The Champions League was founded in 1955-56 and is Europe’s premier club competition. The tournament’s inaugural edition featured a field of sixteen champion teams from various European national club leagues competing through four rounds of knockout play. Since its inception, Real Madrid has dominated the competition, winning nine of the first fifteen championships. However, there are several other clubs that have won multiple titles in the Champions League’s history, including Liverpool (England), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), and Internazionale (a.k.a. Inter Milan; Italy).
From 2024-25 onwards, the Champions League was revamped to introduce a league phase where thirty-two qualified teams are grouped into eight groups of four. A randomized draw determines matchups, and each team plays all the other teams in their group twice: once at home and once away. Teams earn three points for a win and one point for a tie. At the end of the league stage, the top eight teams automatically qualify for the last sixteen, while sides finishing ninth through twenty-four will compete in a two-legged playoff round for the right to join them.
The re-ranking of matches for the playoff round also creates a new home advantage system, with sides that finished 1-4 in the League Phase guaranteed a home second leg in the quarterfinals and semifinals, should they advance to those stages. This new structure is intended to enhance the synergy between the League and Knockout phases, making the competition more exciting throughout its progression towards the final.