The Champions League is one of the most prestigious tournaments in international soccer. The competition, operated by UEFA – the European branch of the sport’s global governing body FIFA – is open to club teams from national leagues across Europe that meet minimum sporting and infrastructure criteria.
For almost seven decades, the best clubs in the world have battled it out over the years for a title that consecrates them as the greatest on the continent. Real Madrid tops the list with 15 titles, followed by AC Milan and Bayern Munich – both with six trophies each – and Liverpool and Barcelona with five titles each.
Last season, a revamp of the tournament took effect. The competition was renamed the UEFA Champions League and the format overhauled to include a group phase and knockout phase play-offs.
In the knockout phase, the 16 remaining teams are drawn into two pots of eight. A winner from each pot then competes with the other in a round of quarter-final and semifinal matches – both two-legged and without association draw protection – with the winners progressing to the final at a venue selected ahead of time.
Slot two is granted to the champion of the highest-ranked league in each federation, while another slot is awarded to the winners of a four-round qualifying tournament between clubs from associations ranked fifth through to 14th.