other major international tournaments, such as FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games, the winner is determined by scoring more goals over two home-and-away matches, or legs—as opposed to one single match.
The Champions League has had a relatively long history, with the first edition of the competition kicking off in 1955. The concept was conceived by Gabriel Hanot, who was inspired by the reaction to English tabloid newspapers after Wolverhampton Wanderers’ defeat of Hungary’s Honvéd in December 1954.
Initially, champions from the top-tier domestic leagues qualified directly for the Champions League group stage. In the early 1990s, a revamp of the competition saw the number of teams double to thirty-two and it was at that point that it became the UEFA Champions League.
From 2024/25, the number of teams in the group phase will increase to 36. The top eight finishers will then be seeded for the knockout play-off round, and a draw will determine their bracket.
The Champions League has seen many of the sport’s biggest names win the prestigious trophy, from Johan Cruyff to Lionel Messi. Throughout its history, clubs from thirteen nations have won the championship—with England, Italy, Germany, and Spain boasting three winners each, while clubs from Scotland, Portugal, and Yugoslavia have also claimed a title.