Europe
UEFA Champions League
The competition every club in Europe is trying to reach. Clubs qualify by finishing near the top of their own domestic league, then play each other midweek across the season while their domestic league continues around it.
How it works
- Clubs
- 36
- Matches each
- 8 in the league phase, then knockout rounds
- Winner decided by
- A single final, played at a neutral stadium in May.
You cannot buy your way in and you cannot be promoted into it. A club earns its place by where it finished at home last season, which is why the top four or five places in a domestic league matter so much.
The top eight after the league phase go straight to the last sixteen. Clubs finishing ninth to twenty-fourth play a two-legged playoff for the remaining places. Everyone below that is out of Europe entirely.
Where these clubs come from
No club plays in this competition every year. They earn a place by how they finish at home, so these are the leagues to follow if you want to know who will be in it next season.
Back to all leagues and competitions
Table and club data from football-data.org. League explanations are ours. Terms of use.