UEFA Youth League

The UEFA Youth League, also known as the “UYL”, is an annual continental league for under-19 European clubs whose national associations are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Founded in 2013, this competition is managed by UEFA and serves as the younger sibling of the UEFA Champions League.

Typically held from September to April, the UEFA Youth League features over 80 teams each season. Of these, 36 are the youth sides of clubs competing in that season’s UEFA Champions League, entering through the "Champions League path". The remaining participants are domestic youth champions from UEFA member associations, competing in the "Domestic Champions path". If a team qualifies for both paths, it enters the Champions League path, with that Domestic Champions path spot going to the runner-up in the corresponding domestic youth league. Additionally, the reigning UEFA Youth League champions qualify for the Domestic Champions path unless eligible for the Champions League path.

The two paths follow different formats. The Champions League path includes a League Phase akin to the UEFA Champions League, featuring fixtures that mirror the first six matches of the senior team's competition (three home and three away). For instance, if Real Madrid Juvenil qualifies for the Champions League path, they will face the youth teams of the first six clubs that the senior Real Madrid side confronts in the UEFA Champions League.

Similar to its senior counterpart, the Champions League path of the UEFA Youth League operates under the Swiss Model, with all 36 participants placed into a single league table. After six rounds, the top 22 teams advance to the knockout stage, while teams ranked 23 or lower are eliminated.

In contrast, the Domestic Champions path consists of three knockout rounds, with each tie played over two legs (home and away). A draw determines the matchups, with the title holder, if involved in this path, and clubs from UEFA’s top-ranked associations receiving a bye to the second round. Teams that lose are eliminated, resulting in 10 clubs qualifying for the knockout stage after the third round.

Those 10 teams join the round of 32, facing the sides that finished 7-16 in the Champions League path, while the top six clubs in the Champions League path meet teams ranked 17-22. All knockout fixtures are played as single-elimination matches. The round of 32 pairings are determined by a draw, while matchups for the round of 16 and beyond are set by a single open draw, with brackets pre-determined. The semifinals and final are held at neutral venues, with the title-deciding match regularly staged at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon, though the Stade de Genève held the 2022-23 final.

The UEFA Youth League champion is awarded the Lennart Johansson Trophy, named after the former UEFA president. Additionally, the champion qualifies for the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup, an annual match contested between the winners of the South American and European youth club competitions.

Barcelona and Chelsea have been among the most notable teams in the UEFA Youth League. Barcelona won the inaugural title in the 2013-14 season, while Chelsea made history by winning consecutive trophies in the following two editions.