The biggest clubs in Europe compete to win the Champions League. It’s a competition that features many of the sport’s most famous names, from Johan Cruyff to Lionel Messi. This year is no different as the game’s elite teams look to add another prestigious title to their resumes.
In its current form, the Champions League features a group stage followed by a knockout phase. The first two rounds feature an open draw, while home advantage for the quarterfinals and semifinals is determined by a seeding system.
From 2024-25 onwards, the competition changed to a league phase with thirty-six qualified teams competing in eight groups of four teams. Each team played the other teams in their group twice, once at home and once away. Teams earned three points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a defeat.
UEFA now eases entry criteria to allow for the top-four highest-ranked clubs in each country to enter the tournament, with the remaining places granted through a four-round qualifying tournament. Clubs must also be licensed by their national association and meet certain stadium, infrastructure and finance requirements to compete.
The Liverpool-Milan final in 1984 saw the first all-English team to make an appearance in a Champions League final. The Reds won the title with a 1-0 victory at the Feijenoord Stadion, but were defeated by Milan in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in a match best remembered for the antics of Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.