Conference League

Conference League Overview

Crystal Palace v Everton - Premier League

Wharton 'not going to sit and cry' over England World Cup snub

Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has insisted he will not "sit and cry" after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup. Despite a fine individual campaign at Selhurst Park, the 22-year-old midfielder was the high-profile absentee from the 26-man travelling party announced last week.

England v Uruguay - International Friendly

Hoddle slams Tuchel for picking Henderson over Wharton

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has launched a fierce critique against Thomas Tuchel following the omission of Adam Wharton from the World Cup squad. The teenage maestro inspired Crystal Palace to their historic continental victory just days after being overlooked in favour of veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson for the tournament in the United States.

FBL-EUR-C4-CRYSTAL PALACE-RAYO VALLECANO

'Ruins my party!' - Wharton gutted to see celebrations delayed

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton has revealed his frustration at missing the initial dressing-room celebrations following the Eagles' historic Conference League triumph. The England international was immediately pulled away for a random UEFA doping test after the final whistle, temporarily delaying his plans to celebrate their continental silverware with team-mates.

Crystal Palace Conference League ratings GFX

England reject Wharton stars as Palace win Conference League

Adam Wharton was the star of the show as Oliver Glasner gave Crystal Palace fans the perfect parting gift by leading the Londoners to a fully deserved 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the final of the Conference League on Wednesday night. Right from the first whistle, Wharton had the look of a man determined to make a mockery of Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave him out of the England squad for this summer's World Cup in North America.

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Standings

PosTeamPWDLFA+/-PTSForm
1Strasbourg crestStrasbourg6510115616
W
W
W
W
D
2Rakow Czestochowa crestRakow Czestochowa642092714
W
W
W
D
D
3AEK Athens crestAEK Athens6411147713
W
W
W
D
W
4Sparta Prague crestSparta Prague6411103713
W
W
W
D
L
5Rayo Vallecano crestRayo Vallecano6411137613
W
W
L
W
D
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Frequently asked questions

Since the Conference League's inception in 2021, three teams have lifted the trophy: Roma, West Ham United, and the current champions, Olympiacos.

The newest format, introduced ahead of the 2024-25 season, features 36 teams, four more than in the previous format.

Mainz 05 midfielder Hong Hyun-seok and Gent captain Sven Kums have made 39 appearances each in the Conference League, making them the players with the most appearances in the competition.

As for top goalscorers, Arthur Cabral leads the list with 21 goals to his name, including those scored in the qualifying phase. However, without taking into account goals scored in the qualifying phase, three players have scored the joint-most goals in Conference League with 12 each to their names: Arthur Cabral, Eran Zahavi, and Vangelis Pavlidis.

Darian Males, Gavriel Kanichowsky, and Cristiano Biraghi have the most assists in Conference League history, registering eight assists each.

Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina, while playing for Villarreal in 2023, became the oldest player to feature in the Conference League at 40 years and 175 days.

Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi holds the record as the Conference League's youngest-ever player at the tender age of 16 years and 3 days.

Stars such as Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Tammy Abraham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins,Co Mario Gotze, Kasper Schmeichel, Cody Gakpo, Stephan El Shaarawy, James Maddison, Jonathan David, and Edin Dzeko have played in the Conference League.

Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho, Unai Emery, David Moyes, and Ange Postecoglou are among the most famous managers to have managed in the Conference League.