About UEFA Regions' Cup

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The UEFA Regions’ Cup is a biennial tournament organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for amateur regional teams. Established in 1996, this competition was created to address the lack of a European-level amateur competition following the collapse of the UEFA Amateur Cup in 1978 due to a lack of interest.

The tournament typically spans 12 months to just over a year, with qualifying rounds beginning in May or June and the final tournament concluding by June or July of the following year. Over 30 teams from UEFA’s member associations enter the qualifying stage, with eight advancing to the final tournament. Each member association may send one representative team that must win a domestic amateur competition, such as the FA Inter-League Cup, to qualify.

The tournament begins with a preliminary round featuring a limited number of participants, while most teams receive a bye to the intermediate round. Participants are divided into two groups in the preliminary round and compete in a round-robin format, with the group winners progressing. During the intermediate round, teams are divided into eight groups and follow a single round-robin format. The eight group winners then move on to the final tournament, where they are split into two groups of four. Each side plays the others in their group once, and the top two teams from each group advance to the final to contest for the title, while the two runners-up share the third-place medal.

Since UEFA Regions’ Cup matches are single-leg affairs, games are typically held in one region. Additionally, the final tournament is hosted by one of the qualified regions, with hosts confirmed after most finalists are determined. Veneto won the inaugural UEFA Regions’ Cup, defeating Madrid 3-2 after extra time in the 1999 final. With that, Italy and Spain have established themselves as the dominant nations in the competition, with their teams claiming all but two of the first six available trophies.