A competition that has seen some of the greatest players in the history of the sport lift its famous trophy, including Johan Cruyff and Lionel Messi, Champions League is Europe’s premier club tournament. It is currently run by UEFA, which oversees competitions between European football clubs. The Champions League was established in 1960 and originally featured only the champions of different domestic leagues in Europe. In 1991, a round-robin stage was introduced and multiple teams from a country were allowed to participate in the competition from 1997-98. This led to the competition changing its name to UEFA Champions League and its format to include a group phase.
The group stage is contested by eight teams in groups of four. Each team plays each other in a double round-robin, playing home and away. The draw for the groups is made in advance of the season and seeding is used to ensure competitive balance. A limitation on the number of teams from a single association is also in place, so that no two teams from the same country can be drawn in the same group.
The top four teams from the groups qualify for the knockout phase. In the past, sides who placed ninth to 24th in the league phase qualified for the playoff round, where they would play a two-legged tie to decide the final four places in the last 16. However, this system was replaced by the current one ahead of the 2024-25 season. The league phase is now played through the autumn and the final is held in May.