| Founded |
1955; 63 years ago
(rebranded in 1992) |
| Region |
Europe (UEFA) |
| Number of teams |
32 (group stage)
78 or 79 (total) |
| Current champions |
 Manchester City (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |
 Real Madrid (14 titles) |
What is the Champions League
The Champions League is made up of 32 European national champions and two streams of teams who have finished within the top 4 of their national leagues. The competition starts in July with three qualifying rounds and then a round of Champions League play-offs; the national champions are given a ‘bye’ for those rounds and join in at the end of August when the competition proper starts with the Group stages. The Champions League Final date is always arranged so as it’s the last competitive game of the European season, the Grand Finale.
Group stages
The Champions League groups stage draws are held in Monaco where sides are placed into 8 groups of 4; the teams play each other with the group winners & runners up advancing to the round of 16 and the third place finishers dropping down into the Europa League. The group stages give the less experienced clubs a chance to shine, and experience playing the likes of the mighty Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich etc. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together.
Round of 16
The draw for the 2018/19 Champions League last 16, also called the knockout phase or Round of 16 takes place in Nyon, Switzerland on 15th December; the teams now play each other over two legs, home and away; the 8 group stage winners are seeded & then drawn against the unseeded teams. European football has a break over Christmas and the winter months, so these ties are played in February/March. The winners progress through to the Quarter Finals.
Quarter finals
The draw for the 2018/19 Champions League Quarter Finals is on 20 March with the first legs being played on 15/15 April, and the second legs held on 21/22 April. Teams are no longer seeded and can meet sides from their own country. This is the time that teams dare to dream, as the winners of this stage are only one round away from an appearance in the final.
Semi finals
The 2018/19 Champions League Semi Final draw will take place in Nyon on 24 April, with the matches being staged on 5/6 May & 12/13 May. An additional draw is held at this point to determine who the 'home' team will be in the final. Again, the matches are a 2 legged knockout affair with prize of a place in the final at stake, and the financial gains that go with it. These matches are often nervy affairs, as 'no-one remembers losing semi-finalists' and for most players its’ a once in a lifetime chance of reaching a major final.
The final
The date of Champions League Final 2018/19 is 6th June and will be held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. This is the only round to be decided by a single match and we all will be hoping for another memorable final as so many have been in the past. The 1994 final was regarded as probably the greatest Champions League Final of the modern era – Milan, very much the underdogs thumping the star-studded Barcelona side 4-0.
Champions League History
The competition started life as the European Cup in 1955 and expanded to become the Champions League in 1992/93; it is now the most prestigious club football tournament in the world. Real Madrid won the first European Cup, defeating Stade de Reims 4-3 with the great Alfredo Di Stéfano getting on the scoresheet, and the first Champions League Winners were Marseille, who beat Milan 1-0 with Boli scoring to become the only French team ever to win the trophy.
Most wins
Real Madrid are the undisputed Champions and one of the greatest champions league teams of all time after securing a record 10th title in 2014 in a thrilling final against neighbours Atletico Madrid, winning 4-1. Milan are next closest with seven trophies. The 2014/15 season has seen Lionel Messi become the all-time leading scorer, breaking Real Madrid striker Raul's record of a staggering 76 goals.
Player records
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has an impressive record in the Champions League - he's the only player to have scored goals with 6 different top clubs; Ajax, Juve, Inter, Barca, Milan & PSG. Ryan Giggs has played 151 games and scored in 16 different seasons - an amazing feat for a winger. Francisco Gento, a Real Madrid striker of the 50's & 60's has a record that won't be broken anytime soon - he appeared in 8 finals, collecting 6 winners' medals.
Champions league highlights
In 1999 Bayern Munich played Man U in the final, Bayern were leading 1-0 after 90 minutes but Sheringham & Solskjaer both scored in injury time for United to pull off one of the greatest smash n grab moments ever. This was arguably matched by Liverpool in 2005; 3-0 down at half time to Milan, drawing 3-3 at full time and winning on penalties after Jerzey Dudek performed his ‘spaghetti legs’ routine in goal to put off the Milan players. Everyone will have their own Champions League highlights, & there's certainly plenty to choose from!
How do I buy Champions League Tickets?
How to Buy Champion League Tickets Online at Football Ticket Home?
• There is a table in the middle of the page with the various Champions League fixtures and rounds.
• Select the game you want to go to and click the View Tickets Button
• On the events page choose your seating section of the stadium you wish to sit in and how many tickets you need, then click on "buy tickets".
• You will be directed to the shopping cart where you can check your order. You will then need to either checkout as a guest, log in or register.
• Enter your billing address details and where you want the tickets delivered to then press "next"
• You will now be able to review your order and see your total cost. If everything is in order, proceed to payment.
• Select your payment method and preferred currency.
• Complete your payment details.
• Once your online payment is processed successfully, you will receive an email for your order confirmation as well as your order number..
• Your transaction should now be complete and you will receive a confirmation email.
• 2-5 days before the match your tickets will arrive at your delivery address.
