Cup Live Scores, Results & Statistics

Cup is Liechtenstein’s national men’s knockout competition, officially known as the Liechtenstein Cup. Established in 1945 and organised by the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV), it occupies a distinctive place in European football: Liechtenstein has no national league, so the cup is the country’s principal domestic competition and its route to UEFA club competition.

A national competition within the Swiss football system

Liechtenstein’s senior clubs play their league football in the Swiss pyramid rather than in a separate Liechtenstein league. The Liechtenstein Cup therefore provides the country’s own national championship occasion, bringing together clubs that otherwise compete across Switzerland’s divisions. Its winner represents Liechtenstein in the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds, giving the competition importance far beyond its small geographical footprint.

The competition is a men’s tournament and has been contested since its foundation in the mid-1940s. Xtra-Stats records six seasons, from 2020 through 2025, providing the statistical coverage shown on this page. The historical competition extends beyond that recorded data range.

Who can enter the Liechtenstein Cup?

The field is built around Liechtenstein’s seven LFV-affiliated senior clubs: FC Balzers, FC Eschen/Mauren, FC Ruggell, FC Schaan, FC Triesen, FC Triesenberg and FC Vaduz. Depending on the season, reserve and third teams connected to these clubs can also participate. This is one of the tournament’s defining features, because it allows development sides to compete against senior teams and can create meetings between teams from the same club in the later rounds.

The number of entrants can therefore exceed the number of senior clubs. When the field is larger than 16 teams, an initial qualifying or preliminary round may be used to reduce it. Lower-level sides and reserve teams generally enter earlier, while the strongest clubs, assessed partly through their position in the Swiss league structure, can receive byes into a later stage. The precise entry points and draw arrangements may vary by edition.

Single-match knockout format

The Liechtenstein Cup is decided through single-elimination ties: a team must win each match to continue. Preliminary rounds are followed by the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, although the exact number of opening rounds depends on the size of the field. Draws determine the bracket and pairings, with seeding used to place leading clubs into the later stages.

Home advantage is an important part of the format. Early-round fixtures are commonly hosted by the lower-ranked team or allocated to the first team drawn, while lower-division clubs are typically favoured with home venues through the quarter-finals. Arrangements restricting senior and reserve teams from the same club from meeting before the semi-finals may also apply. These provisions help preserve competitive balance while retaining the unpredictability of an open knockout tournament.

How matches are decided

Every tie is settled on the day; there are no replays. Matches consist of two 45-minute halves. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time. Should the scores remain level, a penalty shootout determines which side advances. This creates a clear conclusion for every round and adds particular tension to the later stages.

Season calendar and final

The tournament normally follows a European autumn-to-spring schedule. Preliminary and opening rounds usually begin in August or September, with the Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals spread across the autumn, winter and early spring. The final is generally played in May as the domestic season reaches its conclusion.

Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz, Liechtenstein’s national stadium, is the customary setting for the showpiece match. The final is often scheduled around the Ascension Day holiday, reinforcing its status as a major annual event in the country’s sporting calendar. Because the competition is played alongside the Swiss league season, its rounds are arranged to fit the wider calendar followed by the participating clubs.

The route to Europe

Winning the Liechtenstein Cup delivers the country’s key club-football prize: a place in the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds. For clubs operating in the Swiss amateur and semi-professional divisions, that creates an opportunity to face opponents from across Europe and to gain valuable sporting and financial exposure. The winner’s European campaign also gives the cup a significance that cannot be measured only by domestic participation.

FC Vaduz has dominated the competition historically and holds the record for the most Liechtenstein Cup victories by a single club, with more than 50 titles. Even so, the tournament’s knockout structure preserves the possibility of a breakthrough by another of the country’s seven senior clubs. That combination of national identity, Swiss league connections, reserve-team access and a direct European reward makes the Liechtenstein Cup one of the most distinctive competitions in European football.