How does the Champions League format work?

The Champions League was revamped before the 2024-25 season with a new 36-team league phase.

In the expanded tournament each side plays eight different teams – four at home and four away – in the league phase.

Teams who finish in the top eight automatically qualify for the last 16, while those placing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Sides who finish 25th or lower will be eliminated – and will not drop into the Europa League.

Last season Liverpool topped the table with 21 points, while Arsenal and Aston Villa also made the top eight.

Celtic, Newcastle and Manchester City progressed to the play-off round, as did 24th-placed Club Brugge with just 11 points.

What about the knockout stages?

From the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its previous format, with a series of two-legged knockout games culminating in the final on Saturday, 30 May in Budapest.

As was the case last season, there will be no away goals rule.

Clubs finishing in the top eight of the league phase will be seeded and drawn against the winners of the knockout play-offs in the last 16.

The top-eight finishers will all play their second legs at home.

Paris St-Germain lift the Champions League trophy in 2024-25
Paris St-Germain won the first Champions League in the new format [Getty Images]

How many British teams are in the Champions League?

Six English teams have qualified for the Champions League this season, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle securing their spots with top-five Premier League finishes. Tottenham sealed their place by winning the Europa League.

Sixth-placed Aston Villa had to settle for the Europa League, along with Nottingham Forest. FA Cup winners Crystal Palace are in the Conference League, having been demoted from the Europa League over multi-club ownership rules.

Celtic and Rangers both missed out on qualifying for the main draw.

How many more games will be played and when will they be played?

The number of matches in the new format increased the overall total from 125 to 189.

Each team plays a minimum of eight games – instead of six – and a maximum of 17.

In standard weeks, Champions League matches will still be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

In the Champions League exclusive weeks – when no other European competitions are played – games will be played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The league phase will now finish at the end of January instead of during December.

Who is playing in the Champions League?

England (6): Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham

Spain (5): Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao

Germany (4): Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt

Italy (4): Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta, Napoli

France (3): Paris St-Germain, Marseille, Monaco

Netherlands (2): Ajax, PSV Eindhoven

Portugal (2): Sporting, Benfica

Belgium (2): Club Brugge, Union Saint-Gilloise

Azerbaijan (1): Qarabag

Cyprus (1): Pafos

Czech Republic (1): Slavia Prague

Denmark (1): FC Copenhagen

Greece (1): Olympiakos

Kazakhstan (1): Kairat Almaty

Norway (1): Bodo/Glimt

Turkey (1): Galatasaray

How has the Champions League format changed over the years?

Europe’s premier competition began in 1955-56 as a six-team invitational tournament, initially known as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup.

From 1967, the competition was renamed the European Cup and grew to 32 teams, featuring four two-legged rounds prior to a final – a model which would last for more than 20 years.

The Champions League as we know it began in 1992.

A group stage was added with the last 16 entering a knockout phase.

There was a brief spell with two group stages, but this was reverted back to the single group-stage format for the 2003-04 tournament.

The group stage previously featured 32 teams in eight groups of four – with the top two sides from each of those groups qualifying for the last 16.

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