The UEFA Champions League (known as the Europa League prior to 2024) is one of the most prestigious club soccer tournaments in the world. It is contested annually by the winners of a number of national championships from across Europe, as well as clubs that qualify through other streams. It is governed by the Union of European Football Associations, one of the six regional member confederations that make up the worldwide governing body for the sport of soccer, the Federation Internationale de Football Association.
The first incarnation of the competition was launched in 1955 and was known as the European Cup until it was renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992. Since then, the trophy has become as coveted as the FIFA World Cup Trophy. A few clubs have managed to make sensational runs in the tournament and lift the famous trophy, most notably Porto in 2004 or Dynamo Kyiv in 1998-99, but most of the time the competition is dominated by the top European teams.
In the modern era, Real Madrid has won the most titles in the tournament with fifteen (including five in a row from 2000 to 2023-24) and is followed by AC Milan and Barcelona. Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Ajax are other notable double-digit winners. In 2021-22, Real Madrid made a remarkable run to the final, beating PSG in the quarterfinals and heavy favorites Chelsea in the semifinals thanks to a Vinicius Junior goal. In the final, they beat defending champions Juventus in a penalty shootout after Didier Drogba was sent off during extra time.