Champions League Quiz
Europe's top club competition began as a journalist's idea, not a governing body's plan.
A Champions League quiz with answers about the history of Europe's top club competition, from the first European Cup in 1955 to its trophy, anthem and traditions. No questions about who has won the most.
Did you know?
- The first European Cup trophy was designed and paid for by the French newspaper that proposed the competition. It was retired in 1966, after Real Madrid won it for a sixth time and kept it, and the current trophy with its large handles replaced it.
- The starball logo was created in 1992 by a design agency. Its eight stars are made of black-and-white shapes that recall a classic football, and the design was chosen to feel modern while suggesting tradition and prestige.
- Champions League matches are usually played on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The midweek slots avoid clashes with domestic league games at weekends and give the competition a distinct feeling, which is why they are often called European nights.
How the Champions League grew
The European Cup began in the 1955–56 season with 16 clubs, invited rather than qualified, and it was played in knockout rounds of two matches each. It quickly became the most prestigious club competition in Europe, helped by floodlights that allowed midweek evening matches and by the growth of television. The competition changed its name, format and size over the decades, but its evening kick-offs and famous finals remain at its heart.
From knockout cup to league phase
For most of its history the European Cup was a pure knockout competition open only to national champions. Group stages arrived in the early 1990s, and from 1997 runners-up from stronger leagues were also admitted. From the 2024–25 season, the competition uses a single league phase in which each club plays eight different opponents, followed by knockout rounds, with 36 clubs taking part in the league phase. The top eight go straight to the last 16, while the next sixteen play an extra knockout round.
The final
The final is a single match at a venue chosen years in advance, unlike earlier rounds played home and away. Cities compete to host it, as it attracts visitors from across Europe and a worldwide television audience. The winner also qualifies for other competitions, such as the UEFA Super Cup. Before each final, UEFA displays the trophy in the host city, often alongside a fan festival with matches, music and exhibitions open to the public.
Rules and traditions
Some rules have shaped the game far beyond this competition. The away goals rule, which gave extra weight to goals scored on the opponent's ground, was used for decades before UEFA abolished it in 2021. Penalty shoot-outs replaced replays and coin tosses in the 1970s. The starball logo, introduced in 1992, and the anthem before kick-off have become some of the most recognisable symbols in European sport, known to fans far beyond Europe.