Champions League Reveals New Format for 2024-25; League Play Replaces Group Stage

The 2024-25 season will bring a fresh look to the Champions League. The format changes were announced on Monday, bidding farewell to the traditional 32-team group stage. Instead, a 36-team league phase will be introduced, merging teams from UEFA's three men's club competitions: the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League.

Each team will face eight different opponents, playing four home games and four away games. However, the UEFA Conference League will deviate from this pattern, with teams encountering six opponents. Securing a top-eight finish is the clearest route to the round of 16, bypassing the knockout playoff round. Teams placing 9th to 24th will contend in the knockout competition for the remaining spots.

For teams finishing 25th to 36th, elimination looms. The knockout stage will feature home and away legs, excluding the single-elimination final.

According to the announcement, the revamped system promises dynamic and unpredictable standings, with more matches between evenly matched teams, igniting excitement from the outset.

These alterations will see an increase of four teams compared to the current format, where eight groups of four clubs typically compete. With all teams merged into a single league, competition intensifies, heightening the stakes until the final match day of the league phase.

However, some things remain constant, as qualification for the Champions League still hinges on domestic league performance from the preceding season.

The new UEFA Champions League format will debut on July 9, captivating audiences until the final showdown slated for May 31, 2025.