Conference League Winners: Complete Champions List, European Rewards, And Prize Money
Since its inaugural tournament in 2021, the UEFA Conference League has rewritten the narrative for European football clubs seeking international glory. Offering both major continental silverware and an automatic gateway into the UEFA Europa League, the competition has delivered high-octane drama and historic victories for clubs across the continent.
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up | Final Score | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Roma | Feyenoord | 1–0 | Air Albania Stadium, Tirana |
| 2022–23 | West Ham United | Fiorentina | 2–1 | Fortuna Arena, Prague |
| 2023–24 | Olympiacos | Fiorentina | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | OPAP Arena, Athens |
| 2024–25 | Chelsea | Real Betis | 4–1 | Wrocław Stadium, Wrocław |
From Tirana to Wrocław: How Champions Carved Their Legacy
The tournament opened its history books when AS Roma secured the inaugural trophy in May 2022 under manager José Mourinho, defeating Feyenoord 1–0 in Tirana. The victory marked Roma’s first major European trophy in over six decades, instantly validating the competition's prestige and competitive intensity.
One year later, West Ham United ended a 43-year major trophy drought by overcoming Italian side Fiorentina in Prague. Jarrod Bowen’s dramatic 90th-minute winner cemented the Hammers in English football history and highlighted the transformative emotional and economic impact of lifting the title.
The 2023–24 edition delivered historic scenes for Greek football when Olympiacos lifted the trophy on home soil in Athens. Forward Ayoub El Kaabi scored a late extra-time header to defeat Fiorentina, securing the first-ever senior UEFA club competition title for a Greek team. In the 2024–25 final, Chelsea demonstrated Premier League dominance with a decisive 4–1 victory over Real Betis in Wrocław, joining the elite roster of winners.
Europa League Spots and Multi-Million Euro Financial Windfalls
Lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy delivers long-term structural benefits far beyond the immediate silver hardware. The winner earns an automatic position in the league phase of the subsequent season’s UEFA Europa League, bypassing precarious domestic qualifying spots.
The financial financial impact provides significant balance-sheet elevation:
- Direct Final Prize: The tournament champion receives a direct €5 million payout for winning the final match alone.
- Cumulative Earnings: Total prize money—including group/league stage performance bonuses and coefficient shares—frequently exceeds €15 million to €20 million for the winning club.
- Europa League Base Fee: Transitioning into the Europa League guarantees an additional multi-million euro baseline entry fee for the following season.
- Coefficient Growth: Success heavily boosts a club's UEFA coefficient ranking, improving future tournament seeding.
Why UEFA Conference League winners Chelsea won't be involved in Super Cup
The Expanded Format and the 2026–27 European Campaign
With UEFA’s expanded 36-team single-league system now active across European competitions, the Conference League features a fast-paced fixture schedule where every goal impacts the global standings. Each participant faces six different opponents during the initial phase, eliminating traditional four-team groups.
As the 2026–27 European campaign gets underway this August 2026, teams from across Europe are pushing through qualifying rounds to lock in their league phase berths. Official broadcast partners, including TNT Sports in the United Kingdom and Paramount+ in the United States, continue providing live multi-platform coverage as a new generation of contenders aims for European glory.
