UEFA receives integrity award for Women's EURO 2025 and 2024/25 Champions League

Presented by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), UEFA has been awarded the Sport Event of the Year at the inaugural Sport Integrity Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which celebrates the highest integrity standards across the sports industry.

The award recognises two milestone competitions: UEFA Women's EURO 2025 and the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. The panel praised both competitions, which demonstrated UEFA's leadership not only in sporting excellence, but also in how fair play, integrity and responsible governance are embedded into the sport.

A landmark Women's EURO

Women's EURO 2025 made history on several fronts, setting the record for the highest-attended Women's EURO in history, as well as providing scintillating action on the pitch.

In presenting UEFA with the award, SIGA recognised how the tournament's comprehensive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy ensured that environmental responsibility, human rights and transparent operations were integrated into every stage of its delivery.

Initiatives such as free public transport for fans, circular waste management and pre-tournament integrity briefings confirmed UEFA's commitment to sustainability and integrity.

New Champions League format shows merits

Following extensive consultation with clubs, leagues and player bodies, the 2024/25 Champions League featured the introduction of a new format with a 36-team league phase. This change reinforced the principles of sporting merit, inclusivity and fair play across European football.

It also reflected UEFA's broader sustainability and governance goals, supported by our Sustainable Infrastructure and Circular Economy guidelines being applied across club competitions.

"We are honoured to receive the Sport Integrity Award, which recognises not only two landmark competitions but also the values that underpin everything we do," said UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, who was in Riyadh to collect the award on UEFA's behalf.

"Integrity is the foundation of football's credibility and this award affirms our commitment to governance, transparency and sustainability across all our events. From making sporting merit and inclusivity central to the new Champions League format to delivering a Women's EURO that championed equal opportunities and environmental responsibility, UEFA strives to lead by example, ensuring that football is managed with fairness, respect and integrity for generations to come."