A European club competition
The UEFA Champions League is an annual football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It is contested by European clubs that qualify through their performance in domestic leagues in the previous season; the allocation of places depends on UEFA’s coefficient. It is regarded as the leading club competition in European football.
The tournament began in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, commonly called the European Cup. It adopted the name UEFA Champions League in 1992. The edition identified as current in the supplied information is 2026–27.
Format: league phase and knockout rounds
In the format described by the sources, 36 clubs play a league phase, with each team competing across eight rounds. The tournament then moves to knockout stages, including the knockout phase play-offs, the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, followed by the final. The knockout ties are decided by single elimination.
The standings page lists the league-phase clubs and their positions, as well as matches and results. Because it shows games during the season, its figures represent a snapshot rather than necessarily the final standings.
History and significance
At first, the competition was limited to the champions of European domestic leagues and played as a knockout tournament. A group stage was introduced in 1991, and from 1997 clubs from certain countries could enter more than one team. The format has expanded over time.
According to the supplied information, Paris Saint-Germain are the champions of the 2025–26 season, with their second title, while Real Madrid have won the competition most often, with 15 titles. The tournament is also connected with other UEFA and FIFA competitions, including the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.