UEFA Champions League

The New UEFA Champions League Format

The UEFA Champions League has seen meaningful changes to the competition’s format for the 2024/25 season. The number of teams has increased from 32 to 36, and instead of 8 groups of 4 teams, there is a singular League Phase where all 36 teams are pooled together in a single table.

Each team now plays eight matches against randomly drawn opponents. The fixtures are made using a seeding system, which makes the picks based on UEFA coefficients. This was also introduced simultaneously in all other UEFA club competitions.

After the 8 matches of the League Phase, the top 8 teams automatically advance to the Round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th start a two-leg battle for a ticket to the Round of 16, vying for the remaining 8 spots. Once the Round of 16 starts, it’s all back to the familiar format of two legs of play-off games and a winner-takes-all final.

The Historic 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Season

This season is a milestone season for the competition. The 70th edition of the competition will culminate on May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The last time Munich hosted a Champions League final was in 2012. Back then, their hometown heroes, Bayern, narrowly missed out on a Champions League win. Throughout the decades, Munich has been home to a few Champions League finals:

• Bayern 1:1 Chelsea (3:4 after penalties), May 19, 2012
• Nottingham Forest 1:0 Malmö FF, May 30, 1979
• Marseille 1:0 AC Milan, May 26, 1993
• Borussia Dortmund 3:1 Juventus, May 28, 1997

Read the Latest UEFA Champions League News 

If you’re a football fan or a bettor looking to find insights to help make more informed decisions, find the latest scoop and all the news related to the UEFA Champions League. Our team of experts and journalists provide insights into match outcomes, team performances, and other significant events and narratives, shaping the tournament.