The New Format of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League

When the 2023/24 UCL final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund finished at Wembley on the 1st of June, it signalled the end of the format that we had all come to know very well. The 2024/25 edition of this prestigious competition will have a brand new format that will see more teams compete, give us more games to enjoy, and provide more prize money for the teams that are involved. By the time you get to the end of this article, you will know all that you need to know about this new format.

The Main Change is to the Group Stage

The main change to the competition is that the group stage has been done away with. Previously, 32 teams used to be divided into eight groups of four, but now all 36 teams will be put into a single league. Each team will play eight games against eight different teams, with four matches being played at home and four being played away.

Once these games have been played, the top eight teams will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those teams that finish in 9th to 24th will take part in two-legged play-offs to see who go through. The bottom eight teams will find themselves eliminated from the competition. In the past, they would have dropped down to the Europa League, but this is no longer the case.

The 36 teams will be split into four pots based on their UEFA seedings, with each team playing two teams from every pot. The idea behind this was that it would give the lower-ranked teams a greater chance to make it through to the knockout rounds because they will come up against two teams that theoretically are of a similar quality. With the old format, they would be put in a group with three teams from the higher pots.

How Will Play-Offs and Knockouts Work?

The teams that finish in 9th to 16th place will be seeded for the play-off draw, which means that they will face one of the teams that finishes in 17th to 24th. In principle, this means that they should get an easier tie and will play their second leg with home advantage. For the round of 16, the teams that managed to automatically qualify will be seeded and drawn against one of the play-off winners.

Knockout games will be played across two legs still, but clubs, for the first time, will be able to plot their way to the final after the round of 16 draw has been completed. The draw from this point will be similar to a tennis draw, with the best two sides from the league unable to meet each other until the final.

A Longer Competition

The number of games making up next season’s UEFA Champions League will increase from 125 matches to 189, and this increase in games means that the competition’s league phase will not be finished by Christmas. As a result, all participating teams will have to play two UCL games in January.

The timing of the knockout matches are pretty similar, but if a team makes the final via the Play-Offs they will have played a total of 17 games. Last season’s two finalists, Dortmund and Madrid, played a total of 13 matches.

How Did UEFA Find Four More Teams?

The two nations whose clubs performed the best collectively in UEFA competitions last season both received an extra spot in this season’s UCL. These two countries were Germany and Italy, while France was also awarded an extra spot. It was decided at the start of last season that an extra Champions League spot would be given to the team that finishes third in the country highest on UEFA’s coefficient list that does not have four UCL spots.

The fourth and final extra spot will be up for grabs via the qualifying rounds. Last season, four teams qualified for the UCL proper via the qualifying stages, but this time a total of five teams will make it through.

How Will This New Format Benefit Fans?

This new format, as mentioned above, will involve more teams and games, which means that us football fans will be able to enjoy more top European matches. Furthermore, in the old format, the top teams rarely came up against each other until later on the tournament, but this will not be the case now.

Additionally, the new format will provide a more competitive balance between the teams as each team will be guaranteed to come up against some teams that are of a similar level. Competitive matches are more entertaining for neutrals to watch, while fans of competing teams will have a higher chance of seeing their team make it through to the knockout rounds.

Every match counts with this new format as it ensures that any result has the potential to change a team’s position in the table, right up until the very last match. Winning or losing the final game of the league phase could be the difference between a team qualifying for the last 16 automatically, booking a spot in the play-offs, or being eliminated from Europe all together.

Pros and Cons

Let us check out the pros and cons of this new format.

Pros

• Each team will play someone different each week, which will prevent things from becoming stale.
• Teams will no longer drop down to the Europa League or Conference League, which creates extra drama as teams know that there is nothing for them to fall back on should they play poorly and get eliminated.
• UEFA has also revamped the Conference and Europa League in a similar way, which shows that they are just as dedicated to all their tournaments and not just the big one. This means there will be more excitement in all three tournaments.

Cons

• Players already play plenty of games in a season, and this new format means that many will end up playing an extra four games. This increase in workload could lead to an increase in serious injuries, which could end up cutting short some players’ careers.

FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions regarding the new Champions League format:

Q:
When Will the Fixture List be Released?
A:
The full fixture list will be released on the 31st of August.

Q:
Can a Team Face Other Teams from the Same Nation?
A:
During the league phase, a team will not face another team from their own country. Each team can only face a maximum of two teams from any other country.

Q:
When Will the League Phase Matches be Played?
A:
Below you can see when each league phase round will be played:
Matchday 1: September 17-19
Matchday 2: October 1/2
Matchday 3: October 22/23
Matchday 4: November 5/6
Matchday 5: November 26/27
Matchday 6: December 10/11
Matchday 7: January 21/22
Matchday 8: January 29

Q:
When Will the Knockout Matches be Played?
A:
Below you can see when the knockout matches will take place:
Play-offs: February 11/12 and February 18/19
Round of 16: March 4/5 and March 11/12
Quarter-finals: April 8/9 and April 15/16
Semi-finals: April 29/30 and May 6/7
Final: May 31