UEFA Women's Champions League

UEFA Women's Cup

Former UEFA Women's Cup logo

A preliminary round was played to reduce teams to 32, in the first season only two teams played a two-legged match, the following seasons were played as four team mini-tournaments which had the winner advance to the group stage. Teams were then divided into eight groups of four. The groups were played again as mini-tournaments at a single location over the course of five days. The group winners then advanced to the quarter-finals. The knock-out rounds were played as two-legged. That included the final which was only played as a single leg in 2002.

For the 2004–05 season the group stage was played in four groups with the top two teams advancing to the quarter-finals. That resulted in more qualifying groups.

Champions League

On 11 December 2008, UEFA announced that the competition would be reformatted and renamed to the UEFA Women's Champions League.^[1] As in the men's game, the new tournament aims to include runners-up of the top women's football leagues in Europe,^[2] and the final is to be played in a single match.

On 31 March 2008 UEFA confirmed that the eight top countries according to the UEFA league coefficient between 2003–04 and 2007–08 would be awarded two places in the new Women's Champions League.^[2] These leagues were:

• Bundesliga, Germany
• Damallsvenskan, Sweden
• Women's Premier League, England
• Division 1 Féminine, France
• 3F Ligaen, Denmark
• Top Division, Russia
• Toppserien, Norway
• Serie A, Italy

While seven of the above associations have held a top eight spot until today several associations have entered the top eight. Due to coefficient changes ahead of 2010–11, Iceland gained a place in the top eight, at the expense of Norway. In 2012–13, Norway regained its top-eight place at Iceland's expense. Then, for 2013–14, Austria replaced Norway in the top eight. The Czech Republic replaced Austria in the top eight for 2014–15.^[3] In the current edition the Czech Republic itself is replaced by Spain.^[4]

Also in 2012–13, the berth for England's champion passed from the Women's Premier League to the country's new top level, the WSL. The following year, after the merger of the Belgium and Netherlands top divisions into a single binational league, the berths for those countries passed to the top team from each country in the new league.

The title holder has the right to enter if they do not qualify through their domestic competition, and will start in the round of 32.

The competition is open to the champions of all 55 UEFA associations. However, not all associations have or have had a women's league. For instance Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino and Gibraltar have never participated.

Due to the varying participation, the number of teams playing the qualifying round and teams entering in the round of 32 change from year to year.

Below is shown the number of teams starting in each round, given between 51 and 57 participants. The principles are inferred from the access list:^[5] Numbers are based on three principles:

• Groups of 4 teams shall contest the qualifying rounds.
• The group winners shall qualify for the main round.
• The smallest possible number of qualifying group runners-up shall qualify for the main round.

Winners

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runners-up
Lyon	5	2	2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018	2010, 2013
Frankfurt	4	2	2002, 2006, 2008, 2015	2004, 2012
Umeå	2	3	2003, 2004	2002, 2007, 2008
Turbine Potsdam	2	2	2005, 2010	2006, 2011
Wolfsburg	2	2	2013, 2014	2016, 2018
Arsenal	1	0	2007
Duisburg	1	0	2009
Paris Saint-Germain	0	2		2015, 2017
Fortuna Hjørring	0	1		2003
Djurgården/Älvsjö	0	1		2005
Zvezda Perm	0	1		2009
Tyresö	0	1		2014

By nation

Nation	Winners	Runners-up	Semifinalists	Winner	Runners-up	Semifinalists
Germany	9	6	7	Frankfurt (4) Turbine Potsdam (2) VfL Wolfsburg (2) Duisburg (1)	Frankfurt (2) Turbine Potsdam (2) VfL Wolfsburg (2)	Frankfurt (2) Turbine Potsdam (2) Duisburg (2) VfL Wolfsburg (1)
France	5	4	6	Lyon (5)	Lyon (2) Paris Saint-Germain (2)	Lyon (2) Toulouse (1) Montpellier (1) Paris FC (1) Paris Saint-Germain (1)
Sweden	2	5	4	Umeå (2)	Umeå (3) Djurgården/Älvsjö (1) Tyresö FF (1)	Umeå (2) Djurgården (1) Malmö (1)
England	1	0	8	Arsenal (1)		Arsenal (5) Manchester City (2) Birmingham City (1) Chelsea (1)
Denmark	0	1	3		Fortuna Hjørring (1)	Brøndby (3)
Russia	0	1	0		Zvezda Perm (1)
Norway	0	0	2			Trondheims-Ørn (1) Kolbotn (1)
Finland	0	0	1			HJK (1)
Italy	0	0	1			Bardolino Verona (1)
Spain	0	0	1			Barcelona (1)

Since the format change in 2009, no team from a nation outside the top four, have made the semifinals save for Brøndby in 2015 and Barcelona in 2017.

Top scorers by tournament

The top-scorer award is given to the player who scores the most goals in the entire competition, thus it includes the qualifying rounds. Iceland's Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir has won the award three times. Ada Hegerberg holds the record for most goals in a season.

All-time top scorers

As of 27 September 2018^[8] Bold players still active.

Rank	Topscorer	Goals	Clubs
1	Anja Mittag	50	1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, FC Rosengård, Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg, FC Rosengård
2	Conny Pohlers	48	1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, 1. FFC Frankfurt, VfL Wolfsburg
3	Marta	46	Umeå IK, Tyresö FF, FC Rosengård
4	Lotta Schelin	42	Olympique Lyon
	Camille Abily	42	Montpellier, Olympique Lyon
6	Nina Burger	40	SV Neulengbach
7	Ada Hegerberg	39	Stabæk, Turbine Potsdam , Olympique Lyon
	Hanna Ljungberg	39	Umeå IK
9	Eugénie Le Sommer	38	Olympique Lyon
	Inka Grings	38	FCR 2001 Duisburg, FC Zürich Frauen