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{{Short description|Set of international tournaments organised by UEFA}}
[[File:Uefa flag.png|thumbnail|300px|Flag showing the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]], the [[UEFA Super Cup|Super Cup]] and the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] [[logo]]s at [[Monaco]] (2008).]]
'''UEFA competitions''' ({{langx|fr|compétitions de l'UEFA}}), referred improperly by the [[mass media]] as '''European football''',{{Cref2|Note 1}} are the set of tournaments organised by the [[Union of European Football Associations]] (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur [[association football]] and [[futsal]]. The term was established in 1971 by the confederation to differentiate the men's football competitions under its administration, the first in history being held at a pan-European stage,<ref name=Quin>{{cite magazine|first=Grégory|last=Quin|url=https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0218-0f842993a3d6-72edbee5e2d7-1000/uefa_direct_140_07-08.2014_.pdf|title=The Beginnings of a 'European Football Field'|magazine=UEFA direct|issue=131|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|format=PDF|date=September 2013|page=16}}</ref> from other international competitions carried out in the continent between 1960s and 1990s, such as the [[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]], [[UEFA Intertoto Cup#History|International Football Cup and Karl Rappan Cup]], [[Cup of the Alps]], [[Balkans Cup]]<ref name="Balkans">{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/balkan-club.html|title=Balkans Cup|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref> and the restructured [[Mitropa Cup]] (as well as some which had already been discontinued by late 1950s such as the [[Latin Cup]]). All these tournaments were organised by private bodies and/or at least two national associations and concerning one of more regional areas of Europe,<ref name=Quin/> not being recognised by UEFA for historic-statistical purposes.<ref name="UEFA Vision Europe">{{harvtxt|Vision Europe|2005|p=23}}</ref>

==History==
After being recognised by FIFA in 1961 and defined its functions as governing body, UEFA laid down principles for the authorisation of other international club competitions,<ref>{{harvtxt|Vieli|2014|p=47}}</ref> becoming the only organization with legal authority over international football in the continent.<ref name="UEFA Vision Europe"/> For that reason, it considers only results in its own competitions, in general terms and by single tournament, as the only valid for calculating and communicating confederation-level official records and statistics as long as setting combined values in inter-club football.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/printoutfiles/competitions/uefacup/2013/e/e_01_md.pdf|title=Legend: UEFA club competition|publisher=Union of European Football Associations|page=77|access-date=2013-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126001127/http://www.uefa.com/printoutfiles/competitions/uefacup/2013/e/e_01_md.pdf|archive-date=2012-11-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Until the first [[2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final|UEFA Europa Conference League]] final in 2022, the only team to have won every [[List of UEFA club competition winners|men's professional club competition]] was [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] of Italy,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Paul Saffer|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0252-0d04631ba5ae-8aee0f5c1e81-1000--paris-aim-to-join-multiple-trophy-winners/|title=Paris aim to join multiple trophy winners|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|date=10 April 2016}}</ref> while [[France national football team|France]] is the sole [[national team|national side]] to have won the [[Artemio Franchi Trophy|European/South American Nations Cup]], the [[UEFA Nations League|Nations League]] and the men's [[UEFA European Championship|European Championship]]. The governing body of the latter, [[French Football Federation]] (FFF), alongside its [[Czechoslovak Football Association|Czechoslovak]], [[German Football Association|German]], [[Italian Football Federation|Italian]], [[Soviet Football Federation|Soviet]] and [[Royal Spanish Football Federation|Spanish]] counterparts in men's football; as well as German Football Association (DFB) in [[Women's association football|women's variant]], is also the only [[football association|association]] affilied to UEFA which representative teams have won, at least once, the senior Euro and the continental tournament in all [[Farm team|age categories]] (under 17, under 19 and under 21).

[[FC Barcelona Femení|FC Barcelona]] of Spain became the first women's club to follow its men's team of winning the Champions League, by winning the [[2021 UEFA Women's Champions League Final|2021 Women's Champions League Final]]. [[FC Barcelona|The club's men's team]] won their first title in [[1991–92 European Cup|1992]]. The beaten finalists [[Chelsea F.C. Women|Chelsea]] of England was also seeking to break that record as well, as [[Chelsea F.C.|its men's team]] won their maiden in [[2012 UEFA Champions League Final|2012]]. They were already the first club ever to see its men's and women's teams reach the Champions League final in the same season, having qualified for the [[2021 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League Final]] as well. Barcelona is also the only club in the UEFA zone that has won men's and women's Champions League, the [[UEFA Youth League|Youth League]] and the [[UEFA Futsal Champions League|Futsal Champions League]] among these with active sections which can compete in all these tournaments.

==UEFA sanctioned tournaments==
=== Active ===
==== For national teams ====
* [[UEFA European Championship]], European football's premier competition, established in 1960.
** [[UEFA European Under-21 Championship]], established in 1978.
** [[UEFA European Under-19 Championship]], established in 1948 as an under-18 competition and reorganised in 2002 for the current age group.
** [[UEFA European Under-17 Championship]], established in 1982 as an under-16 competition and reorganised in 2002 for the current age group.
* [[UEFA Nations League]], established in 2018.
* [[CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions]], organised jointly with [[CONMEBOL]] since 1985 and 1993, [[Rebranding|rebranded]] in 2022.
* [[UEFA Women's Championship]], premier competition for women's national teams, established in 1984.
** [[UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship]], established in 1997 as an under-18 competition and reorganised in 2002 for the current age group.
** [[UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship]], established in 2007.
* [[UEFA Women's Nations League]], established in 2022.
* [[UEFA Futsal Championship]], established in 1996.
** [[UEFA Under-19 Futsal Championship]], established in 2019.
* [[UEFA Women's Futsal Championship]], established in 2018.
* [[UEFA Regions' Cup]], established in 1999.

==== For clubs ====
{{main|UEFA club competitions}}
* [[UEFA Champions League]], European football's premier club competition, established in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup and reorganised in 1992.
* [[UEFA Europa League]], European football's second football club competition (originally third) established in 1971 as the UEFA Cup and reorganised in 2009.
* [[UEFA Conference League]], European football's third football club competition, established in 2021 as the UEFA Europa Conference League<ref name="UEL2">{{cite press release|title=UEFA Executive Committee approves new club competition|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/024c-0e9941616a90-f26bd21de788-1000--uefa-executive-committee-approves-new-club-competition/|publisher=[[UEFA]]|access-date=2 December 2018|date=2 December 2018}}</ref> and reorganised in 2024.
* [[UEFA Super Cup]], match between the previous season's winners of the Champions League and the Europa League. Established in 1973 and until 1999 played between the European Champions' Cup and Cup Winners Cup winners.
* [[UEFA Youth League]], established in 2013.
* [[UEFA Women's Champions League]], Europe's premier women's football club competition, established in 2001 and reorganised in 2009.
* [[UEFA Futsal Champions League]], established in 2001 to replace the [[Futsal European Clubs Championship]].

===Defunct===
==== For national teams ====
* [[UEFA Amateur Cup]], organised in 1967, 1970, 1974 and 1978.
* [[UEFA European Under-21 Championship#Under-23 championships|UEFA European Under-23 Championship]], organized in 1972, 1974 and 1976.
* [[UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup]] (1997–2007), organised jointly with the [[Confédération Africaine de Football]] (CAF).
* [[UEFA Futsal Under-21 Championship]], the only edition in 2008.

==== For clubs ====
* [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] (1960–1999), formerly European football's second football club competition, disbanded with qualifying clubs being transferred to [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] in 1999, on only six occasions since then Domestic Cup winners have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
* [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]] (1961–2008), disbanded with qualifying clubs being transferred to the [[UEFA Europa League]] in 2009.
* [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] (1960–2004), organised jointly with the [[Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol]] (CONMEBOL), was [[Rebranding|rebranded]] as Toyota European/South American Cup since 1980.

== See also ==

* [[List of association football competitions]]

==Notes==
{{Cnote2 Begin}}
{{Cnote2|Note 1|Although the [[mass media]] often define "European football" as comprising any international [[association football|football]] competitions held exclusively in [[Europe]] (often excluding the [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]], held also in [[South America]] until 1980 and in [[Asia]] since then until 2004, and regarded by them as an [[List of world champion football clubs|inter-club world title]] since 1960), for UEFA it is "based on a system of domestic competitions and European competitions".<ref>{{harvtxt|Vision Europe|2005|p=13}}</ref> UEFA competitions were defined as "complementary" with the [[football association|national association]] competitions by the UEFA [[Secretary (title)|general secretary]] [[Gerhard Aigner]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/01d9-0f842685651a-f24cacace181-1000/uefadirect_86_06.2009_.pdf|title=Evolution of the UEFA Cup|magazine=UEFA direct|issue=86|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|location=Nyon|date=June 2009|page=9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731160812/https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/01d9-0f842685651a-f24cacace181-1000/uefadirect_86_06.2009_.pdf|archive-date=31 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2 End}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/374875.pdf|title=Vision Europe|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|date=April 2005|location=Nyon|ref={{harvid|Vision Europe|2005}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321050730/https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/374875.pdf|archive-date=21 March 2006|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book|first=André|last=Vieli|url=https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/021f-0f842a4ba426-22bf135e36bc-1000/uefa_60_years_at_the_heart_of_football.pdf|title=UEFA: 60 years at the heart of football|publisher=Union des Associations Européennes de Football|year=2014|location=Nyon|doi=10.22005/bcu.175315|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803202951/https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/021f-0f842a4ba426-22bf135e36bc-1000/uefa_60_years_at_the_heart_of_football.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2021|url-status=live}}
{{commons category}}

{{UEFA competitions}}
{{UEFA club competition winners}}
{{UEFA club competition winning managers}}
{{UEFA club competition records}}
{{Football clubs in European football}}

[[Category:UEFA competitions| ]]
[[Category:International association football competitions in Europe|*]]