Champions League News

UEFA Champions League News, Results and Guide

The UEFA Champions League is the biggest club football competition on the planet. Every season, the best teams in Europe fight it out across months of group-stage drama, knockout tension, and one final that stops the continent. There is nothing quite like it.

The 2025/26 season ended with Paris Saint-Germain retaining the trophy, beating Arsenal on penalties at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 30 May 2026. Kai Havertz put the Gunners ahead inside six minutes, Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the spot on the hour, and neither side could find a winner across 120 minutes. Gabriel’s missed penalty in the shootout sealed PSG’s second consecutive European crown — only the second club to do it in the modern Champions League era, after Real Madrid’s three-in-a-row from 2016 to 2018.

How the UEFA Champions League Works

Since 2024/25, the competition has used a new league-phase format. Thirty-six clubs enter the main draw, each playing eight matches against eight different opponents — four at home, four away — with all teams ranked in a single table. The top eight go straight to the last 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a knockout play-off round for the remaining spots. The bottom 12 are eliminated.

From the round of 16 onwards, ties are played over two legs, home and away, before a single-match final at a neutral venue. The quarter-final and semi-final brackets are pre-determined based on league-phase finishing positions, so there is real reward for finishing high in the table.

The final itself rotates between major European stadiums. Budapest hosted the 2026 edition; Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium takes over for 2027.

Who Has Won It the Most?

Real Madrid are the all-time record holders with 15 titles, including five in a row when the competition was still called the European Cup between 1956 and 1960. AC Milan are second with seven, while Bayern Munich and Liverpool have six apiece. Barcelona have five. PSG’s back-to-back wins in 2025 and 2026 made them the first French club to win the competition since Marseille in 1993.

Where to Watch the Champions League in the UK

TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video share the live broadcast rights in the UK. Amazon takes first pick of Tuesday fixtures; the rest go to TNT Sports. The BBC holds highlights rights, with coverage available via BBC iPlayer. TNT’s streaming service — rebranding to HBO Max from early 2026 — and the Prime Video app both offer live streaming options for subscribers.

For the latest Champions League news, results, and reaction, stay right here on 101 Great Goals. We cover every big moment as it happens.