UEFA Champions League Title (2023)

Lore & Background

Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 in the final, which was played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, for a record-extending 15th European Cup title, and their sixth in eleven years. As winners, Real Madrid earned the right to play against Atalanta, the winners of the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League, in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup. They also qualified for the brand-new 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final and the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. This edition was the final season with the format of 32 teams participating in the group stage, after UEFA announced that a brand new format would be introduced for the following edition.

In Their Own Story

The Atatürk Olympic Stadium hummed with a tension so thick it felt tangible. Inside the dressing room, the silence was absolute before the roar of the crowd seeped through the walls. Rodri stood near the whiteboard, his eyes fixed on the tactical diagram, knowing that one mistake could undo years of work. The ball found him just outside the box, a moment of stillness amidst the chaos. He struck it first-time, the net rippling, and the roar that followed was not just for a goal, but for a history rewritten.

Reader's Guide

A total of 78 teams from 53 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated. The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association. The group stage draw took place at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, on 31 August. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. In the knockout phase, teams played against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final.

Did You Know?

• Manchester City were the defending champions, but were eliminated by eventual winners Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
• Real Madrid won a record-extending 15th European Cup title, their sixth in eleven years.