The silver prize raised each spring is far more than metal and handles. Nicknamed Big Ears for its curved side pieces the current UEFA Champions League trophy was created in nineteen sixty seven after the original cup was awarded permanently to Real Madrid. Standing seventy four centimetres tall and weighing seven point five kilograms it remains one of world sport’s most recognisable icons.

Only clubs that win the competition five times overall or three times in succession earn the right to keep an authorised replica. That elite group features Real Madrid Liverpool Bayern Munich Milan Ajax and Barcelona. Every other champion returns the silverware to UEFA headquarters in Nyon each August where it is polished inspected and carried to the group stage draw for the new campaign.

The handover ceremony links generations of memories. The outgoing captain places the cup on a plinth before the next host city mayor who vows to safeguard it until the following final. Supporters see this moment as a symbolic reset connecting eras and reminding everyone that history is never finished.

Design tweaks across six decades have been minimal. The European Champion Clubs Cup inscription remains in the original script and small plaques on the base record each winner. Medals mirror the trophy’s profile and use the star ball introduced in nineteen ninety two when the tournament was rebranded.

Because replicas cannot be produced without UEFA approval the trophy’s aura grows. Players understand they cannot buy borrow or commission it. They must conquer an entire continent to hold it aloft and in doing so secure a place in football folklore that endures long after confetti has been swept away.