UEFA facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | UEFA |
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| Formation | 15 June 1954 |
| Founded at | Basel, Switzerland |
| Type | Football organisation |
| Headquarters | Nyon, Switzerland |
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Region
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Europe |
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Membership
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55 full member associations |
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Official languages
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English French German (other main but not official: Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish) |
| Aleksander Čeferin | |
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First vice-president
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Gabriele Gravina |
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Vice-presidents
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Hans-Joachim Watzke Jesper Møller Christensen Laura McAllister Armand Duka |
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General secretary
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Theodore Theodoridis |
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Main organ
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UEFA Congress |
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Parent organization
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FIFA |
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of the six main groups that manage association football around the world. It is in charge of football, futsal (indoor football), and beach football in Europe. UEFA also covers some countries that are partly in Asia, like Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, as well as Cyprus, Armenia, and Israel.
UEFA has 55 national football associations as members. Since 2022, due to a conflict, FIFA and UEFA paused all Russian national teams and clubs from playing in their competitions. UEFA organizes many national and club tournaments. These include the European Championship, Nations League, Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, and Super Cup. UEFA also manages the prize money, rules, and TV rights for these events.
Henri Delaunay was UEFA's first general secretary, and Ebbe Schwartz was its first president. The current president is Aleksander Čeferin. He was elected in September 2016 and also became a vice-president of FIFA.
Contents
How UEFA Started and Who Belongs
UEFA officially began on 15 June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland. This happened after discussions between the football associations of Italy, France, and Belgium. At the first meeting, 25 members were there. Six other associations that were not present were still counted as founding members, making a total of 31.
By the mid-1990s, UEFA had grown to over 50 members. This was because new associations formed as countries like the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia split up. UEFA's first main office was in Paris. It moved to Bern in 1960 and then to Nyon, Switzerland, in 1995. The current headquarters opened in Nyon in 1999.
Who are UEFA's Members Today?
Most UEFA members are independent countries in Europe. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, Monaco and Vatican City are not members. Some UEFA members are not independent countries but are part of a larger country. These include England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (parts of the United Kingdom). Gibraltar, the Faroe Islands, and Kosovo are also members. These areas often manage their own sports. UEFA has previously said no to membership for areas like Jersey because they are not sovereign countries.
Some UEFA members are countries that are partly in Europe and partly in Asia, like Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. Other countries, like Cyprus and Armenia, are considered part of Europe culturally and politically. Countries that used to be part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also joined UEFA. This includes Israel, which was banned from the AFC in 1974, and Kazakhstan.
Sometimes, clubs from one UEFA member's area play in another member's league. For example, AS Monaco plays in the French League. Welsh clubs like Cardiff City and Swansea City play in the English League. Derry City, which is in Northern Ireland, plays in the Republic of Ireland's league.
On 28 February 2022, UEFA paused Russia's participation in competitions. This was due to a conflict and a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Russian Football Union tried to appeal this ban but was unsuccessful. On 26 September 2023, the ban was lifted for the Russia U-17 team. This allowed them to play in the 2024 Euro U-17. UEFA stated that banning children from competitions was not fair to their development. This lifting of the ban applied to all underage teams, both boys and girls. However, the football associations of Ukraine, England, and Sweden said they would not play against Russia.
Europe's Top Five Football Nations
Five UEFA national teams have won 12 out of 22 FIFA World Cups for Europe. These teams are Germany, Italy, France, England, and Spain. These five nations also have the top football leagues in Europe. These are Spain's La Liga, England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, and France's Ligue 1.
UEFA's Leadership Team
The UEFA executive committee is made up of:
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Vice-presidents
Members
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General secretary
Deputy general secretary
Treasurer
Head of club competitions and calendar
Head of national competitions
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Past UEFA Leaders
- List of presidents of UEFA
| President | Nationality | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Ebbe Schwartz |  Denmark |
1954–1962 |
| Gustav Wiederkehr |  Switzerland |
1962–1972 |
| Sándor Barcs |  Hungary |
1972–1973 (acting) |
| Artemio Franchi |  Italy |
1973–1983 |
| Jacques Georges |  France |
1983–1990 |
| Lennart Johansson |  Sweden |
1990–2007 |
| Michel Platini | France |
2007–2015 |
| Ángel María Villar |  Spain |
2015–2016 (acting) |
| Aleksander Čeferin |  Slovenia |
2016–present |
- List of secretaries general of UEFA
| Chief Executive |
| Secretary general | Nationality | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Henri Delaunay | France |
1954–1955 |
| Pierre Delaunay | France |
1955–1960 |
| Hans Bangerter | Switzerland |
1960–1989 |
| Gerhard Aigner |  Germany |
1989–1999 |
| 1999–2003 | ||
| Lars-Christer Olsson | Sweden |
2003–2007 |
| Gianni Infantino | Switzerland Italy |
2007 |
| David Taylor |  Scotland |
2007–2009 |
| Gianni Infantino | Switzerland Italy |
2009–2016 |
| Theodore Theodoridis |  Greece |
2016–present |
UEFA Member Associations
| Code | Association | National teams | Founded | FIFA affiliation |
UEFA affiliation |
IOC member |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALB |  Albania |
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1930 | 1932 | 1954 | Yes |
| AND |  Andorra |
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1994 | 1996 | 1996 | Yes |
| ARM |  Armenia |
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1992 | 1992 | 1992 | Yes |
| AUT |  Austria |
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1904 | 1905 | 1954 | Yes |
| AZE |  Azerbaijan |
1992 | 1994 | 1994 | Yes | |
| BLR |  Belarus |
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1989 | 1992 | 1993 | Yes |
| BEL |  Belgium |
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1895 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes |
| BIH |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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1920 | 1996 | 1998 | Yes |
| BUL |  Bulgaria |
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1923 | 1924 | 1954 | Yes |
| CRO |  Croatia |
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1912 | 1941 | 1993 | Yes |
| CYP |  Cyprus |
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1934 | 1948 | 1962 | Yes |
| CZE |  Czech Republic |
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1901 | 1907 | 1954 | Yes |
| DEN |  Denmark |
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1889 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes |
| ENG |  England |
1863 | 1905 | 1954 | No | |
| EST |  Estonia |
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1921 | 1923 | 1992 | Yes |
| FRO |  Faroe Islands |
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1979 | 1988 | 1990 | No |
| FIN |  Finland |
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1907 | 1908 | 1954 | Yes |
| FRA |  France |
1919 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes | |
| GEO |  Georgia |
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1990 | 1992 | 1992 | Yes |
| GER |  Germany |
1900 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes | |
| GIB |  Gibraltar |
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1895 | 2016 | 2013 | No |
| GRE |  Greece |
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1926 | 1927 | 1954 | Yes |
| HUN |  Hungary |
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1901 | 1906 | 1954 | Yes |
| ISL |  Iceland |
1947 | 1947 | 1954 | Yes | |
| ISR |  Israel |
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1928 | 1929 | 1994 | Yes |
| ITA |  Italy |
1898 | 1905 | 1954 | Yes | |
| KAZ |  Kazakhstan |
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1994 | 1994 | 2002 | Yes |
| KOS |  Kosovo |
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2008 | 2016 | 2016 | Yes |
| LVA |  Latvia |
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1921 | 1922 | 1992 | Yes |
| LIE |  Liechtenstein |
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1934 | 1974 | 1974 | Yes |
| LTU |  Lithuania |
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1922 | 1923 | 1992 | Yes |
| LUX |  Luxembourg |
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1908 | 1910 | 1954 | Yes |
| MLT |  Malta |
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1900 | 1959 | 1960 | Yes |
| MDA |  Moldova |
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1990 | 1994 | 1993 | Yes |
| MNE |  Montenegro |
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1931 | 2007 | 2007 | Yes |
| NED |  Netherlands |
1889 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes | |
| MKD |  North Macedonia |
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1926 | 1994 | 1994 | Yes |
| NIR |  Northern Ireland |
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1880 | 1911 | 1954 | No |
| NOR |  Norway |
1902 | 1908 | 1954 | Yes | |
| POL |  Poland |
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1919 | 1923 | 1954 | Yes |
| POR |  Portugal |
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1914 | 1923 | 1954 | Yes |
| IRL |  Republic of Ireland |
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1921 | 1923 | 1954 | Yes |
| ROU |  Romania |
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1909 | 1923 | 1954 | Yes |
| RUS |  Russia |
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1912 | 1912 | 1954 | Yes |
| SMR |  San Marino |
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1931 | 1988 | 1988 | Yes |
| SCO |  Scotland |
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1873 | 1910 | 1954 | No |
| SRB |  Serbia |
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1919 | 1923 | 1954 | Yes |
| SVK |  Slovakia |
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1938 | 1939 | 1993 | Yes |
| SVN |  Slovenia |
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1920 | 1992 | 1992 | Yes |
| ESP |  Spain |
1909 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes | |
| SWE |  Sweden |
1904 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes | |
| SUI |  Switzerland |
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1895 | 1904 | 1954 | Yes |
| TUR |  Turkey |
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1923 | 1923 | 1962 | Yes |
| UKR |  Ukraine |
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1991 | 1992 | 1992 | Yes |
| WAL |  Wales |
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1876 | 1910 | 1954 | No |
Past Members of UEFA
| Association | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Saarland |
1954–1956 | |
 East Germany |
1954–1990 | |
 Soviet Union |
1954–1991 | |
| Czechoslovakia |
1954–1993 | |
 →  Yugoslavia→ Serbia-Montenegro |
1954–2003 2003–2006 |
UEFA Football Competitions
UEFA organizes many international football competitions in Europe. These also include some countries in Northern, Southwestern, and Central Asia. These events are for national teams and professional clubs. Some of them are considered among the most important tournaments in the world.
UEFA's Main Tournaments
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For National Teams:
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For Clubs:
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For Amateur Teams:
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UEFA organizes two of the most famous competitions for national teams: The UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. The main competition for men's national teams is the UEFA European Championship, often called the Euro. It started in 1958, with the first finals in 1960. The UEFA Nations League is UEFA's second major tournament. It began in 2018 and mostly replaced friendly matches. This tournament is played every two years.
UEFA also runs national team competitions for younger players. These are for Under-21, Under-19, and Under-17 teams. For women's national teams, UEFA has the UEFA Women's Championship for senior teams. They also have Women's Under-19 and Women's Under-17 Championships.
World and Intercontinental Competitions
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Intercontinental National Teams:
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Intercontinental Clubs:
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Besides European competitions, UEFA also organizes qualifying tournaments. These help European national teams and their junior teams get into World Cups (run by FIFA) and the Olympics (run by IOC).
UEFA also used to organize the UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup with CAF for youth teams. This was to help grow youth football. In 1999, UEFA started the UEFA Regions' Cup for semi-professional teams representing their local areas. In futsal, there is the UEFA Futsal Championship and UEFA Under-19 Futsal Championship. UEFA does not organize any beach soccer competitions. Other groups handle international and club beach soccer events for UEFA members.
The national teams of Italy, Germany, Spain, France, and Russia are the only men's teams to have won the European football championship in all age categories.
Club Competitions
The most important UEFA club competition is the UEFA Champions League. It started in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup. At first, only the top team from each country could play. Now, it includes the top 1 to 4 teams from each country's league. The number of teams depends on the country's ranking.
The UEFA Europa League is a second, slightly lower-ranked competition. It began in 1971 for national cup winners and other high-ranking league teams. It took over from the old UEFA Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. A third competition, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, which started in 1960, was combined into the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) in 1999.
In December 2018, UEFA announced a new third club competition, later named the UEFA Europa Conference League. This competition has 32 teams in 8 groups of 4. There is a knockout round between second-placed teams from the Conference League and third-placed teams from the Europa League. This leads to a final knockout stage with 16 teams. The first Europa Conference League was played in 2021–2022.
For women's football, UEFA also runs the UEFA Women's Champions League for club teams. This competition first took place in 2001 and was called the UEFA Women's Cup until 2009.
The UEFA Super Cup is a match between the winners of the Champions League and the winners of the Europa League. It started in 1973.
The UEFA Intertoto Cup was a summer competition that UEFA officially recognized in 1995. The last Intertoto Cup was in 2008.
The European/South American Cup was organized with CONMEBOL. It was played between the winners of the Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.
Only five teams have won all three main European club competitions. These are Juventus, Ajax, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea. This achievement is no longer possible for new teams since the Cup Winners' Cup no longer exists. Eight other teams have won two of the three trophies.
Until the first UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022, Juventus of Italy was the only team to win all of UEFA's official championships and cups. They received The UEFA Plaque on 12 July 1988 to celebrate this.
UEFA's top futsal competition is the UEFA Futsal Cup. This tournament started in 2001.
A new second-tier women's club competition, the "UEFA Women's Europa Cup," was announced in December 2024. Its first edition will be played in 2025–26.
Current Champions
| Competition | Year | Champions | Title | Runners-up | Next edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercontinental (UEFA–CONMEBOL) | |||||||
| Finalissima | 2022 |  Argentina |
2nd | Italy |
2026 | ||
| Women's Finalissima | 2023 |  England |
1st |  Brazil |
2026 | ||
| Club Challenge | 2023 | Sevilla |
1st |  Independiente del Valle |
2025 | ||
| U-20 Intercontinental Cup | 2024 |  Flamengo |
1st | Olympiacos |
2025 | ||
| Futsal Finalissima | 2022 | Portugal |
1st | Spain |
2026 | ||
| Men's national teams | |||||||
| European Championship | 2024 | Spain |
4th | England |
2028 | ||
| Nations League | 2024–25 | Portugal |
2nd | Spain |
2026–27 | ||
| U-21 Championship | 2025 | England |
4th | Germany |
2027 | ||
| U-19 Championship | 2025 | Netherlands |
1st | Spain |
2026 | ||
| U-17 Championship | 2025 | Portugal |
7th | France |
2026 | ||
| Futsal Championship | 2022 | Portugal |
2nd | Russia |
2026 | ||
| U-19 Futsal Championship | 2023 | Portugal |
1st | Spain |
2025 | ||
| Women's national teams | |||||||
| Women's Championship | 2022 | England |
1st |  Germany |
2025 | ||
| Women's Nations League | 2023–24 |  Spain |
1st |  France |
2025 | ||
| Women's U-19 Championship | 2025 | Spain |
7th | France |
2026 | ||
| Women's U-17 Championship | 2025 | Netherlands |
1st | Norway |
2026 | ||
| Women's Futsal Championship | 2023 | Spain |
3rd | Ukraine |
2027 | ||
| Men's club teams | |||||||
| Super Cup | 2024 | Real Madrid |
6th | Atalanta |
2025 | ||
| Champions League | 2024–25 | Paris Saint-Germain |
1st | Inter Milan |
2025–26 | ||
| Europa League | 2024–25 | Tottenham Hotspur |
3rd | Manchester United |
2025–26 | ||
| Conference League | 2024–25 | Chelsea |
1st | Real Betis |
2025–26 | ||
| Youth League | 2024–25 | Barcelona |
3rd | Trabzonspor |
2025–26 | ||
| Futsal Champions League | 2024–25 | Palma Futsal |
3rd | Kairat |
2025–26 | ||
| Women's club teams | |||||||
| Women's Champions League | 2024–25 | Arsenal |
2nd | Barcelona |
2025–26 | ||
| Women's Europa Cup | 2025–26 | ||||||
| Men's amateur teams | |||||||
| Regions' Cup | 2025 | Aragon |
1st | Dolnośląski |
2027 | ||
Tournament Wins by Nation
| Nation | Men | Women | Futsal | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro | NL | U21 | U19 | U17 | Euro | NL | U19 | U17 | Men's | U19 | Women's | ||
| Spain |
4 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 9 | – | 1 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 55 |
| Germany |
3 | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | – | 6 | 8 | – | – | – | 35 |
| France |
2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | – | – | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | 21 |
| England |
– | – | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 19 |
| Portugal |
1 | 2 | – | 4 | 7 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | 17 |
| Italy |
2 | – | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 16 |
| Russia |
1 | – | 2 | 6 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 14 |
| Netherlands |
1 | – | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 11 |
| Sweden |
– | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | 5 |
| Czech Republic |
1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
| Serbia |
– | – | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
| Bulgaria |
– | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Hungary |
– | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Poland |
– | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Turkey |
– | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Austria |
– | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Denmark |
1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Norway |
– | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Republic of Ireland |
– | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Belgium |
– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Greece |
1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Romania |
– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Scotland |
– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Switzerland |
– | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Ukraine |
– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
UEFA's Sponsors
- For UEFA National Team Competitions
- Adidas
- Alipay
- Atos
- Carlsberg Group
- Engelbert Strauss
- Hisense
- Visit Qatar
- For UEFA Champions League
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- Global Sponsors
- Bet365
- Crypto.com
- FedEx
- Heineken
- Just Eat Takeaway.com
- Mastercard
- PlayStation
- PepsiCo (Pepsi/Lay's)
- Qatar Airways
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- Suppliers and Enhanced Partners
Note: These sponsors also support the UEFA Super Cup and the UEFA Youth League.
- For UEFA Europa League
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- Global Sponsors
- Betano
- Engelbert Strauss
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- FlixBus
- Hankook
- Lidl
- Just Eat Takeaway.com
- Swissquote
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- Suppliers
- Decathlon
Note: These sponsors also support the UEFA Conference League.
- For UEFA Women's Football Competitions
FIFA World Rankings for UEFA Teams
Ranking Overview
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Top Teams of the Year
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Sanctions and Rules
Actions Against Associations
- Lithuania: In 1990, rules were put in place because the Lithuanian Football Federation left the Soviet Union's Football Federation.
FR Yugoslavia: From 1992–1998, rules were put in place due to the Bosnian War.- Russia: In 2022, rules were put in place due to a conflict.
- Belarus: In 2022, rules were put in place for supporting Russia in a conflict.
Actions Against Clubs
- Albania: In 1967, special rules were put in place against the 1966–67 Albanian Superliga because of its political background.
- England: From 1985–1991, rules were put in place against English football clubs. This was due to the Heysel Stadium disaster. Their participation in European competitions was paused for five years.
- Italy: In 1974–1975, rules were put in place against SS Lazio because of its fans. Italy was not allowed to send Lazio to the European Cup, even though they had qualified.
- Netherlands: In 1990–1991, rules were put in place against AFC Ajax because of its fans. The Netherlands was not allowed to send Ajax to the European Cup, even though they had qualified.
More About UEFA
Awards and Recognition
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How Teams Qualify:
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Matches and Events:
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UEFA Meetings
- UEFA Congress
Fair Play in Money Matters
- UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations
Team Rankings
- UEFA coefficient
UEFA Presidents
Related Football Organizations
- Timeline of football
- List of association football competitions
- International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)
- Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
- Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL)
- Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
Future Competitions
- Proposals for a European Super League in association football – A plan for a single, big European Football League that UEFA leaders have been involved in discussing.
