UEFA Women's Champions League

The UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), previously known as the UEFA Women's Cup from 2001 to 2009, is the premier European league in women’s football. Founded in 2001, this continental competition is open to clubs from national associations that are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). European football’s governing body administers the competition.

The UWCL typically begins in October or November and concludes in May. The competition has experienced several changes throughout its history, including the number of participants and its format. From 2025 onward, the UWCL will feature 18 teams competing in the Swiss Model format, mirroring the men’s UEFA Champions League.

Of the 18 teams, nine are guaranteed a spot: the reigning UWCL holders, the domestic champions from UEFA’s six top ranked national associations, and the runners-up from the two top-ranked associations. The other nine participants must qualify through the “Champions Path” for domestic champions from eligible associations ranked below 1-6, and the “League Phase” for runners-up and third-placed clubs from associations ranked outside the top two.

The competition proper begins with the League Phase, where all 18 teams compete in a single league table. While each club plays six matches in total, similar to previous campaigns, they now face six different opponents—three at home and three away—rather than three opponents both home and away.

Teams are categorized into three seeding pots based on their club-coefficient rankings and are drawn against two clubs from each pot, facing one at home and the other on the road. After all six Matchdays are played, the top four teams advance directly to the quarterfinals, while those finishing 5th-12th enter a two-legged knockout playoff. Teams ranked 13th-18th are eliminated.

A draw determines match-ups in the knockout phase. Four teams progress from this round to the quarterfinals, facing the top four league phase clubs, who are seeded and host the second leg. Quarterfinal and semifinal match-ups are determined by a single open draw, with brackets pre-defined.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League winner qualifies for the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, a quadrennial international league announced for 2026 onwards that features the continental champions in women’s club football. Lyon has been the most dominant side in the competition’s history. While the French club secured just one title in the UWCL’s first decade, they dominated the 2010s, winning all but three titles from 2010 to 2020, including five consecutive victories in the latter part of that decade. FFC Frankfurt won the inaugural competition in 2001-02, Umeå was the first team to win back-to-back titles in 2002-03 and 2003-04, while Arsenal Women and Barcelona Femení became the first teams to lift the UWCL trophy from England and Spain, respectively.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious club competitions in women's football and has significantly contributed to the sport's growth. It has featured some of the greatest names in women’s football history, including Brazilian icon Marta, Norwegian legend Ada Hegerberg, Spanish sensations Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí, and French superstar Wendie Renard.