What happens to the Champions League trophy after the final? | OneFootball

Champions League winners raise the original trophy on the night, but the club later receives only a replica, and how it is used is tightly controlled.

According to L'Équipe, the original returns to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, on the shores of Lake Geneva, while the replica remains with the champions.

PSG’s parade piece last season was a copy, not the same cup Marquinhos and his team-mates hoisted at Munich’s Allianz Arena on 31 May 2025 after beating Inter Milan 5-0.

Real Madrid kept an authentic version in 1966 after a sixth title, the earlier small-eared trophy supplied in 1955 by L'Équipe, which created the competition then called the European Champion Clubs’ Cup.

A rule introduced in 1968-1969 let clubs keep the trophy after five wins or three in a row. Ajax, Bayern, AC Milan and Liverpool duly qualified in those periods.

The current design dates to 2006, weighing 7.5 kg and standing 73.5 cm, dimensions also used for replicas. Since 2008-2009, serial winners can no longer keep the original, despite Real’s 2016-2018 treble.

Replicas must stay under club control and cannot leave the country without prior written UEFA approval, and clubs must confirm their location on request. They also cannot be used to promote sponsors or partners.

Source: L'Équipe