UEFA Coefficient: The Best European Club and Country Rankings
How do you tell the best European football clubs when there are so many to keep up with? Various metrics are used to rate teams in men's football, and UEFA coefficients are examples. When learning about football rankings in Europe for both club and country, 'coefficient' is one word that will come up often. What does it mean, though? How does the UEFA coefficient work? Learning more about the ranking system gives you an edge because you know how it influences the sport. For that reason, we put together a simple guide to walk you through the UEFA ranking method.
History of the Coefficients
Before getting technical with the rating system, you should know a bit about the organisation that came up with it. The Union of European Football Associations was established in 1954 and consists of 55 national associations across Europe, Asia and the transcontinental region. UEFA organises club and national competitions, such as the Champions League, Europa League, and since the 2021/2022 season, the Europa Conference League. Teams competing in confederation tournaments not only stand to win prize money but prestige, as well.
With a long list of participating clubs in European football, UEFA saw it necessary to have a method of rating the different teams. So, it came up with the coefficient in 1979. It used the system to assign teams a carefully calculated rating, applied in ranking and seeding for UEFA competitions. The confederation has a coefficient and association coefficient. It also introduced the national men's coefficient in 1997 but has since revised it.
UEFA Club Coefficients
The UEFA coefficient used to rate individual clubs of member associations looks at the performance during the past previous five seasons. Teams receive coefficient points for playing in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). The evaluation system awards points depending on the games played at the stage and the tournament. Below is a further breakdown of the ranking system.
How are UEFA Club Coefficients Calculated?
A team's overall coefficient is the sum of the points awarded for playing in the three main European competitions over the past five seasons. An alternative metric UEFA considers is 20% of a club's association coefficient. It picks the highest figure between the two. The rating is based on weighted arithmetic, derived from the points collected in the specified period. Each match in a tournament is a chance to build the coefficient. During the main stages of the UCL, UEL and UECL, teams get two points for a win, one for a draw and 0 for a loss. The ranking system includes results after extra time. However, outcomes after a penalty shootout don't count; the match is considered a draw.
The method also awards bonus points for reaching the group stage in Europa and Europa Conference. These points don't supplement the win/draw count, though. They serve as an allowance for participating clubs. Bonus points are given for playing in the UCL group stage and the latter rounds contribute to a team's coefficient. Points awarded in the group stage and qualifying rounds are different for each tournament. For example, group runners-up and group winners earn points in the UEL and UECL but not the UCL. Teams in the quarter-finals and semifinals get equal points across the three tournaments. Qualifying rounds only count in club ranking after an elimination.
What Competitions do UEFA Coefficients affect?
We have mentioned how UEFA uses the coefficient to seed teams in European competitions. Which tournaments are these? The confederation focuses on three major ones, highlighted below.
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is Europe's most prestigious men's football competition with the biggest teams on the continent contesting to be the kings of Europe. The annual tournament was introduced in 1955 as the European Cup. Initially, it used a straight knockout format but switched to a round-robin style. It comprises national league champions, but some member associations send one or more runners-up. Spain has dominated the competition, winning 19 titles since it started.
UEFA Europa League
The UEL ranks below the UCL, consisting of clubs that don't make it to the latter. Introduced as the UEFA Cup in 1971, the tournament was rebranded as the Europa League after changing its format. Since the 14-15 season, winning the UEL guarantees a spot in the next UCL. Winners also enter the UEFA Super Cup. Again, Spanish clubs have had the most success in the competition.
Europa Conference League
UEFA launched the UECL in the 21-22 season as the third tier of European football. Qualifications are based on a club's performance in its national league and cup competitions. 10 spots in the tournament go to 10 teams that fail to pass the Europa League playoffs, while the rest are determined through qualifiers. Roma beat Feyenoord to become the first UECL title holder.
Top 3 UEFA Clubs Since 1975
UEFA ranks the clubs of its member associations by adding the points awarded over the last five seasons. The coefficient is an indicator of a team's performance and also impacts ranking and seeding. UEFA first published coefficients from the 1975-1979 period, which are used to rate a club's record. As mentioned, Spanish clubs have dominated the UCL and the UEL, reflecting the overall season coefficients. Here's a look at the ranking's best teams.
Real Madrid
Taking first place with 15 points is Spanish giant, Real Madrid. Founded in 1902, the team is one of the founding members of La Liga, the country's premier division. It has been the UEFA coefficient leader consecutively on three separate occasions; from 1998 to 1995, 1997 to 2005 and 2015 to 2010. Real Madrid stands out both at home and internationally. It has 68 domestic titles, including the most La Liga wins. Real Madrid also has 14 UCL trophies, two UEFA Cups and five UEFA Super Cups, among others.
Juventus
The second-most dominant team in European football according to the UEFA club coefficient is the Italian side, Juventus, with 7 points. Juventus has held the No. 1 position in the ranking four times; from 1983 to 1988, the 1987-1991 season, the 1993-1997 season and from 1995 to 2000. The club was founded in 1897 and ranks at the top of the FIGC classification. Juventus has 14 national league titles, two Champions League trophies, three UEFA Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
Barcelona
Tying for second place with Juventus is another Spanish club, Barcelona. It was the first Spanish side to top the five season coefficients between 1977-1981. Barcelona held the top spot until 1983, then took it from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2008 to 2013. Founded in 1899, Barcelona has 75 domestic titles, five UCL trophies, four UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and five UEFA Super Cups.
UEFA Country Coefficients
The UEFA country ranking pits member associations against one another. An association or country coefficient is calculated by getting the average score from a nation's club points. Therefore, individual club rankings influence a country's overall rating. Keep reading to find out how.
How Does UEFA Calculate National Association Coefficients?
Europe's football governing body rates its member association using the points awarded to its clubs. The total scores from every team playing in European tournaments for the last five seasons are added and then divided by the number of clubs to give the association coefficient. For instance, if Spain has six teams participating in the UCL, UEL and UECL, the country coefficient would be the total points from all the clubs divided by six. When awarding points to clubs, UEFA doesn't recognise match outcomes after penalty shootouts, but it gives bonus points for qualification into the latter rounds.
Teams also receive bonus coefficient points for reaching the group stage in UCL, being group winners and group runners up in the UEL and UECL and playing in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Points allocation varies according to the stage and competition. The UEFA country ranking is used to decide how many positions in European competitions an association gets. The higher an association ranks, the more spots it receives.
What Are the Benefits of Higher Coefficient Points Scored?
Seeding is the chief purpose of the club coefficient. A team's position in the list determines which clubs it faces in the group stage of the competition if it does not have direct qualification. The UEFA country ranking dictates how many teams it sends to the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference. Countries with a high coefficient can send as many as seven clubs to the tournaments. It also means an association's teams play fewer qualifying rounds.
Top 3 UEFA National Associations
An association's coefficient depends on the performance of individual clubs. Some nations boast stronger teams than others, which shows in the UEFA country ranking. Since UEFA began rating European clubs, a handful of associations have occupied the top spot, proving their power as continental superpowers. Below are the top European football associations.
England - The Football Association (FA)
The FA is the world's oldest association, having been formed in 1863. It set the pace in amateur and professional football and is responsible for adapting the Laws of the Game. The FA became a part of FIFA in 1905 and, again in 1924, after it reconsidered its withdrawal from the confederation during WWI. It organises several domestic competitions, including the FA Cup. The association, which joined UEFA in 1954, gets seven spots in European competitions, with the English Premier League (EPL) as the country's top division.
Spain - Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)
The FECF, founded in 1909, was the first Spanish football association but was replaced by the RFEF in 1913 when the association received royal approval. It joined FIFA in 1914 and helped set up UEFA. As part of the association, La Liga is one of the best-performing leagues in the country. Spain sends seven clubs to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
Italy - Italian Football Federation (FIGC)
Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FGIC) was founded in 1898 to govern the sport in Italy. The association runs Coppa Italia and the Italian football league. It became a FIFA member in 1905 and is one of UEFA's founding members. Italy is one of the top-ranked associations in UEFA competitions and gets seven qualifications. Serie A is the country's top division.
Coefficient Schedules - When Are the Coefficients Updated?
If you want to see the latest coefficient for club and country, you can find it on the UEFA website. The organisation publishes coefficients after the completion of UEFA club competitions. After calculating club coefficients, UEFA updates the country ranking. Therefore, all the details are available at the same time.
FAQ on UEFA Men's Coefficients
By this point, you have an idea of what the UEFA coefficient is and how it works. The following section should clear up a few questions.
What is the Point of the UEFA Coefficient?
The confederation needed a way to record the performance of European teams, giving it a reference point for ranking and seeding competitions. Club coefficients help UEFA seed teams for club competitions. Association or country coefficients determine the number of qualification spots UEFA member gets in the UCL, Europa and Europa Conference Leagues. The coefficients are used to draw teams into groups for the season after the next from the date the rankings are published.
When Does UEFA Update Its Coefficients?
How Often are Coefficients Updated on Oddspedia?
At Oddspedia, we ensure that bettors have up-to-date information. Thus, we provide real-time rankings, publishing them as soon as UEFA does. You can be confident about finding accurate information on the platform.
Where Are England In The Current Coefficient?
The latest UEFA country ranking based on the coefficients puts England at No. 1, having accumulated 106.641 points in the past five seasons. England is also the top member association in the 21-22 season coefficient, with 147.000 points and an average of 21.000.
How Does UEFA Rank National Teams?
Previously, UEFA awarded ranking points for games played in the most recent full cycle of the World Cup and European Championship. However, after 2017, the confederation stopped using this coefficient system to rank and seed member associations. Presently, it seeds national teams using the rating of the biennial UEFA Nations League to draw groups for the qualification stage of the Euro tournament.
Where Can I Find The Current UEFA Coefficient?
UEFA publishes club and national coefficients as soon as they are calculated. Thus, you can check out the full standings on the official UEFA website.
Who Is Europe's No.1 Ranked Men's Association?
The current UEFA country ranking has England in first place with a score of 106.641, making it Europe's best men's football association.
Does The No. 1 Club Ranked Team Generally Win The UCL?
Although coefficients show the supposed strength of a team in European football, it doesn't determine how the club performs in the future. So, the top club does not necessarily win the UEFA Champions League. However, it has excellent probabilities, which is why bookies consider it a favourite when offering odds.
What UEFA Ranking Does Germany Have?
Germany is in fourth place in the most recent coefficient ranking, with 71.213 points. The country has been one of the consistently top-ranked teams since the system was put in place.
Who Is the Lowest Ranked UEFA Men's National Team?
San Marino, which has the smallest population of any UEFA member association, ranks last place in the latest coefficient. The national men's team has an average of 1.332 points in a five-year period.
Does the Sweden Women's Team Have a Higher UEFA Coefficient (Ranking) than the Men?
Yes, the women's national team of Sweden is one of the best-performing in the world, presently in fifth place with 36.166 points. In comparison, the men's national team is 23rd in the world according to the coefficient over the last five seasons.
How Do Coefficients Affect The Euros?
The UEFA national men's coefficient was used to seed teams for competitions, but that changed after 2017. Now, seeding is based on a team's ranking in the UEFA Nations League. A national team's position influences the group it's drawn into for the Euro qualification stage. How a team fares at the qualification level determines seeding for the Euro last tournament. Therefore, the national coefficient doesn't have much bearing on what happens in the Euros.
