The UEFA Champions League (in
English: UEFA Champions League) is an annual competition of football clubs at
continental level, organized by the Union of European Football Associations
(UEFA) and disputed by European clubs. It is one of the most prestigious
tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European
football, disputed by the highest ranked teams in the respective national
championships in the previous season, with the number of places allocated
according to the UEFA ranking. The UEFA Champions League final is the most
watched annual sporting event in the world. The 2012–13 edition final had the
largest audience to date, attracting 360 million viewers. [1]
Introduced in 1992, the
competition is the successor to the European Champion Clubs 'Cup (European
Portuguese) or European Champion Clubs' Cup (Brazilian Portuguese), which had
been played since 1955, adding a group stage to the competition, allowing the
participation of several participants from different countries [2] The 1992–93
edition was initially a tournament with only groups, open only to the champion
club in each country. During the 1990s, the format was expanded, incorporating
a pre-qualifying phase to include clubs that finished runner-up in their
national championships. [2] Although most national championships in Europe only
the national champion can participate, the strongest national championships
offer four places for the competition [3] and provide up to five places since
the 2015–16 season. [4] Clubs that do not qualify for the Champions League may
be eligible for the UEFA Europa League.
In its current
format, the Champions League starts in mid-July with three qualifying rounds
and a play-off round. The ten surviving teams enter the group stage, joining
another 22 previously qualified teams. The 32 teams are placed in eight groups
of four teams and play in a round-trip system. The eight teams that are in the
first place in each group and the eight teams that are in the second place in
each group, advance to the elimination phase that culminates in the final match
in May. [5] The Champions League winner qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and
the FIFA Club World Cup. [6] [7]
Real Madrid is the
most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament 13
times, including the first five seasons. Spanish clubs have accumulated the
most wins (18 wins), followed by England (13 wins) and Italy (12 wins). [8] The
competition was won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which won more than once. The
only consecutive three-time team since the competition adopted the current mold
(in the 1992–93 season, as the UEFA Champions League) was Real Madrid securing
their thirteenth title by defeating Liverpool 3–1 in the 2017–2018 final. Thus,
they became the first team in the history of the UEFA Champions League to
successfully defend their title.
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