Just 11 years after their formation, Cypriot side Pafos FC will make their Champions League debut on Wednesday, capping a rapid and unlikely rise through European football. Fresh off their first domestic league title and a Conference League last-16 run, Pafos navigated past Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv, and Red Star Belgrade to reach the group stage. Their reward? Eight league-phase games, including high-profile clashes with Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Former Chelsea and Brazil defender David Luiz, who joined the club in August, described the team’s qualification as “ecstasy,” saying: “Nobody expected us to be in the Champions League this season.” Pafos begin their historic campaign with an away tie against Olympiakos in Greece.