The New Champions League Format Explained: League Phase, Play-Offs and Knockouts
Since the 2024-25 season, the UEFA Champions League no longer has eight groups of four. Instead, all 36 clubs play in a single league phase, followed by knockout rounds.
The league phase
- Each club plays eight matches: four at home and four away.
- Each club faces eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots.
- All 36 clubs are ranked in one table, with three points for a win and one for a draw.
Opponents are drawn by computer. Clubs cannot play teams from their own country in the league phase, and can face no more than two teams from any other single country.
Who goes through?
| League position | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1st to 8th | Go straight to the round of 16 |
| 9th to 24th | Enter the knockout phase play-offs |
| 25th to 36th | Eliminated, with no drop into the Europa League |
The knockout phase play-offs
The 16 clubs ranked 9th to 24th play two-legged ties. Clubs ranked 9th to 16th are seeded and play the second leg at home. The eight winners join the top eight in the round of 16.
From the round of 16 to the final
The round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are two-legged ties, and the final is a single match at a neutral venue. A seeding bracket rewards high league finishes: the top two clubs in the league phase cannot meet each other until the final.
Tie-breakers in the table
If clubs are level on points, UEFA uses goal difference, then goals scored, then away goals scored, then wins and further criteria. Head-to-head records are not used, because most clubs never meet each other in the league phase.
Away goals
The away goals rule does not apply to knockout ties. It was scrapped by UEFA from the 2021-22 season. A tie level after two legs goes to extra time and then penalties. Read why in our article on the away goals rule.
Why UEFA changed the format
The old group stage often had dead matches in the final round. With one big table, almost every match affects someone's position, and the biggest clubs meet more often before the knockouts. The new format also added two extra matchdays.
For more on European football rules, read our VAR guide and penalty kick rules.