UEFA’s greatest idea: The UEFA Europa Conference League | OneFootball

In December 2018, UEFA officially announced the creation of its third-tier European club competition, the UEFA Europa Conference League, it would be the lowest tier of European competition, following behind the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

The aim of the competition was to give more clubs from smaller nations and leagues a chance to compete in European football, thereby increasing their exposure and financial rewards.

The first tournament took place during the 2021-22 season. Media reactions were mixed, with critics viewing it as unnecessary or a UEFA cash grab. However, since its inception, the competition has significantly impacted European football.

On average, eight more countries now participate in continental play through December, compared to before. This expands opportunities for clubs across Europe.

A new stage for Europe’s minnows

The inaugural match of the tournament was played on July 8, 2021, between FC Santa Coloma of Andorra and B36 Tórshavn from the Faroe Islands in the first qualifying round, first leg. The match ended in a 2-1 victory for FC Santa Coloma, making it the first ever win in the history of the competition.

Yet, the August play-off round for the 2021-22 season delivered instantly what the competition promised: a stage where traditional European outfits like Feyenoord and Vitesse Arnhem brushed shoulders with first-timers from places such as Gibraltar, San Marino, and Estonia.

In just four seasons, the Conference League has reshaped the European map. Clubs from Lithuania, Wales, Northern Ireland, Estonia, Armenia, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Bosnia, the Faroe Islands, and for the first time in the 2025-26 season, Malta will be represented in the group/league phase for the first time. For these nations, it wasn’t a footnote – it was a milestone. Just qualifying for this round meant that each team earns a minimum amount of £3 million.

The 2025-26 fixture between Malta’s Hamrun Spartans and Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps marks the first time two microstate clubs meet in a European group or league phase. While these teams may not face European giants like Inter Milan or Bayern Munich, they still compete on a continental stage, with opportunities to play against teams from top leagues such as England, Germany, and Spain.

The winners, so far.

The tournament has created once-in-a-lifetime trophy-winning moments that fans will never forget. The first ever winners of the tournament, AS Roma (2022), who defeated Dutch giants Feyenoord 1-0 in the final, ending their 14-year silverware drought and making José Mourinho the first manager ever to win the Champions League, Europa League and the Conference League.

West Ham emerged victorious in the second edition of the tournament as they won their first trophy since 1980, ending a 43 year wait for a major trophy. So, when Jarrod Bowen ran through 1-on-1 in the 90th minute and slotted home past the Fiorentina goalkeeper to make it 2-1 to The Hammers, it wasn’t just a European triumph; it was a burst of joyous emotion for every single West Ham fan in the world. This moment would never have happened if the UEFA Conference League hadn’t been created.

In 2024, Olympiacos became the first team outside the top five European leagues to win a UEFA competition since Porto in 2011, by lifting the Conference League. Making it their first ever European trophy and the first time a Greek team has ever won a European competition. Olympiacos defeated Fiorentina 1-0 in the 116th minute thanks to an Ayoub el Kaabi header. It was heartbreak again for Fiorentina as they became the first club to lose two consecutive Conference League finals in a row.

2025 saw Chelsea become the first team to win all three major UEFA competitions as they defeated Spanish outfit Real Betis 4-1 in the final. However, this was Real Betis’ first ever European Final appearance, once again showcasing why this tournament is so beneficial to the continents football and its fans.

Boosts for smaller footballing nations

Polish outfit Lech Poznań in 2023 reached the Conference League quarter-finals, which is the first time in over 25 years a polish club made it that far in Europe. Furthermore, Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia made the knockouts of the competition two seasons in a row. Whereas this year they qualified for the Champions League league phase, and they went out 35th out of 36 in the competition, showing the level difference between the two competitions.

Irish, Bosnian, and Icelandic clubs have made deeper runs in the competition recently with all three nations being represented in the knockout phase. NK Celje of Slovenia made the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 edition of the tournament before losing 4-3 narrowly on aggregate to former finalists Fiorentina.

The year AS Roma won the competition, they were on the end of one of the most embarrassing results in the clubs’ history as in the group stage they were humbled 6-1 by then Norwegian minnows FK Bodø/Glimt. The side based in the Arctic circle also reached the quarter-finals that year, defeating Celtic home and away as well as defeating AZ Alkmaar on penalties, before Roma got their revenge in the quarter-final, winning 6-1 over two legs.

Spreading football’s reach

The competition has also spread the benefits of European football beyond the traditional centres of power. As finals have been held in nations such as Albania and Greece, this means UEFA is giving new nations the pride of hosting a continental showpiece.

Financial rewards from the tournament have provided mid-tier leagues with fresh resources to strengthen their clubs and boost their nations’ UEFA rankings, such as Denmark’s Danish Super Liga and Poland’s Ekstraklasa, which broke into the top 15 UEFA rankings for the first time since 1980, thanks to recent club performances in Europe. This gives the league two Champions League places and five slots overall for Polish clubs in Europe, which is incredible.

The tournament has also widened the map of engagement, giving fans in countries that rarely featured on European nights a reason to tune in and travel across the continent to follow their beloved club in the hope of continental triumph.

Clubs such as Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia saw their attendances grow from 2,000 fans in the domestic league to 12,000 in the Conference League knockouts. This is a sign that fans don’t just see this as a third-tier competition.

Just as important, it has become a proving ground for coaches and players outside the elite, offering the invaluable experience of European travel and two-legged ties as well as the high-pressure games that come with knockout football. These are all skills players can use and take back to their domestic league, helping build the integrity of the division they play in.

A brilliant idea

The Conference league may only be four seasons old, soon going into its fifth season, but it has been a revolutionary idea for European football.

The big leagues now have a more competitive Europa League, middle-tier leagues have a chance to show what they are capable of. Smaller nations can get the exposure they’ve always wanted and deserved, leaving UEFA to count even more cash; it’s a win for everybody.

Overall, the critics were wrong, and long may the UEFA Europa Conference League thrive.