The Champions League is the world’s premier club soccer tournament. It is operated by the European division of the sport’s global governing body, UEFA (Union of European Football Associations). Only reigning champions from national leagues across Europe are eligible to participate. The competition is widely considered to be the pinnacle of the sport and is a major source of revenue for many top clubs.
The tournament started in 1955 and was called the European Cup until 1992, when it became a Champions League with the introduction of a group stage. The tournament has been played every season since then, except for the 1985-86 season following the Heysel Stadium disaster. The competition has become one of the most lucrative events in world sports and is a marquee event for broadcasters, viewers and sponsors.
In the group stage, thirty-two teams are divided into eight groups of four or five teams by a randomized draw. Each team in a group plays the other three in a double round-robin, with matches played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Teams earn three points for a win, one point for a tie and no points for a loss. The group winners and runners-up advance to the knockout phase, which has traditionally featured quarter-finals, semifinals and a final.
Unlike in other UEFA competitions, the winner of the Champions League can keep its trophy forever, and has become almost as famous as FIFA’s World Cup trophy. Despite the prestige, only a handful of clubs have been able to defend their title successfully; the most recent was Real Madrid, which regained “La Decima” in 2021 following a 12-year wait.