The Champions League is back! All eyes will be on the world’s most exciting and most watched tournament in football.
But it’s back with a twist. It is undergoing the most significant alteration since its reinvention out of the European Cup back in 1992, adopting a longer league structure instead of the group stages. It will mean extra games, but it will also ensure bigger UEFA teams will play a wider range of opponents and that there is more to play for in the group stages than previously, where teams would often qualify after just four games.
We will break down everything you need to know about the Champions League changes, answer the key questions, and examine the intricacies of the new football tournament structure that has turned the competition on its head.
Overview of the New UEFA Champions League Format
Instead of groups of four battling it out for two qualifying spots for the Round Of 16, it will be a 36 team league. Teams will now have eight different matches in the new league phase.
Teams will not play each other twice – instead, it will be a one-match shootout between two teams desperate for points to climb the ladder. It depends on the draw whether the game is played at home or away – but each team is guaranteed to play four games at home and four away throughout the league stage.
How the New Format Works
To determine these eight opponents, the participating teams will be ranked initially into four seeding pots. Each team will then be drawn to play against two opponents from each of these four pots. This means that each team will play one match at home and one away against a team from each pot.
There remains three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams finish level on points, it will come down to goal difference. If that’s level, most goals scored is the next tiebreaker.
The top eight teams qualify automatically for the Round Of 16, while the teams finishing between 9th and 24th will participate in a playoff. The winners will advance to the next round but – unlike in previous Champions League iterations – there is no Europa League qualification to soften the blow.
If the team doesn’t make it through the first qualifying stage in the new look Champions League, their European dream is over.
Key Dates
The new league format runs from 17th September 2024 to 29th January 2025. There will be a six week break between matchday six (December 10th/11th 2023) and matchday seven (21st/22nd January 2025) as teams navigate a busy period of domestic action.
The rest of the key dates are as follows:
- Knockout round play-offs: 11th/12th & 18th/19th February 2025
- Round of 16: 4th/5th & 11th/12th March 2025
- Quarter-finals: 8th/9th & 15th/16th April 2025
- Semi-finals: 29th/30th April & 6th/7th May 2025
- Final: 31st May 2025
The Teams Involved
Lots of eyes will be on Real Madrid – they have won the European Cup/Champions League an incredible 15 times. No team comes close to them – AC Milan are next with seven titles to their name. Los Blancos have likely cemented their status as Europe’s most successful team for the next few decades.
Manchester City are one of the favourites. Last year’s quarter-finalists had won the treble the year before and remain nigh-on impregnable under the leadership of Pep Guardiola.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSG, Liverpool, and Arsenal will also be aiming for a successful year, though it’s difficult to see how all the typical favourites deal with the new format.
Aston Villa return to the big time for the first time since the 1982-83 campaign – can Unai Emery land yet another major European trophy?
Bayer Leverkusen, Inter Milan, and PSV Eindhoven are also aiming for a return to halcyon days in the continent’s elite competition, but which teams can navigate the new league stage safely?
All the Matches in the First Phase
Here’s the official UEFA match schedule ahead of the Champions League league phase:
Tuesday, Sept. 17
- Young Boys vs. Aston Villa: Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland
- Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
- AC Milan vs. Liverpool: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Bayern Munich vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
- Real Madrid vs. Stuttgart: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Sporting CP vs. Lille: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
Wednesday, Sept. 18
- Sparta Prague vs. Salzburg: Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
- Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy
- Celtic vs. Slovan Bratislava: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund: Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium
- Manchester City vs. Internazionale: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Girona: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
Thursday, Sept. 19
- Feyenoord vs. Bayer Leverkusen: De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Red Star Belgrade vs. Benfica: Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade, Serbia
- Monaco vs. Barcelona: Stade Louis II, Monaco
- Atalanta vs. Arsenal: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
- Atlético Madrid vs. RB Leipzig: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Brest vs. Sturm Graz: Stade Francis-Le Ble, Brest, France
Tuesday, Oct. 1
- Salzburg vs. Brest: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria
- Stuttgart vs. Sparta Prague: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
- Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Emirates Stadium, London, England
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. AC Milan: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Celtic: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
- Barcelona vs. Young Boys: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Internazionale vs. Red Star Belgrade: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- PSV Eindhoven vs. Sporting CP: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Slovan Bratislava vs. Manchester City: Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
Wednesday, Oct. 2
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Atalanta: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Girona vs. Feyenoord: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
- Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. Monaco: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
- Liverpool vs. Bologna: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Lille vs. Real Madrid: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France
- RB Leipzig vs. Juventus: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
- Sturm Graz vs. Club Brugge: Merkur Arena, Graz, Austria
- Benfica vs. Atlético Madrid: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Tuesday, Oct. 22
- AC Milan vs. Club Brugge: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Monaco vs. Red Star Belgrade: Stade Louis II, Monaco
- Arsenal vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Emirates Stadium, London, England
- Aston Villa vs. Bologna: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Girona vs. Slovan Bratislava: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
- Juventus vs. Stuttgart: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. PSV Eindhoven: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
- Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Sturm Graz vs. Sporting CP: Merkur Arena, Graz, Austria
Wednesday, Oct. 23
- Atalanta vs. Celtic: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
- Brest vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Stade Francis-Le Ble, Brest, France
- Atlético Madrid vs. Lille: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Young Boys vs. Internazionale: Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland
- Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Salzburg vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria
- Manchester City vs. Sparta Prague: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
- Benfica vs. Feyenoord: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Tuesday, Nov. 5
- PSV Eindhoven vs. Girona: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Slovan Bratislava vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Bologna vs. Monaco: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Sturm Graz: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
- Celtic vs. RB Leipzig: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- Liverpool vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Lille vs. Juventus: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France
- Real Madrid vs. AC Milan: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Sporting CP vs. Manchester City: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
Wednesday, Nov. 6
- Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa: Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Young Boys: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Sparta Prague vs. Brest: Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
- Bayern Munich vs. Benfica: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
- Internazionale vs. Arsenal: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Feyenoord vs. Salzburg: De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Red Star Belgrade vs. Barcelona: Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade, Serbia
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
- Stuttgart vs. Atalanta: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
Tuesday, Nov. 26
- Sparta Prague vs. Atlético Madrid: Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
- Slovan Bratislava vs. AC Milan: Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Salzburg: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany
- Young Boys vs. Atalanta: Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland
- Barcelona vs. Brest: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
- Internazionale vs. RB Leipzig: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Manchester City vs. Feyenoord: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- Sporting CP vs. Arsenal: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
Wednesday, Nov. 27
- Red Star Belgrade vs. Stuttgart: Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade, Serbia
- Sturm Graz vs. Girona: Merkur Arena, Graz, Austria
- Monaco vs. Benfica: Stade Louis II, Monaco
- Aston Villa vs. Juventus: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Bologna vs. Lille: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy
- Celtic vs. Club Brugge: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. Borussia Dortmund: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
- Liverpool vs. Real Madrid: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- PSV Eindhoven vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Tuesday, Dec. 10
- Girona vs. Liverpool: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
- Atalanta vs. Real Madrid: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Internazionale: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany
- Club Brugge vs. Sporting CP: Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium
- Salzburg vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine
- RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
- Brest vs. PSV Eindhoven: Stade Francis-Le Ble, Brest, France
Wednesday, Dec. 11
- Atlético Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Lille vs. Sturm Graz: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France
- AC Milan vs. Red Star Belgrade: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Arsenal vs. Monaco: Emirates Stadium, London, England
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Barcelona: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
- Feyenoord vs. Sparta Prague: De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Juventus vs. Manchester City: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
- Benfica vs. Bologna: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
- Stuttgart vs. Young Boys: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
Tuesday, Jan. 21
- Monaco vs. Aston Villa: Stade Louis II, Monaco
- Atalanta vs. Sturm Graz: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
- Atlético Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
- Bologna vs. Borussia Dortmund: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy
- Club Brugge vs. Juventus: Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges, Belgium
- Red Star Belgrade vs. PSV Eindhoven: Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade, Serbia
- Liverpool vs. Lille: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Slovan Bratislava vs. Stuttgart: Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Benfica vs. Barcelona: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Wednesday, Jan. 22
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Brest: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine
- RB Leipzig vs. Sporting CP: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
- AC Milan vs. Girona: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Sparta Prague vs. Internazionale: Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
- Arsenal vs. Dinamo Zagreb: Emirates Stadium, London, England
- Celtic vs. Young Boys: Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- Feyenoord vs. Bayern Munich: De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
- Real Madrid vs. Salzburg: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
Wednesday, Jan. 29
- Aston Villa vs. Celtic: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague: BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
- Young Boys vs. Red Star Belgrade: Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland
- Barcelona vs. Atalanta: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain
- Bayern Munich vs. Slovan Bratislava: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
- Internazionale vs. Monaco: San Siro, Milan, Italy
- Salzburg vs. Atlético Madrid: Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria
- Girona vs. Arsenal: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
- Juventus vs. Benfica: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
- Lille vs. Feyenoord: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France
- Manchester City vs. Club Brugge: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- PSV Eindhoven vs. Liverpool: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Sturm Graz vs. RB Leipzig: Merkur Arena, Graz, Austria
- Sporting CP vs. Bologna: Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
- Brest vs. Real Madrid: Stade Francis-Le Ble, Brest, France
- Stuttgart vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
Impact on Participating Teams
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the league takes shape over a longer format and with more riding on every game.
Every single point matters – the better the finishing position in the league, the likelier of advancement. Instead of just three teams to beat to the next round, there are now 35 to worry about. It’s going to introduce a whole new set of dynamics.
Managers won’t like the additional workload on players. Bigger squads may opt to rotate their teams, even if qualification isn’t totally secured.
What Fans Can Expect
The new UEFA Champions League format has divided fans. Some are resistant to the shift, weary of changing too much, too fast and saturating to level of competition.
Others are much more receptive to the idea, acknowledging that all sport must continue to evolve if it is to survive and thrive.
Whatever side of the fence they sit, fans can expect a longer and more competitive group stage than previously, with more action enabling a fairer reflection of the in-form teams throughout the competition.
