The UEFA Conference League was made for the 2021/22 season, giving more clubs across Europe a route into a major UEFA competition. The first qualifying matches were played in July 2021. It launched as the UEFA Europa Conference League and became UEFA’s third season-long men’s club competition, alongside the Champions League and Europa League. The competition was renamed the UEFA Conference League from the 2024/25 season. This article explains when the competition was made, why UEFA created it, who won the first edition, and how the tournament has changed.
When Did the Conference League Start?
When was the Conference League made? The competition’s first season was 2021/22. This third-tier tournament gave clubs from lower-ranked associations a new path into European football. UEFA officially describes the tournament as having been introduced in 2021/22. When did the Conference League start? Qualifying rounds began in summer 2021. The opening matches of the first qualifying round were played on 6 July 2021. Those early rounds involved clubs from many countries across the continent.
The original full name was UEFA Europa Conference League. It was created as UEFA’s third men’s club competition, below the Champions League and Europa League. It sat at the bottom of UEFA’s three-tier club structure. The first season ran through to its inaugural final in May 2022.
It is helpful to clarify the distinction between the competition being created and the first matches actually being played. UEFA announced the competition’s formation in December 2018, with the provisional name ‘Europa League 2’. The official name, UEFA Europa Conference League, was announced in September 2019. The Conference League first season, however, did not begin until the 2021/22 campaign, when qualifying matches kicked off in July 2021.
Why Was the Conference League Created?
Understanding why the Conference League was created explains UEFA’s decision to add a third men’s European club competition below the Champions League and Europa League. This change gave more national associations a realistic route into the group stage. One major aim was to provide clubs from a wider range of UEFA associations with opportunities to participate in European competition. It also aimed to increase the number of matches involving clubs that rarely appeared in the later stages of European competition.
The new structure also changed the Europa League, which was reduced from 48 to 32 teams in its group stage for 2021/22. This adjustment created more room for the new tournament as well. The Conference League was designed to give clubs from a wider range of European nations a realistic route into European football. UEFA said having three competitions would ensure at least 34 national associations were represented in the group stage of one or more competitions. That principle remains central today.
Qualification places were distributed through domestic league positions and cup competitions, depending on each national association’s access allocation. No teams qualified directly to the group stage. The 32-team group stage comprised teams from the Conference League qualifiers and 10 teams eliminated in the Europa League play-offs. It is worth noting that the competition is not simply ‘for small clubs’; qualification depends on sporting performance and UEFA’s access list.
Who Won the First UEFA Conference League?
Roma won the inaugural tournament in 2021/22. The final was played in Tirana, Albania, on 25 May 2022, where Roma defeated Feyenoord 1–0. Roma therefore became the first club to win the competition. The match was decided by a single goal. Roma’s win capped a long campaign that began in the qualifying rounds in July 2021.
| First Conference League final | Detail |
| Season | 2021/22 |
| Winner | Roma |
| Runner-up | Feyenoord |
| Score | 1–0 |
| Host city | Tirana |
Roma’s win gave manager José Mourinho his first European trophy with the club and made him the first coach to win the Champions League, the UEFA Cup/Europa League and the Conference League. Nicolò Zaniolo scored the only goal of the final in the 32nd minute.
Why Did the Europa Conference League Change Its Name?
The competition’s name has not stayed the same since it was made. From its creation through 2023/24, the competition was called the UEFA Europa Conference League. UEFA decided in June 2023 to remove ‘Europa’ from the name. The change took effect from the 2024/25 season.
UEFA said research among fans and commercial partners suggested that removing ‘Europa’ would help the competition develop a stronger identity as a standalone tournament.
Its official name is therefore now UEFA Conference League. The Europa Conference League name change was purely a branding decision. The competition’s history, records and winners from the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons remain part of the same tournament. That means Roma (2022), West Ham United (2023) and Olympiacos (2024), who all won it as the Europa Conference League, are listed as Conference League winners.
How Has the Conference League Changed Since 2021?
Since the Conference League was made in 2021/22, the competition has undergone one major structural change. This section outlines the original group-stage format and the league phase introduced from 2024/25.
Original Group-Stage Format
The first three seasons used eight groups of four teams. This was the same format used by the Champions League and Europa League at the time. Group winners advanced directly to the round of 16. Group runners-up entered knockout play-offs.
League Phase From 2024/25
UEFA introduced a new format from 2024/25. The group stage was replaced by a 36-team league phase (see this season’s Conference League teams). Each team plays six different opponents: three at home and three away. All 36 teams are ranked in a single league table.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th–24th enter knockout phase play-offs. Teams finishing below 24th are eliminated. In the play-offs, teams ranked 9th–16th are seeded against those ranked 17th–24th. The winner also earns a place in the following season’s Europa League league phase. The 2024/25 campaign was the fourth edition and first under both the new format and shorter name. Qualifying began on 11 July 2024, the league phase kicked off on 3 October 2024, and the season ended with the final on 28 May 2025 in Wrocław, where Chelsea beat Real Betis 4–1.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Conference League
When was the Conference League made?
It was introduced for the 2021/22 season, with the first qualifying matches on 6 July 2021.
Has an English club won the Conference League?
Yes. West Ham United (2023), Chelsea (2025) and Crystal Palace (2026) have all won it.
What does the Conference League winner get?
A place in the following season’s Europa League league phase.
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