2017–18 UEFA Champions League
The 2017–18 UEFA Champions League was the 63rd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 26th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv hosted the final | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 27 June – 23 August 2017 Competition proper: 12 September 2017 – 26 May 2018 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 79 (from 54 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Real Madrid (13th title) |
| Runners-up | Liverpool |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 125 |
| Goals scored | 401 (3.21 per match) |
| Attendance | 5,821,673 (46,573 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 15 goals |
| Best player(s) |
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The final was played between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine. Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 to win a record-extending 13th title, their third title in a row and fourth in five seasons.
As winners, Real Madrid qualified as the UEFA representative for the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earned the right to play against the winners of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League, Atlético Madrid, in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup, winning the former. Additionally, they would have been automatically qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage, but since they had already qualified through their league performance, the berth reserved was given to the champions of the 2017–18 Czech First League, the 11th-ranked association according to the 2018–19 access list. This edition of the Champions League was particularly influenced by controversial refereeing decisions, such as two clear penalties not given to AS Roma in the semifinal. These controversies were among the reasons that pushed UEFA to introduce VAR in the competition starting from the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League.