Soccer: UEFA Champions League, Summary and Data

Information about the UEFA Champions League with the last 10 winners of the competition, the teams with the most trophies won in the history of the tournment and an index to every final played.

The UEFA Champions League (known colloquially as the European Cup) is an annual club soccer competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful soccer clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious club trophies in the sport.

The tournament consists of several stages and begins with three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds. In each subsequent preliminary round, participating teams are paired, with aggregate winners proceeding into the next round. The sixteen winners of the final qualifying round are joined by the sixteen teams who have qualified directly, to participate in the group stage. They are drawn into eight groups of four teams, each team playing every other team in the group twice (home and away). The top two teams from every group qualify for the next round. Here the sixteen remaining teams take part in the knock-out stages. All qualifying round and knock-out ties are two-legged, with each team hosting one match. The team which scores the greater aggregate number of goals qualifies for the next round. The final, which is a single match played at a predetermined venue.

Originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply abbreviated to European Cup, the competition began in 1955/56 using a two-leg knockout format where the teams would play two matches, one at home and one away, and the team with the highest overall score qualifying for the next round of the competition. Entry was restricted to the teams that won their national league championships, plus the current European Cup holder. Today the UEFA Champions league is open to the league champions of all UEFA member associations (except Liechtenstein, Andorra and San Marino), as well as to the clubs finishing from second to fourth position in the strongest leagues.

The winning club gets possession of the trophy at the awards ceremony, but must return it to UEFA headquarters two months before the following year's final. UEFA gives the winners a scaled-down replica of the trophy to keep permanently. However, the current competition rules also specify that the actual trophy will be permanently awarded to a team that wins 3 consecutive years or 5 times in all. Five clubs have been awarded the UEFA badge of honour and the right to keep the trophy permanently: Real Madrid (who won the first 5 competitions from 1956 to 1960), Ajax Amsterdam (1971-1973), Bayern Munich (1974-1976), A.C. Milan (who won for the 5th time in 1994), Liverpool (whose 2005 win was their 5th overall)

Years: 2024 - 2023 - 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971 - 1970 - 1969 - 1968 - 1967 - 1966 - 1965 - 1964 - 1963 - 1962 - 1961 - 1960 - 1959 - 1958 - 1957 - 1956