What Is The Champions League?

The UEFA Champions League has garnered a reputation as one of the world’s most revered and respected footballing tournaments.Formally known as The European Cup and founded in 1955, it has a rich history that spans more than six decades.

Regarded as the pinnacle of footballing excellence, this competition has seen legendary players showcase their skills in iconic matches that will go down in the annals of sporting history. Each season players and clubs from around Europe play in their domestic leagues trying to win their own league title, but also trying to achieve qualification to the Champions League. With each country having a different number of ‘spots’ that can change each year, spaces in the Champions League are coveted by clubs across Europe.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League tournament is an annual, season-long competition. Qualifying teams play Champions League games regularly during their regular domestic season. This culminates in the tournament final which is usually held sometime in May or June. 

Whilst it is not the longest running tournament, it is certainly viewed as the grandest club competition in the world, and for many is now seen as the premier tournament in football, even greater than The FIFA World Cup. Perhaps this is because being the champions in Europe prevails over being a league winner in any of the European domestic leagues. And, with many European domestic teams being regarded as preeminent in world football – being Champions League winners catapults sides to the most prestigious of positions. The best in all of Europe.

Historical Journey

The UEFA Champions League, often called the UCL, started life as the European Champion Club’s Cup. It was born out of a disagreement between the media and French journalist, Gabriel Hanot. 

Annoyed that the press referred to English team, Wolverhampton Wanderers as the ‘Champions of the World,’ after beating the Soviet side, Moscow Spartak and Hungarian team, Honved. Hanot called for the launching of a European wide competition in order to prove who actually should be crowned Champions of Europe. 

Spurred on by encouragement from the FIFA president, Rodolphe Seeldrayers, Hanot pursued the matter with the newly established UEFA. FIFA authorised the competition on the 2nd April 1955 – and the competition began in earnest. 

Originally 16 teams joined. Chelsea, England’s domestic champions at the time were not authorised to play by the FA, so no English team took part in the inaugural competition. 

For the first five years Real Madrid dominated the tournament but in 1968, Manchester United became the first English team to lift the title. It remained out of reach for any other English teams until 1977 when it was lifted first by Liverpool for two successive years. Nottingham Forest claimed victory the following two years before passing it back to Liverpool who then relayed it to Aston Villa in 1982. 

In 1992, the tournament underwent a revamp. Up until 1992, games had been played simply on a knock-out basis but now it would change to group stages culminating in a final. 

Globalising forces of commercialisation and television found their way into this new look tournament thanks to the partnership of UEFA and TEAM Marketing AG. 

Tony Britton, a renowned composer wrote a theme tune to accompany the new TV coverage, a theme tune that is still played at the start of each broadcast today, more than 30 years later. The Champions League theme is now used widely across the world on computer games, TV coverage and more. 

The impact of these changes can not be under-estimated. European clubs were desperate to lift trophies and exponential amounts of money changed hands to buy the brightest and best players to win domestic leagues and gain entry in well-respected cups. Transfer bills were unprecedented in 1992, and two clubs broke the ceiling, AC Milan and Juventus. Milan raised the cup in the second season of the Champions League and Juventus in 1996. 

Over the years, the number of teams competing has swelled. From 2024, there will be 36 teams competing. Usually, a maximum of five domestic sides from each nation can qualify. Viewing figures have not just swelled, they’ve exploded. 

Revenue involved in the Champions League is eye-watering, currently exceeding 3 billion euros. The majority of this is in broadcasting rights, with more than 2.3 billion euros coming from this alone. 

Format and Teams

Changes to the format of the tournament came into force at the start of the 2024/2025 season. Until the start of the 2024 season 32 teams gained entry into the competition, currently it is 36. 

Teams play eight games in the new league phase, which was formally known as the group stage. Prior to 2024, teams would play three opponents twice, both home and away, but this has now changed. 

Each team is now ranked into four seeded pots and each team is drawn to play against two teams from each pot. In total each side plays against eight different teams. Half of these fixtures take place at home and the other half played away. 

The concept behind this is to provide clubs with the opportunity to play a wider variety of teams and allows for fans to see their side play against the most eminent teams. 

Once these initial games are played, the top eight sides progress to the round of 16. Those in positions nine to 24 enter a play-off to fight for the other eight places in the round of sixteen. Those that find themselves in place 25 – 36 are eliminated from competition. 

From the round of 16 onwards, there is one knock-out round draw. Teams are seeded based on their final league-phase position. The higher you finish in the table, the more favourable your knock-out position. 

Champions League is an esteemed tournament and entry into the competition garners much admiration and respect from around the world. 

The financial rewards from the Champions League are significant, with clubs earning more for each game won and for how far they proceed in the competition. Just making it to the group stages can add millions of pounds in revenue for clubs, making it abundantly clear how important this league is to even the big-hitters. For smaller clubs it can have huge implications. In the 2024/25 season Liverpool earned £47 million for winning the group. 

But, with the same teams appearing to claim the cup over and over again, is there room for less prominent teams? It is hoped that the format, introduced in the 2024/25 will do that and we are already seeing clubs progress who may not have previously in the old format. We wait to see whether those we are familiar with will continue to lift the trophy or will it be a new club?  

Cultural Impact and Global Reach 

The global reach of the Champions League is undeniable. Audience figures for the 2023 final were around 450 million and reached across 200 territories. 3.6 million of the audience figures were from the US. This total covers those watching at home, in bars and fan parks, demonstrating the interest in this tournament. 

Viewing figures for the Champions League final is greater in round-the-world viewing figures than the American Super Bowl, highlighting the allure of the competition. Champions League is the 8th most watched sporting event in the world – a significant achievement in a world saturated by sport. 

The qualification process ensures that teams who earn a place in the competition bring fans around the world a showcase of elite football, filled with drama, unpredictability, and excitement.

The tournament’s long-standing history adds to its prestige, while major advertising and sponsorship deals provide significant financial incentives for participating clubs. These factors contribute to its global appeal, attracting both teams and fans alike.

It’s evident that the Champions League is something special. The best clubs across Europe compete to prove which domestic league team has it all. For the viewer, the Champions League offers a rare freedom—loyalty to a single club fades as the focus shifts to pure footballing brilliance. Fans can immerse themselves in the drama, celebrate the spectacle, and, if their chosen team is knocked out, simply move on to the next favourite, ensuring the excitement never truly ends.

And, as the crowds roar and the sponsorship money rolls in, UEFA are keen to capitalise on the Champions League. The 2024/2025 season promises to see more games being played which can only be a win for the fans. Technology promises to allow the game to be streamed in every corner of the globe and the standard of football promises to thrill, entertain and leave us with debates on who truly is the Greatest of All Time for many, many years to come.