The 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League was the 20th edition of the European women's club football championship organised by UEFA, and the 12th edition since being rebranded as the UEFA Women's Champions League.
The final was held at the Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden. The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League automatically qualified for the 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League group stage, which will be the first edition to feature a 16-team group stage.
Lyon were the defending champions, having won the previous five editions, but were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals. Barcelona won their first title by beating Chelsea in the final, becoming the first club to have won both men's and women's Champions League titles.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, each local health department allowed a different number of spectators.
Association team allocation The association ranking based on the UEFA women's country coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association: Associations 1–12 each had two teams qualify. All other associations, if they entered, each had one team qualify. The winners of the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League were given an additional entry if they did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League through their domestic league. However, the title holders had qualified through their domestic league, meaning the additional entry was not necessary for this season.
An association had to have an eleven-a-side women's domestic league to enter a team. In 2019–20, 52 of the 55 UEFA member associations organized a women's domestic league, with the exceptions being Andorra, Liechtenstein and San Marino.
Association ranking For the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2019 UEFA women's country coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2014–15 to 2018–19. For the first time there were two entries for the Netherlands and Kazakhstan.
+Association ranking for 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions LeagueRankAssociationCoeff.Teams190.5002277.500353.500453.500552.000639.000736.500833.000931.0001030.0001128.5001226.0001326.00011424.5001521.0001621.0001719.0001819.0001918.000RankAssociationCoeff.Teams2013.50012112.5002212.0002312.0002411.0002510.5002610.5002710.5002810.000299.500309.000318.500328.000337.500345.500355.000365.000374.500RankAssociationCoeff.Teams383.0001392.500402.500412.000421.500431.000441.000451.000460.500470.000480.000490.000—————— Notes
NR – No rank (association did not enter in any of the seasons used for computing coefficients) DNE – Did not enter NL – No women's domestic league
Distribution Unlike the men's Champions League, not every association entered a team, and so the exact number of teams entering in the qualifying rounds (played as two rounds of single-legged ties for this season) and knockout phase (starting from the round of 32, played as home-and-away two-legged ties except for the one-match final) could not be determined until the full entry list was known. In general, the title holders, the champions of the top 12 associations, and the runners-up of highest-ranked associations (exact number depending on the number of entries) received a bye to the round of 32. All other teams (runners-up of lowest-ranked associations and champions of associations starting from 13th) entered the qualifying round, with the group winners and a maximum of two best runners-up advancing to the round of 32.
The following is the access list for this season.
+Access list for 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions LeagueTeams entering in this roundTeams advancing from previous roundFirst qualifying round(40 teams)38 champions from associations 13 or lower 2 runners-up from associations 11–12Second qualifying round(20 teams)20 winners of first qualifying roundKnockout phase(32 teams)12 champions from associations 1–12 (including title holders Lyon) 10 runners-up from associations 1–1010 winners of second qualifying round
Teams In early April 2020, UEFA announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the deadline for entering the tournament had been postponed until further notice. On 17 June 2020, UEFA announced that associations had to enter their teams by 10 August 2020. The 2020–21 season was the first where teams had to obtain a UEFA club licence to participate in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
A total of 62 teams from 50 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated in the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League.
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: TH: Title holders 1st, 2nd: League positions of the previous season Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe as determined by the national association; all teams were subject to approval by UEFA as per the guidelines for entry to European competitions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
+Qualified teams for 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions LeagueEntry roundTeams Lyon TH Paris Saint-Germain VfL Wolfsburg Bayern Munich Chelsea Manchester City Rosengård Kopparbergs/Göteborg Barcelona Atlético Madrid Slavia Prague Sparta Prague Fortuna Hjørring Brøndby Juventus Fiorentina Servette Chênois Zürich PSV Ajax LSK Kvinner BIIK Kazygurt Vålerenga Okzhetpes CSKA Moscow Glasgow City Valur Gintra Universitetas Apollon Limassol St. Pölten Górnik Łęczna Spartak Subotica FC Minsk SFK 2000 Olimpia Cluj Benfica PAOK Anderlecht Ferencváros Zhytlobud-2 Kharkiv HJK Split Peamount United Pomurje ALG Spor Vllaznia NSA Sofia Ramat HaSharon Flora Slovan Bratislava Swansea City KÍ Linfield Breznica Pljevlja Birkirkara Mitrovica Rīgas FS Agarista Anenii Noi Kamenica Sasa Lanchkhuti Racing FC Alashkert Notes
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws were held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland). The tournament would have originally started in August 2020, but was initially delayed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. However, due to the continuing pandemic in Europe, UEFA announced a new format and schedule on 16 September 2020. Instead of mini-tournaments, the qualifying rounds were played as two rounds of single leg knockout matches.
+PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingFirst qualifying round22 October 20203–4 November 2020Second qualifying round6 November 202018–19 November 2020Knockout phaseRound of 3224 November 20208–9 December 202015–16 December 2020Round of 1616 February 20213–4 March 202110–11 March 2021Quarter-finals12 March 202123–24 March 202131 March – 1 April 2021Semi-finals24–25 April 20211–2 May 2021Final16 May 2021 at Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, and the schedule announced in June 2020, under the original format, was as follows.
+PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingQualifying round19 June 202012, 15 & 18 August 2020Knockout phaseRound of 3221 August 20207–8 October 202014–15 October 2020Round of 1619 October 202011–12 November 202018–19 November 2020Quarter-finals27 November 202023–24 March 202131 March – 1 April 2021Semi-finals24–25 April 20211–2 May 2021Final16 May 2021 at Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg
+PhaseRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legQualifyingQualifying roundSeptember 20207, 10 & 13 October 2020Knockout phaseRound of 32October 202011–12 November 202018–19 November 2020Round of 16November 20203–4 March 202110–11 March 2021Quarter-finalsMarch 202123–24 March 202131 March – 1 April 2021Semi-finals24–25 April 20211–2 May 2021Final16 May 2021 at Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the following special rules were applicable to the competition: If there were travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented the away team from entering the home team's country or returning to their own country, the match could be played at a neutral country or the away team's country that allowed the match to take place. If a team refused to play or was considered responsible for a match not taking place, they were considered to have forfeited the match. If both teams refused to play or were considered responsible for a match not taking place, both teams were disqualified. If a team had players and/or officials tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus preventing them from playing the match before the deadline set by UEFA, they were considered to have forfeited the match.
On 24 September 2020, UEFA announced that five substitutions would be permitted, with a sixth allowed in extra time. However, each team was only given three opportunities to make substitutions during matches, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time. Consequently, a maximum of twelve players could be listed on the substitute bench.
Qualifying rounds
First qualifying round
Second qualifying round
Knockout phase
Bracket
Round of 32
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics Top goalscorers
There were 318 goals scored in 89 matches, with an average of goals per match.
Goals scored in qualifying rounds count toward the topscorer award.
RankPlayerTeamGoalsTotal1 Jennifer Hermoso Barcelona—66 Fran Kirby Chelsea—63 Lieke Martens Barcelona—55 Sam Mewis Manchester City—55 Jelena Čanković Rosengård—44 Pernille Harder Chelsea—4 Marie-Antoinette Katoto Paris Saint-Germain—4 Špela Kolbl Pomurje31 Sydney Lohmann Bayern Munich—4 Melvine Malard Lyon—4 Asisat Oshoala Barcelona—4 Natia Pantsulaia Zhytlobud-2 Kharkiv40 Violeta Slović Spartak Subotica40 Sanne Troelsgaard Rosengård—4
Notes
Squad of the season The following 23 players were named in the squad of the season by the UEFA's technical observers:
PlayerTeam(s) Ann-Katrin Berger Chelsea Christiane Endler Paris Saint-Germain Sandra Paños Barcelona Magdalena Eriksson Chelsea Marina Hegering Bayern Munich Kathrin Hendrich VfL Wolfsburg Ashley Lawrence Paris Saint-Germain María Pilar León Barcelona Irene Paredes Paris Saint-Germain Aitana Bonmati Barcelona Grace Geyoro Paris Saint-Germain Patricia Guijarro Barcelona Sophie Ingle Chelsea Sydney Lohmann Bayern Munich Lina Magull Bayern Munich Sam Mewis Manchester City Alexia Putellas Barcelona Caroline Graham Hansen Barcelona Pernille Harder Chelsea Jennifer Hermoso Barcelona Sam Kerr Chelsea Fran Kirby Chelsea Lieke Martens Barcelona
Players of the season
Votes were cast for players of the season by coaches of the sixteen teams who participated in the tournament's round of 16, together with twenty journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group who specialize in women's football. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams. Jury members selected their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The shortlist of the top three players was announced on 13 August 2021. The award winners were announced and presented during the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Turkey on 26 August 2021.
Goalkeeper of the season RankPlayerTeam(s)PointsShortlist of top three1 Sandra Paños Barcelona952 Christiane Endler Paris Saint-Germain903 Ann-Katrin Berger Chelsea60Players ranked 4–74 Ellie Roebuck Manchester City85 Sarah Bouhaddi Lyon46 Katarzyna Kiedrzynek VfL Wolfsburg37 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin Atlético Madrid1
Defender of the season RankPlayerTeam(s)PointsShortlist of top three1 Irene Paredes Paris Saint-Germain622 Mapi León Barcelona563 Magdalena Eriksson Chelsea42Players ranked 4–104 Ashley Lawrence Paris Saint-Germain295 Marina Hegering Bayern Munich246 Wendie Renard Lyon167 Marta Torrejón Barcelona98 Millie Bright Chelsea69 Laia Aleixandri Atlético Madrid3 Lucy Bronze Manchester City
Midfielder of the season