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While the World Cup may be the most prestigious event for national teams, for clubs that honour belongs to the Champions League. Despite being restricted to European teams, the Champions League is still considered the most important club football competition in the world.

Some of the biggest players who have never had the chance to represent their country at the World Cup have lifted the Champions League trophy, and the competition's legacy is obvious in the way that several other confederations, such as the AFC and CONCACAF, have created their own Champions League tournaments.

The UEFA Champions League began in 1955, but it has only been in its current format since 1992. Similar to the World Cup, 32 of the top domestic clubs from around Europe are given the honour of competing in the annual Champions League competition.

While some countries are given special precedence over others (for example, the English Premier League allows direct qualification for their top teams, because the quality of the league is much higher than that of something like the Dutch domestic league), others have to compete in two-legged qualifying fixtures in order to reach the group stage of the tournament. This not only allows for more matches to be played (and therefore more football betting), it also means that small and unknown clubs have the chance to take on some of the biggest teams in Europe.

While the World Cup is reserved for play only once every four years, the Champions League is contested on a yearly basis, alongside the standard European season. Teams that compete in the tournament must battle against fatigue not just from the added number of fixtures, but also from the excessive travelling to different regions of Europe. It is the price that players must pay if they wish to attain the highest honour in club football.

Over the years, there have been plenty of teams that have lifted the Champions League trophy, and some have even won it in a season where they also picked up the league title and cup - such as Barcelona in 2008/09. Their trio of trophies was matched by Inter last season, who collected the Champions League, Coppa Italia, and Serie A titles.

Twenty-one teams in total have won the Champions League, with Real Madrid topping the list at nine wins and three runners-up finishes - although their most recent came way back in 2002. Other famous teams that have claimed the trophy include AC Milan, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United. Valencia currently share the unlucky honours of most Champions League final appearances without winning the title.

If you are looking for information on European competitions, stay tuned for our more in-depth pages on the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga.