Champions League Anthem: The full lyrics for football's most famous song

Played before kick-off in every match in Europe's top competition, the composition has taken on iconic status for football fans across the continent

Of all the songs and chants that have soundtracked football matches over the years, the most famous might be the one that was composed in a studio.

The Champions League Anthem has taken on iconic status among football fans since being introduced for the debut of the new competition in 1992, building up the anticipation of the crowd by being played immediately before kick-off in every match in the competition.

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It even reaches those watching at home as it is given an airing at the beginning and end of every match broadcast around the world, though it is not available to buy or download legally.

The anthem was composed by Tony Britten, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, in the style of the famous 18th-century musician George Frederic Handel. It is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields chorus, both of which are based in London.

«The idea of the Champions League was to make the game beautiful again and the music had to reflect this quality,» Britten told UEFA.tv of the composition.

The lyrics are a mix of UEFA's three official languages: English, French and German. The full words, as well as an English translation, can be found below and it can be listened to here.

Ce sont les meilleures équipes

Es sind die allerbesten Mannschaften

The main event

Die Meister

Die Besten

Les grandes équipes

The champions

Une grande réunion

Eine grosse sportliche Veranstaltung

The main event

Die Meister

Die