TL;DR
- UEFA Champions League 2024/25 features a new league phase replacing the group stage.
- 36 teams compete in a single league, playing eight different opponents home and away.
- Top eight advance directly to Round of 16; 9th-24th enter playoffs; bottom 12 eliminated.
- Knockout stage remains two-leg matches, with the final on May 30, 2026, in Budapest.
The UEFA Champions League went through fairly major changes for the 2024/25 season.
The early stage of the tournament was changed quite significantly, moving from a group phase to a 'league phase', with the list of clubs expanded and the number of matches each team plays increased. UEFA is confident the alterations will make for a more exciting competition in which "bigger" clubs will face one another more often.
Last season appeared to be successful. The initial weeks featured numerous so-called "big" squads facing each other sooner than typical, with some even finding it difficult to advance from the league stage to the elimination rounds. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, narrowly avoided being knocked out before eventually securing their first-ever championship.
Before the league-phase draw for the 2025/26 season on August 28, find out all about the format and what's coming.
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Here's how the UEFA Champions League competition is structured
Starting with the 2024/25 season, the Champions League's primary change involves replacing the group stage with a novel 'league phase', alongside an expansion of participating teams from 32 to 36.
Previously, 32 teams advanced to the tournament's opening phase. These teams were subsequently divided into eight quartets, with rankings employed to aid in their placement. This constituted the 'group stage'.
In the competition's initial phase, all 36 teams are organized into a league structure. Every team will compete against eight different opponents, playing four matches at home and four away, with these pairings decided by a draw for the league stage. Subsequently, 16 teams will advance from this phase to the knockout rounds, commencing with The Round of 16. This knockout stage adheres to the standard format, featuring two-leg matches between opposing teams, where the victor progresses to the subsequent round, continuing this pattern until the championship match.
The 2025/26 Champions League will feature how many teams?
This season's Champions League phase draw features 36 teams, an increase of four from previous years. Nations with the highest UEFA co-efficient scores, namely England and Spain based on last season's performance, received these extra slots.
MORE: All the teams in this season's league phase — and how they qualified
The Champions League is adopting a 'Swiss model' format.
You might've encountered this new Champions League format referred to as a "Swiss model". This is basically an alternative way to explain the shift to the updated "league phase" format for the initial stage of the main competition.
You can read more about the so-called Swiss model — and why UEFA chose to adopt it — here.
The 'league phase' refers to a stage in a competition where teams compete against each other in a series of matches, typically with a point system determining their ranking.
In the league phase, 36 teams compete in a single large standings, instead of being split into groups of four.
This drawing process decides the matchups for the tournament's initial stage. Every team will compete against eight different opponents, playing half their games on home turf and the other half away. Similar to standard league football globally, a victory yields three points, while a tie results in one point.
Following the league phase, the eight highest-ranked teams will secure direct entry into the Round of 16. Those finishing between 9th and 24th will compete in a playoff round, where teams ranked 9th through 16th will face unseeded opponents from 17th to 24th. The victors of these two-match playoff contests will also progress to the Round of 16.
The bottom 12 teams at the end of the league phase are eliminated.
The draw still utilizes seedings, similar to the former group stage format, ensuring teams face a variety of opponents based on their Champions League experience and historical success. Four seeding pots are employed, with each team scheduled to compete against two teams from every pot. According to UEFA: "This gives the opportunity for clubs to test themselves against a wider range of opponents and raises the prospect for fans of seeing the top teams go head to head more often and earlier in the competition. It will also result in more competitive matches for every club across the board."
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Yes, teams can still be relegated to the Europa League.
Previously, Champions League group third-placers found some comfort by moving to the Europa League (or, in recent seasons, a Europa League playoff). This is no longer true.
Starting with the 2024/25 season, the 12 teams that end up in the lowest positions of the Champions League phase do not will be out of European competition for the season. They will not be moved to the Europa League; instead, they'll be eliminated from All European tournaments.
What's the process for the knockout stage?
The knockout phase has had little change, despite the new expanded format for the league phase.
Sixteen teams in total, comprising the league's top eight and the victors of the playoff matches, will secure spots in the Round of 16. Following this, the established system of two-game knockout confrontations will continue, with the victors of each pairing progressing to the quarterfinals, subsequently the semifinals, and ultimately the final.
The 2026 Champions League final will be held on May 30, 2026.
Budapest, Hungary's Puskas Arena will host the 2026 Champions League final on May 30.