Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is one of the most prestigious and widely followed football competitions in the world.
It is an annual tournament organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and features the best clubs from across Europe. The competition begins with a group stage, followed by knockout rounds leading up to the final.
The winner of the Champions League earns the right to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup and also receives significant prize money.
History
The tournament has a rich history, with legendary clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich having won the title multiple times.
European football
The UEFA Champions League is a showcase for the highest level of European football and is eagerly awaited by millions of fans worldwide every year.
Champions League facts
- The Champions League was founded in 1955 as the European Cup and was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.
- Real Madrid is the most successful team in the competition’s history, having won the Champions League 13 times.
- The current Champions League trophy is the fifth version of the trophy and has been in use since 2006.
- Lionel Messi is the all-time leading goal scorer in the competition, with 120 goals.
- The final of the Champions League is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world, with an estimated 380 million people tuning in to watch the 2019 final.
- The UEFA Champions League generates significant revenue, with the 2020/21 edition estimated to have a total prize fund of €2.04 billion.
- The Champions League is not just for men, as there is also a women’s Champions League tournament that was first held in 2001.
- The youngest player to score in a Champions League final is Patrick Kluivert, who scored for Ajax in the 1995 final when he was just 18 years old.
Current holders
The current champions are Real Madrid, who beat Liverpool 1–0 in the 2022 final for a record-extending fourteenth title.
