How is the Champions League structure? How will the new UCL format work? What is the new setup for the Champions League? A new era begins with the start of the 2024-25 UCL campaign. There has been an enhanced number of teams as well as a complete change in the previous group-stage format. So how will the new Champions League format work? Sportsnile experts puts light on all the unknown facts and clarify all your confusions. Full UEFA Champions League Fixtures 2024-25 (UCL Schedule 24/25).
What is the New Champions League Format for 2024-25?
Find the number of teams, the number of games for a team, the fixture patterns, and many more questions answered. Also, see if there are similarities for the UEFA Europa League and the Conference League as well. So, What is the new formula for the Champions League? Or What is the next format of Champions League? Let’s check out.
How many teams could qualify for Champions League?
There will be a total of 36 teams for the new format of the UEFA Champions League. The previous number of 32 which means 4 extra slots will be up for grabs.
| Stage | No. Of Teams |
| New League Phase | 36 |
| RO16 | 16 |
| Quarter Final | 8 |
| Semifinal | 4 |
| Final | 2 |
How does Champions League Extra Place Work?
So, how will the 4 extra places be distributed? Slot 1 will belong to the 5th-positioned association nation’s championship’s 3rd-positioned club. UCL’s governing body UEFA has extended the number of clubs qualifying via the Champions Path from 4 to 5. So, an additional domestic champion will have the privilege of slot 2. Meanwhile, the associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the latest campaign will enjoy the advantage for slot 3 as well as 4. For instance, the association club coefficient of the last campaign. How to calculate the club coefficient? The authority divides the total no. of club coefficient points obtained by each club by no. of participating clubs from that association.
How many matches are in the UCL group stage?
In the new UCL league stage format, each team will play 8 games instead of the previous 6 games. So, there will be 2 extra matches for each side. The league stage will feature a total of 144 games over 8 game weeks.
| Stage | No. Of Games |
| League Stage | 144 Games |
| Play-Off | 16 Games |
| Round Of 16 | 16 Games |
| Quarterfinal | 8 Games |
| Semifinal | 4 Games |
| Final | 1 Game |
| Total | 189 Games |
What is the full format of Champions League?
How will the 36-team Champions League work? Here is the complete explanation.
- First of all, there will be no group-based divination.
- All 36 teams will be divided into 4 pots.
- Pot 1 will feature the top 9 sides and accordingly go down to the top 2, 3, and 4. Each team will get 2 oppositions from each pot.
- A team will play 8 games, all against 8 different opponents. These will be single fixtures with no more home & away basis.
- Every side will play against 4 opposition at home and the other 4 opponents on the road (away).
- A side’s game pattern features 1 home game against each pot contenders and another game will be away from home against the other side from that specific pot.
- Moreover, a team won’t play any game against its own country’s clubs during the league phase.
- Furthermore, a side won’t play more than 2 clubs from a single country.
- At the end of the league phase, the top 8 teams will directly qualify for the Round Of 16.
- Clubs placed from 9 to 24 will feature at the playoff stage. The knockout-phase playoffs will be 2-legged (home & away).
- The 9th-placed club will play the 24th-placed side while the 10th-placed club will take on the 23rd-ranked side. The whole process runs on a similar pattern. 11th vs 22nd, 12th vs 21st, 13th vs 20th, 14th vs 19th, 15th vs 18th, as well as 16th vs 17th.
- Teams making 25th to 36th place will be eliminated and won’t take further part in other UEFA competitions like the UEL or UECL this season.
- There will be no major difference in the pattern of the Round Of 16 onwards up to the final.
What is the new format for Europa League 2025?
Europa League as well as the Conference League, both will follow the same format as the UEFA Champions League, as we’ve mentioned above.
Where is the UCL draw?
The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo had the privilege to host the UCL draw for the 2024-25 campaign. The program took place on August 29th at 6 pm local time.
Who’s in the Champions League 24-25?
Here is the teams’ list for the 2024-25 UCL.
| Team Name | Country | Pot No. |
| Real Madrid | Spain | 1st Pot |
| Man City | England | 1st Pot |
| Bayern Munich | Germany | 1st Pot |
| PSG | France | 1st Pot |
| Liverpool | England | 1st Pot |
| Inter Milan | Italy | 1st Pot |
| Borussia Dortmund | Germany | 1st Pot |
| RB Leipzig | Germany | 1st Pot |
| FC Barcelona | Spain | 1st Pot |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Germany | 2nd Pot |
| Atletico Madrid | Spain | 2nd Pot |
| Atalanta BC | Italy | 2nd Pot |
| Juventus | Italy | 2nd Pot |
| Benfica | Portugal | 2nd Pot |
| Arsenal | England | 2nd Pot |
| Club Brugge | Belgium | 2nd Pot |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Ukraine | 2nd Pot |
| AC Milan | Italy | 2nd Pot |
| Feyenoord | Netherlands | 3rd Pot |
| Sporting CP | Portugal | 3rd Pot |
| PSV Eindhoven | Netherlands | 3rd Pot |
| Dinamo Zagreb | Croatia | 3rd Pot |
| RB Salzburg | Austria | 3rd Pot |
| Lille | France | 3rd Pot |
| Crvena Zvezda | Serbia | 3rd Pot |
| Young Boys | Switzerland | 3rd Pot |
| Celtic | Scotland | 3rd Pot |
| Slovan Bratislava | Slovakia | 4th Pot |
| AS Monaco | France | 4th Pot |
| Sparta Praha | Czech Republic | 4th Pot |
| Aston Villa | England | 4th Pot |
| Bologna | Italy | 4th Pot |
| Sporting Girona | Spain | 4th Pot |
| VFB Stuttgart | Germany | 4th Pot |
| Sturm Graz | Austria | 4th Pot |
| Brest | France | 4th Pot |
