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September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Sports Desk • Soccer

UEFA Women's Champions League

The UEFA Women's Champions League is the top-tier European club competition for women's association football, organised by UEFA.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

The UEFA Women's Champions League is the top-tier European club competition for women's association football, organised by UEFA. It was first played in 2001–02 as the UEFA Women's Cup and was renamed in 2009–10.

What it is

The competition began in 2001–02 as the UEFA Women's Cup and was rebranded as the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2009–10. From the 2025–26 season, it uses an 18-team league phase where each team plays six different opponents, followed by knockout rounds.

Key details

OL Lyonnes hold the record for most titles with eight. Barcelona are the current champions, having won the 2026 final. The tournament is the benchmark for elite women's club football in Europe.

Qualification and relevance

Entry is based on UEFA association rankings and domestic league performance. The new system includes direct places and qualification paths, with eliminated teams moving to the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup. While there is no Canadian club in the competition, it is relevant to Canadian fans following international women's football.

In short

  • UEFA's premier women's club competition.
  • Started in 2001–02 as UEFA Women's Cup, renamed in 2009–10.
  • New format from 2025–26: 18-team league phase.
  • Barcelona are current champions (2026).
Canadian angle

There is no Canada-specific club competition link, but the tournament is relevant to Canadian readers following international women’s football and UEFA club soccer.

Quick questions

What is the UEFA Women's Champions League?
It is UEFA’s top women’s club football competition in Europe.
When did the competition begin?
It first began in the 2001–02 season as the UEFA Women’s Cup.
Who has won the most titles?
OL Lyonnes have won the competition a record eight times.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Women's_Champions_League
    Supports: Founding year, organiser, region, current champions, and most championships.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_UEFA_Women's_Champions_League
    Supports: 2025–26 season dates and first-season-of-new-format details.
  3. UEFA — https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0288-199d52e851a2-5aae94448728-1000--new-uefa-women-s-club-football-system-explained/
    Supports: New 2025/26 format, 18-team league phase, and qualification structure.
  4. German Wikipedia — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Women%E2%80%99s_Champions_League
    Supports: Historical naming, title record, and yearly competition format.
  5. BBC Bitesize — https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zqcycxs
    Supports: 2000 approval of the competition and 2008 reformat/rebranding decision.