UEFA Super Cup
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Pp-semi-indef Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football tournament
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originally the Super Competition,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and later the European Super Cup. It was renamed the UEFA Super Cup in 1995, following a policy of rebranding by UEFA.
From 1972 to 1999, the UEFA Super Cup was contested between the winners of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League and the winners of the European/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. After the discontinuation of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, it has been contested by the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the winners of the UEFA Cup, which was renamed the UEFA Europa League in 2009.
The current holders are Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur 4–3 on penalties following a 2–2 draw in the 2025 edition. Real Madrid are the most successful team in the competition, having won the trophy six times.
History
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Key:
Qualified as UCL winner Qualified as UCWC winner Qualified as UEL winner Abbreviations:
UCL = European Cup / UEFA Champions League UCWC = UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEL = UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League |
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The European Super Cup was created in 1971 by Anton Witkamp, a reporter and later sports editor of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The idea came to him in a time when Dutch total football was Europe's finest and Dutch football clubs were enjoying their golden era (especially Ajax). Witkamp was looking for something new to definitely decide which was the best team in Europe and also to further test Ajax's team, led by their star player Johan Cruyff.
It was then proposed that the winners of the European Cup would face the winners of the European Cup Winners' Cup. All was set for a new competition to be born. However, when Witkamp tried to get an official endorsement to his competition, the UEFA president turned it down.
The 1972 final between Ajax and Scotland's Rangers is considered unofficial by UEFA,<ref name="History">Template:Cite web</ref> as Rangers were banned from European competition due to the behaviour of their fans during the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup final. As a result, UEFA refused to endorse the competition until the following season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was played in two legs and was financially supported by De Telegraaf. Ajax defeated Rangers 6–3 on aggregate and won the first (albeit unofficial) European Super Cup.
The 1973 final, in which Ajax defeated AC Milan 6–1 on aggregate, was the first Super Cup officially recognised and supported by UEFA.
Although the two-legged format was kept until 1997, the Super Cup was decided in one single match because of schedule issues (1984 and 1986) or political problems (1991). In 1974, 1981 and 1985, the Super Cup was not played at all: 1974's competition was abandoned because Bayern Munich and Magdeburg could not find a mutually convenient date; 1981's was abandoned when Liverpool could not make space to meet Dinamo Tbilisi; while 1985's was abandoned due to a ban on English clubs' participation preventing Everton from playing Juventus.<ref name="History"/><ref name=EnglishBan>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the 1992–93 season, the European Cup was renamed the UEFA Champions League and the winners of this competition would face the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup in the European Super Cup. In the 1994–1995 season, the European Cup Winners' Cup was renamed the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The following season, the Super Cup also renamed the UEFA Super Cup.
After the 1998–99 season, the Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued by UEFA. The 1999 Super Cup was the last one contested by the winners of the Cup Winners' Cup. Lazio, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, defeated Manchester United, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, 1–0.
Since then, the UEFA Super Cup was contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the winners of the UEFA Cup. The 2000 Super Cup was the first one contested by the winners of the UEFA Cup. Galatasaray, winners of the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, defeated Real Madrid, winners of the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League, 2–1.
In the 2009–10 season, the UEFA Cup was renamed the UEFA Europa League and the winners of this competition would continue to face the winners of the Champions League in the UEFA Super Cup.
In 2013, Chelsea became the first club to contest the Super Cup as holders of all three UEFA club honours, having entered as holders of the Cup Winners' Cup (1998), Champions League (2012), and Europa League (2013). Manchester United shared this honour in 2017 after their Europa League win, having qualified as Cup Winners' Cup holders in 1991.
After 15 consecutive Super Cups being played at Stade Louis II in Monaco between 1998 and 2012, the Super Cup is now played at various stadiums (similar to the finals of the Champions League and the Europa League). It was started with the 2013 edition, which was played at Eden Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Starting in 2014, the date of the UEFA Super Cup was moved from Friday in late August, to Tuesday in mid-August, following the removal of the August international friendly date in the new FIFA International Match Calendar.<ref name="decision">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2020, the Super Cup final was originally scheduled to be played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal, on 12 August 2020.<ref name="venue">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe caused the postponements of the previous season's club finals, the UEFA Executive Committee chose to award the rescheduled Champions League final to Portugal, and postponed the match for 24 September 2020 and relocated the stadium to Puskás Aréna, Budapest.<ref name="ExCo 17 June">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following discussions with its 55 member associations on 19 August 2020,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the UEFA Executive Committee decided on 25 August 2020 to use the final as a pilot match for which a reduced number of spectators, up to 30% of the capacity of the stadium, can be allowed in, and it became the first official UEFA match to have spectators since their competitions were resumed in August 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Venues
The competition was originally played over two legs, one at each participating club's stadium, except in exceptional circumstances. For instance, in 1991 when Red Star Belgrade were not permitted to play the leg in their native Yugoslavia due to the war which was taking place at the time, so instead Manchester United's home leg was only played.<ref name="format"/>
Since 1998, the Super Cup was played as a single match at a neutral venue.<ref name="format">Template:Cite web</ref> Between 1998 and 2012, the Super Cup was played at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Since 2013 various stadiums have been used.
List of venues since 1998
- 1998–2012: Stade Louis II, Monaco
- 2013: Eden Aréna, Prague, Czech Republic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2014: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales<ref name="decision"/>
- 2015: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia<ref name="decision"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2016: Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim, Norway<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2017: Philip II Arena, Skopje, FYR Macedonia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2018: Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2019: Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey
- 2020: Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary<ref name="ExCo 17 June"/>
- 2021: Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- 2022: Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
- 2023: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2024: Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2025: Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2026: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Prizes
Trophy
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The UEFA Super Cup trophy is retained by UEFA at all times. A full-size replica trophy is awarded to the winning club. Forty gold medals are presented to the winning club and forty silver medals to the runners-up.<ref name="regulations">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Super Cup trophy has undergone several changes in its history. The first trophy was presented to Ajax in 1973. In 1977, the original trophy was replaced by a plaque with a gold UEFA emblem. In 1987, the next trophy was the smallest and lightest of all the European club trophies, weighing Template:Convert and measuring Template:Convert in height. The UEFA Champions League trophy weighs Template:Convert and the UEFA Europa League trophy Template:Convert. It was designed and manufactured at the Bertoni workshop in Milan. The new model, which is a larger version of the previous trophy, was introduced in 2006 and weighs Template:Convert and measures Template:Convert in height.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Until 2008, a team which won three times in a row or five in total received an original copy of the trophy and a special mark of recognition. Since then, the original trophy has been kept exclusively by UEFA. AC Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid have achieved this honour, winning a total of five times each, but the Italian team is the only one which was awarded the official trophy permanently in 2007. Barcelona and Real Madrid won their fifth title in 2015 and 2022, respectively, when the policy was no longer in place.
Prize money
As of 2024, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is €5 million for the winners and €4 million for the runners-up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rules
The UEFA Super Cup is contested as a single match at a neutral venue. The match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. If the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes, the match goes straight to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before the 2023 edition, two additional 15-minute periods of extra time were played before the match went to penalties if still tied.<ref name="regulations"/>
Each team names twenty-three players, eleven of which start the match. Of the twelve remaining players, a total of five may be substituted throughout the match. Each team may wear its first choice kit. If the kits clash, the Europa League holders must wear an alternative kit.<ref name="regulations"/> If a club refuses to play or is ineligible to play then they are replaced by the runners-up of the competition through which they qualified. If the field is unfit for play due to bad weather, the match must be played the next day.<ref name="regulations"/>
Sponsorship
The UEFA Super Cup's sponsors are the same as the sponsors for the UEFA Champions League. The tournament's current main sponsors are (as of the 2024–25 season):
- FedEx<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Qatar Airways<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Heineken N.V.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Just Eat Takeaway<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Mastercard<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- PepsiCo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Sony<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Bet365<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Crypto.com<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball, while Macron supplies the referee kits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising, even if such sponsors conflict with those of the Super Cup. Only two sponsorships are permitted per jersey, plus that of the manufacturer, at the chest and the left sleeve.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor, or on the back, either below the squad number or between the player name and the collar.
Tickets
60% of the stadium capacity is reserved for the visiting clubs. The remaining seats are sold by UEFA through an online auction. There are an unlimited number of applications for tickets given out. The 5 euro administration fee is deducted from each applicant. There is no limit to the number of applications each individual can make.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Records and statistics
Performance by club
Performance by nation
| Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Fba | 17 | 15 | 32 |
| Template:Fba | 10 | 11 | 21 |
| Template:Fba | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Template:Fba | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Template:FbaTemplate:Ref label | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Template:FbaTemplate:Ref label | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Template:Fba | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Template:Fba | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Template:Fba | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Template:FbaTemplate:Ref label | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Template:Fba | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Template:FbaTemplate:Ref label | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Template:Fba | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Template:Fba | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Template:FbaTemplate:Ref label | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 50 | 50 | 100 |
- Notes
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- A. Template:Note label
- B. Template:Note label
- C. Template:Note label
- D. Template:Note label
- E. Template:Note label
Club records
Finalists from the same country
- On eight occasions, the Super Cup match has involved two teams from the same nation:
- Template:Fbaicon 1990: Milan and Sampdoria
- Template:Fbaicon 1993: Parma and Milan
- Template:Fbaicon 2006: Sevilla and Barcelona
- Template:Fbaicon 2014: Real Madrid and Sevilla
- Template:Fbaicon 2015: Barcelona and Sevilla
- Template:Fbaicon 2016: Real Madrid and Sevilla
- Template:Fbaicon 2018: Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid
- Template:Fbaicon 2019: Liverpool and Chelsea
Individual records
- Most wins by player: Dani Carvajal and Luka Modrić (5 wins each)<ref name=record-breakers>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=records>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Most matches by player: Roberto Donadoni and Alessandro Costacurta (8 matches each)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most wins with different clubs by player: Mateo Kovačić (three clubs), with Real Madrid (2016, 2017), Chelsea (2021) and Manchester City (2023)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most wins by coach: Carlo Ancelotti (5 wins)<ref name=records/>
- Most editions contested by coach: Carlo Ancelotti (5 editions)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- All-time top scorers: Arie Haan, Oleg Blokhin, David Fairclough, Gerd Müller, Rob Rensenbrink, François Van Der Elst, Terry McDermott, Radamel Falcao and Lionel Messi (3 goals each)<ref name=record-breakers/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most wins with different clubs by coach: Pep Guardiola (three clubs), with Barcelona (2009, 2011), Bayern Munich (2013) and Manchester City (2023)<ref name="guardiola2023">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Fastest goal: 50 seconds, Diego Costa, against Real Madrid on 15 August 2018<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hat-tricks
- Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a two-legged final: Terry McDermott, against Hamburger SV on 6 December 1977<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Only player to have scored a hat-trick in a single final: Radamel Falcao, against Chelsea on 31 August 2012<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
See also
- List of association football competitions
- List of UEFA Super Cup winning managers
- List of UEFA Super Cup goalscorers
- UEFA club competition records and statistics
References
External links
Template:UEFA Super Cup Template:UEFA Super Cup winners Template:UEFA Super Cup winning managers Template:UEFA competitions Template:International club football Template:European Club Competitions Template:Portal bar