UEFA Futsal Champions League
About UEFA Futsal Champions League
History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage
The UEFA Futsal Champions League (UFCL) is an annual continental futsal league organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for European clubs. Founded in 2001 as the UEFA Futsal Cup, it replaced the unofficial Futsal European Clubs Championship and was rebranded to its current name in 2018.
The UFCL season runs from August to May, featuring over 50 teams yearly. The top three ranked associations send two futsal teams each, while other associations are represented by one team. The reigning champions automatically qualify for this competition. If they are from an association ranked 4th or lower, that association is permitted to enter a second team. Conversely, if the champions are from one of the top three associations, the fourth-ranked association can also enter a second club.
The UFCL consists of four rounds: the preliminary round, main round, elite round, and final tournament, each with its own format. The preliminary round includes 32 teams from lower-ranked associations, divided into eight groups of four. Each team plays every other team in their group once in a round-robin format, with the eight group winners progressing to the next round.
The main round features Path A and Path B, each comprising 16 teams. Path A includes the title holder and 15 teams ranked 1-11 and 16-19. Path B incorporates the teams ranked 12-15 and 20-23 alongside the eight group winners from the preliminary round. Both paths use four groups of four teams, but only the Path B group winners advance (four teams), while all Path A group winners, runners-up, and third-placed teams (totalling 12) move on to the elite round.
The elite round consists of 16 teams split into four groups of four, following a single round-robin format. Only the group winners progress to the final tournament. From the preliminary to the elite rounds, group matchups are determined by a draw, and matches are hosted by one of the participating teams.
The final tournament features one-legged semifinals, a third-place playoff, and a final—all held at a centralized location. If a match ends in a draw, extra time and, if necessary, penalty shootouts determine the winner. Spanish outfit Playas de Castellón won the inaugural title, beating Action 21 Charleroi 5-1 in the 2001-02 final. Since then, Inter FS and Barcelona have gone on to win this competition on numerous occasions, thus cementing Spain as the dominant nation in the UEFA Futsal Champions League.
