UEFA Plans Nepal Flood Tribute at Champions League Matches

UEFA will hold a moment of silence before every Champions League match this week in solidarity with victims of the devastating flash floods in Nepal. European football’s governing body also said a banner carrying the message, “You are not alone Nepal”, will be displayed ahead of the games.

The tribute is scheduled across a week in which 14 Champions League matches will be played in the region, beginning on Tuesday. UEFA’s decision places support for those affected by the disaster at the centre of the pre-match programme throughout the competition’s fixture list.

UEFA announces message of support for Nepal

UEFA confirmed the planned gesture in a post on X, stating that a moment of silence and a banner would be used “as a sign of solidarity and support” before all UEFA Champions League matches this week. The banner’s message is intended to underline the organisation’s support for Nepal as recovery efforts continue following the floods.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the European football family would stand together before this week’s matches in support of the people of Nepal. He said: “We wish them strength and resilience as they continue to recover from this tragedy and its aftermath.”

The announcement comes as the scale of the disaster continued to emerge. The number of casualties in Nepal had risen to 1,355 on Monday, according to the information in the report. Authorities were recovering more bodies from affected areas while rescue teams continued searching for 4,996 missing people, including at least 589 foreign nationals.

A total of 13,396 people had been rescued, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. UEFA’s planned observance will therefore take place while search and rescue work remains ongoing and many people remain unaccounted for.

The minute’s silence will be observed ahead of every match rather than at a single selected fixture. That means the message of support will be repeated across the Champions League schedule during the week, with players taking part before kick-off and the solidarity banner displayed in advance of the games.

Champions League schedule includes major fixtures

Barcelona’s meeting with Feyenoord at Camp Nou on September 9 is among the fixtures listed for this week. Liverpool will then face Atletico Madrid at Anfield on September 10.

Other prominent clubs named in the week’s Champions League programme include Paris-Saint Germain, who will play Slovan Bratislava; Manchester United, who are set to face Sabah FK; and Arsenal, who will meet Napoli. Each of the 14 matches is set to form part of UEFA’s competition-wide tribute.

For UEFA, the move brings a common pre-match observance to the Champions League calendar at a time of major humanitarian loss in Nepal. The silence and banner will offer a visible expression of support before the action begins, while the message “You are not alone Nepal” will be displayed across the week’s fixtures.

The planned tribute does not alter the match schedule outlined for the week. Instead, it will take place ahead of kick-off, ensuring that the solidarity message is shared across every Champions League game scheduled from Tuesday onward.