UEFA Conference League Winners: Complete Roll Of Honor And The Race For 2026-27
As the 2026–27 European football season gets underway this August, the UEFA Conference League continues to transform the landscape of continental competition. Since its inaugural season in 2021, Europe’s third-tier tournament has delivered high-stakes drama, silver lining glory for historic clubs, and a springboard to top-tier European football.
The table below outlines every champion since the tournament's inception, highlighting the winners who etched their names into European football history.
| Season | Conference League Winners | Runner-Up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | AS Roma | Feyenoord | Arena Kombëtare, Tirana |
| 2022–23 | West Ham United | Fiorentina | Fortuna Arena, Prague |
| 2023–24 | Olympiacos | Fiorentina | OPAP Arena, Athens |
| 2024–25 | Chelsea | Real Betis | Wrocław Stadium, Wrocław |
| 2025–26 | Real Betis | Fiorentina | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig |
The Evolution of Champions: How the Tournament Redefines Club Legacies
The UEFA Conference League was established to offer broader access to European competition, but it quickly developed a reputation for intense, unforgiving knockout football. Jose Mourinho led AS Roma to the inaugural title in 2022, securing the Italian giants their first major UEFA trophy in decades.
Subsequent editions reinforced the competition's high standard and unpredictable nature:
- West Ham United (2023): Ended a 43-year major trophy drought with a thrilling victory in Prague, launching a celebrated continental run.
- Olympiacos (2024): Made history as the first Greek club to win a major European trophy, defeating Fiorentina on home soil in Athens.
- Chelsea (2025): Added the Conference League trophy to their cabinet, becoming the first club to win all four major UEFA club competitions.
- Real Betis (2026): Crowned champions in Leipzig after overcoming three-time finalists Fiorentina, solidifying Spanish dominance across European competition formats.
Financial Windfalls and Europa League Promotion: What Winners Gain
Lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy delivers far more than a celebrated victory parade. The structural incentives established by UEFA ensure that champions reap immediate sporting and financial rewards that can alter a club's trajectory for years.
The tangible benefits awarded to Conference League winners include:
- Direct Europa League Qualification: The champion automatically earns a place in the following season’s UEFA Europa League league phase, bypassing grueling summer qualifying rounds.
- Substantial Prize Money: Winners collect approximately €5 million for the final victory alone, with cumulative tournament distribution reaching €15 million to €20 million depending on performance and television market pool allocations.
- UEFA Coefficient Points: Victories throughout the campaign boost both the club's individual ranking and their domestic association's coefficient standings, directly impacting future tournament seeding.
West Ham fans line streets to toast Europa Conference League champions ...
The 2026–27 Campaign Unfolds: Path to the Next European Final
With August 2026 qualifying play-offs currently determining the final field, dozens of clubs across Europe are battling to enter the 36-team single-league phase. The modernized format, introduced during the 2024 reform, guarantees six distinct matches for every participant prior to the knockout rounds.
Key milestones for the ongoing 2026–27 UEFA Conference League season include:
- August 28, 2026: Official League Phase Draw.
- September – December 2026: League Phase Matchdays 1 through 6.
- February 2027: Knockout Phase Play-offs.
- May 2027: The 2027 UEFA Conference League Final.
As qualifying rounds conclude, expectant fans and competing clubs alike are aiming to join the elite list of Conference League winners who transformed summer qualifying runs into indelible European glory.
