Champions League

For the historical international club competition, see Champions League (pre-UICA).

IFCF Champions League

Region	Worldwide
Current champions	Kirkenes FC (KSK) (1st title)
Most championships	Directus (EUR)  Cazadores Cathair (AUD)  Fontvielle Impact (VLD) (2 titles each)

The IFCF Champions League is the world championship for club football organized by the International Federation of Club Football. The champion of each participating national association, plus additional teams from the highest-ranked associations in the IFCF ranking, may enter the competition each season.

It is the successor competition to the UICA Champions’ Cup, adopting its competition rules and coefficient ranking system. The first edition of the IFCF Champions League was held in what would have been UICA's 75th edition. Due to uncertainty over the fate of UICA and delays in organizing the 74th Champions' Cup, ad-hoc international tournaments like the Dwile Invitational took the place of the 74th UICA season.

Format

The tournament consists of a knockout qualifying phase leading to a 32-team group stage, followed by a 16-team knockout phase. Teams eliminated prior to the group stage, and the third-placed teams from the group stage, enter the Challengers Cup. Knockout ties are played in two matches with each team at home for one match, with the result determined by the aggregate score. Ties in aggregate are broken by which team scored more goals as the away team, by extra time, and finally by penalty shootout if there is still no winner. The exception is the final, which is played as a single match at a neutral venue chosen prior to the start of the tournament.

Qualifying phase

The qualifying phase consists of a preliminary round if necessary, three qualifying rounds, and a playoff round, with winners in the playoff round advancing to the group stage. Teams are granted byes according to coefficient ranking among the entered teams, hence higher-ranked teams will generally have to play fewer rounds. In addition, teams which enter as their association's champion play in a separate Champions Path from teams that qualified through league position who play in the League Path. As only clubs from the top 32 associations would enter the League Path, it is common to see unusually high-profile matches at this stage. Losing teams in the qualifying phase enter the subsequent round of the Challengers Cup.

The current naming scheme was adopted from the 10th cycle; prior to this "qualifying" rounds were known as preliminary rounds with the final two rounds called the qualifying round and playoff round respectively.

Group stage and knockout phase

The 32 teams entering the group stage are draw into groups of four. The defending champions of the Champions League and Challengers Cup, the league champions of the four top-ranked associations, and the runners-up of the three top-ranked associations, qualify automatically for the group stage. They are joined by the winners of the play-off round. The group stage is a round-robin where each team plays the other teams in their group once at home and once away.

The top two teams of each group enter the knockout phase. For the Round of 16, group winners are drawn to play against runners-up, and teams representing the same association or which were in the same group cannot play against each other. From the quarter-finals onwards, these provisions no longer apply. Third-place teams enter the Challengers Cup Round of 32.

Champions League finals

Edition	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Venue
1	1830 Cathair (AUD)	0–0 aet 4–2 pen	Northern Stallions (BRE)	Farnham Arena Sabrefell, Nephara
2	Northern Union (BRE)	2–1	Soldarian FC (VAL)	Stade Outineau Outineau, Kelssek
3	Directus (EUR)	2–1 aet	1830 Cathair (AUD)	The 66 Stadium Cathair, Audioslavia
4	Directus (EUR)	2–1	Shamrock Cathair (AUD)	Stadium of the Restoration Busukuma, Banija
5	Raynor City United (VAL)	1–0	Northern Union (BRE)	Stade de la République Romainbourg, Omerica
6	Kitara AA (BNJ)	1–1 aet 3–2 pen	AC Izotz Zubia (AUD)	Stadium of the Two Sisters Canterlot, Equestria
7	Cazadores Cathair (AUD)	3–2	AFC Treason (NPH)	Nationalstadion Carl Gustaf Bjurman Sjoedrhavn, Savojarna
8	Cazadores Cathair (AUD)	5–1	CA Paulinthal (PAS)	Stadii Di Bradini Jhanna, Starblaydia
9	Namiri Forest (ZWZ)	2–1	KT Itzalovalle (AUD)	Sasky Rising Memorial Stadium Brigham, Eura
10	Fontvielle Impact (VLD)	1–0 aet	Latrobe Athletic (KSK)	Radlov Arena Brantisvogan, SRS
11	Shearwater (KSK)	3–1 aet	Fontvielle Impact (VLD)	The Battleground Raynor City, Valanora
12	CASK Thorsborg (SVJ)	2–2 aet 6–5 pen	Chromatik (CMT)	Tivali Ring Stadium Alikki-Corra, Vilita
13	Fontvielle Impact (VLD)	3–1	1923 Esca (MYT)	The Reneegrad Reneegrad, Quebec and Shingoryeo
14	Sabrefell Athletic (NPH)	3–1	Chromatik (CMT)	Libira National Stadium Fiskadaha, Poafmersia
15	Mipojoseon (QUE)	3–1	Sabrefell Athletic (NPH)	BBP National Stadium Belle Haven, Baker Park
16	Kirkenes FC (KSK)	1–1 aet 3–1 pen	Alnio (CMT)	Stadium Konueira Burnaby, Kelssek

Records and statistics

Clubs

Performances in the UICA Champions' Cup and IFCF Champions League by club

Club	Title(s)	Runners- up	Seasons won	Seasons runner-up
Yuba United (COM)	6	6	UICA: 1, 11, 18, 20, 31, 39	UICA: 5, 6, 17, 22, 44, 49
Raynor City United (VAL)	6	4	UICA: 16, 17, 34, 65, 70; IFCF: 5	UICA: 2, 22, 45, 51
Fontvielle Impact (VLD)	4	3	UICA: 37, 40; IFCF: 10, 13	UICA: 36, 42; IFCF: 11
Albrecht FC (CAM)	4	1	UICA: 12, 14, 21, 24	UICA: 4
Directus (EUR)	3	0	UICA: 62; IFCF: 3, 4
Sonoma Center Panthers (COM)	2	2	UICA: 27, 41	UICA: 32, 37
Cafundó do Juta (CAF)	2	2	UICA: 23, 29	UICA: 26, 27
1830 Cathair (AUD)	2	1	UICA: 59; IFCF: 1	IFCF: 3
Petardos S/A (CAF)	2	1	UICA: 2, 5	UICA: 8
SK Franz Josef City (PIS)	2	1	UICA: 50, 51	UICA: 40
Ranca Toco (CAF)	2	1	UICA: 8, 32	UICA: 10
Soldarian FC (VAL)	2	1	UICA: 7, 10	IFCF: 2
1896 Ebor (MYT)	2	0	UICA: 52, 53
Cazadores Cathair (AUD)	2	0	IFCF: 7, 8

Associations

	IFCF only		UICA included
Association	Champion	Runner-up	Champion	Runner-up
Capitalizt SLANI (COM)	0	0	8	10
Valanora (VAL)	1	1	7	7
Eura (EUR)	2	0	7	2
Cafundéu (CAF)	0	0	6	7
Jasĭyun (JSY)	0	0	5	3
Candelaria And Marquez (CAM)	0	0	5	3
Audioslavia (AUD)	3	4	5	4
Valladares (VLD)	2	1	6	3
Septentrionia (SPT)	0	0	4	4
Polar Islandstates (PIS)	0	0	4	1
Nephara (NPH)	1	2	3	4
Astograth (ASG)	0	0	2	1
Kelssek (KSK)	2	1	2	1
Mytanija (MYT)	0	1	2	1