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Union of European Football Associations

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Union of European Football Associations
AbbreviationUEFA
MottoWe care about Football
Formation15 June 1954
TypeSports organisation
Region served
Europe
Membership
53 member associations
Official language
English, French, German
President
Slovenia Aleksander Čeferin [1]
General Secretary
Greece Theodoros Theodoridis[2]
Honorary President
Sweden Lennart Johansson[3]
Main organ
UEFA Congress
Parent organization
FIFA
Websitewww.UEFA.com

The Union of European Football Associations mostly called the UEFA, is the organization that controls European football (soccer) (often referred to as association football). The UEFA is one of 6 continental confederations of the FIFA. It is also the biggest one. The President of the UEFA is Aleksander Čeferin.

Some members of the UEFA are partly or whole not part of the European continent (Israel, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Cyprus and Russia). There are members that do not represent sovereign states, such as the Faroe Islands, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

UEFA national teams have won 12 FIFA World Cups (Italy-4, Germany-4, France-2, England and Spain-one trophy each), and UEFA clubs have won 21 Intercontinental Cups and four FIFA Club World Cups. In women's, UEFA teams have won three FIFA Women's World Cups (Germany 2, Norway 1) and one Olympic gold medal (Norway).

Members of UEFA

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CodeCountryNational teamsFoundedJoined
FIFA		Joined
UEFA
ALBAlbania AlbaniaMen's, Womens193019321954
ANDAndorra AndorraMen's, Women's199419961996
ARMArmenia ArmeniaMen's, Women's199219921992
AUTAustria AustriaMen's, Women's190419051954
AZEAzerbaijan AzerbaijanMen's, Women's199219941994
BLRBelarus BelarusMen's, Women's198919921993
BELBelgium BelgiumMen's, Women's189519041954
BIHBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and HerzegovinaMen's, Women's194619961998
BULBulgaria BulgariaMen's, Women's192319241954
CROCroatia CroatiaMen's, Women's191219921993
CYPCyprus CyprusMen's, Women's193419481962
CZECzech Republic Czech RepublicMen's, Women's190119071954
DENDenmark DenmarkMen's, Women's188919041954
ENGEngland EnglandMen's, Women's186319051954
ESTEstonia EstoniaMen's, Women's192119231992
FROFaroe Islands Faroe IslandsMen's, Women's197919881990
FINFinland FinlandMen's, Women's190719081954
FRAFrance FranceMen's, Women's1919[n 1]1904[n 2]1954
GEOGeorgia (country) GeorgiaMen's, Women's199019921992
GERGermany GermanyMen's, Women's190019041954
GIBGibraltar GibraltarMen's, Women's189520162013
GREGreece GreeceMen's, Women's192619271954
HUNHungary HungaryMen's, Women's190119061954
ISLIceland IcelandMen's, Women's1947[n 3]19471954
ISRIsrael Israel[n 4]Men's, Women's194919491994[n 5]
ITAItaly ItalyMen's, Women's189819051954
KAZKazakhstan Kazakhstan[n 6]Men's, Women's199419942002
KOSKosovo KosovoMen's, Women's200820162016
LVALatvia LatviaMen's, Women's192119221992
LIELiechtenstein LiechtensteinMen's, Women's193419741974
LTULithuania LithuaniaMen's, Women's192219231992
LUXLuxembourg LuxembourgMen's, Women's190819101954
MLTMalta MaltaMen's, Women's190019591960
MDAMoldova MoldovaMen's, Women's199019941993
MNEMontenegro MontenegroMen's, Women's193120072007
NEDNetherlands NetherlandsMen's, Women's188919041954
MKDRepublic of Macedonia North MacedoniaMen's, Women's192619941994
NIRNorthern Ireland Northern IrelandMen's, Women's188019111954
NORNorway NorwayMen's, Women's190219081954
POLPoland PolandMen's, Women's1919[n 7]19231954
PORPortugal PortugalMen's, Women's191419231954
IRLRepublic of Ireland Republic of IrelandMen's, Women's192119231954
ROURomania RomaniaMen's, Women's190919231954
RUSRussia RussiaMen's, Women's191219121954
SMRSan Marino San MarinoMen's, Women's193119881988
SCOScotland ScotlandMen's, Women's187319101954
SRBSerbia SerbiaMen's, Women's191919231954
SVKSlovakia SlovakiaMen's, Women's193819941993
SVNSlovenia SloveniaMen's, Women's192019921992
ESPSpain SpainMen's, Women's190919041954
SWESweden SwedenMen's, Women's190419041954
SUISwitzerland SwitzerlandMen's, Women's189519041954
TURTurkey TurkeyMen's, Women's192319231962
UKRUkraine UkraineMen's, Women's199119921992
WALWales WalesMen's, Women's187619101954
Notes
  1. ↑ Founded as Comité Français Interfédéral in 1907, a predecessor to the current federation.
  2. ↑ The current French FA, the French Football Federation (in its previous incarnation, the Comité Français Interfédéral), replaced the USFSA in 1907.
  3. ↑ Icelandic top-flight club football dates back to 1912 or 35 years prior to founding of KSI, All titles pre-1947 are recognized by KSI
  4. ↑ Former member of the Asian Football Confederation (1954–1974), joined UEFA as several AFC teams refused to play against them. See also Foreign relations of Israel and International recognition of Israel.
  5. ↑ Israel had been an associated member of UEFA since 1992, therefore Israeli clubs were entitled to take part in the 1992–93 and 1993–94 UEFA club competitions despite Israel not being a full UEFA member.
  6. ↑ Former member of the AFC (1994–2002), joined UEFA.
  7. ↑ Founded as Związek Polski Piłki Nożnej (part of the former Austrian Football Union) in 1911, a predecessor to the current federation.

Competitions

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International competitions

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The main international competition is the UEFA European Championship. This competition started in 1958, with the first finals in 1960. It is held every four years. The most recent finals were hosted by Germany in 2024. Spain won for the fourth time. There were also European competitions at the Under-21, Under-19 and Under-17 levels.

UEFA also operates the UEFA Women's Championship. The most recent edition, hosted by Switzerland in 2025, was won by England.

A second men's international competition, the UEFA Nations League, was first held in the 2018–19 season, and is held every two years. The Nations League divides all UEFA national teams into four groups by competitive level. Only the teams in the highest level, Group A, compete for the championship. Promotion and relegation exists between the groups (A, B, C, D). The most recent edition in 2024–25 was won by Portugal.

The women's counterpart, the UEFA Women's Nations League, was first held in the 2023–24 season. The second edition was held entirely within calendar 2025. Future competitions will be held in a single calendar year. Like the men's Nations League, the women's version is held every two years and divides teams into groups by competitive level, with promotion and relegation. However, the women's version has only three groups. The first edition in 2023–24 was won by Spain; the 2025 edition is ongoing.

Club competitions

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Green- clubs playing in group stage,blue-no clubs playing in group stage of the UEFA Champions League

There are three main club competitions for men and two for women.

The highest men's competition is the UEFA Champions League. It started in the 1992/93 season as follower of the UEFA Champion Cup. This competition was first held in 1956. The second is the UEFA Europa League. The league started in 1999 when the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup merged. The newest is the UEFA Conference League, which started in 2021 as the UEFA Europa Conference League. The word "Europa" was dropped in 2024.

The highest women's competition for club teams is the UEFA Women's Champions League, followed by the UEFA Women's Europa Cup. The Women's Champions League was first held in 2009 (out of UEFA Women's Cup until 2009). The first Women's Europa Cup is being held in the 2025–26 season.

Winner of the UEFA Champions League

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  • 2024/25- Paris Saint-Germain
  • 2023/24-Real Madrid
  • 2022/23-Manchester City
  • 2021/22-Real Madrid
  • 2017/18-Real Madrid
  • 2016/17-Real Madrid
  • 2015/16-Real Madrid
  • 2014/15-FC Barcelona
  • 2013/14-Real Madrid
  • 2012/13-Bayern Munich
  • 2011/12-Chelsea FC
  • 2010/11-FC Barcelona
  • 2009/10-Inter Milan
  • 2008/09-FC Barcelona
  • 2007/08-Manchester United
  • 2006/07-AC Milan
  • 2005/06-FC Barcelona
  • 2004/05-Liverpool FC
  • 2003/04-FC Porto
  • 2002/03-AC Milan
  • 2001/02-Real Madrid
  • 2000/01-Bayern Munich
  • 1999/00-Real Madrid
  • 1998/99-Manchester United
  • 1997/98-Real Madrid
  • 1996/97-Borussia Dortmund
  • 1995/96-Juventus
  • 1994/95-Ajax Amsterdam
  • 1993/94-AC Milan
  • 1992/93-Olympic Marseille

In 2026 Real Madrid was the first team who was able to defend the title in the next season.

Winner of the UEFA Women's Champions League

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  • 2009/10-1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (Germany)
  • 2010/11-Olympique Lyon (France)
  • 2011/12-Olympique Lyon
  • 2012/13-VfL Wolfsburg (Germany)
  • 2013/14-VfL Wolfsburg
  • 2014/15-1. FFC Frankfurt (Germany)
  • 2015/16-2019/20- Olympique Lyon
  • 2020/21- FC Barcelona
  • 2021/22- Olympique Lyon
  • 2022/23- FC Barcelona
  • 2023/24- FC Barcelona
  • 2024/25- FC Arsenal
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References

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  1. ↑ de.uefa.com
  2. ↑ "Organisation – UEFA.com". Archived from the original on 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
  3. ↑ Cite error: The named reference pres-vice was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).

Other websites

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