The Champions League is set to undergo a format change from the 2024/25 season, which will see 36 teams participate – an upgrade of four teams from the current 32-team format.
Right now, the teams are split up into eight groups of four. Each team plays each other twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams qualify for the knockout stages while the third placed team drops down to play the Europa League knockout stage qualifiers.
Champions League format change from 2024/25: Changes explained
The new format will see all 36 teams put into one massive group. Each team will face four other teams, once at home and once away. The teams that will face each other will be determined through a draw, similar to what now takes place.
After the games have been played and the final table takes place, the top eight teams will qualify to the Round of 16. The teams ranked 9-24 will have a playoff in order to determine the eight remaining teams that will make it to the knockout stages. From there, the format remains unchanged with two-legged ties to be played until the final.
The new Champions League format is inspired heavily by what the European Super League had proposed. UEFA have not directly addressed the similarities, but they are quite evident.
The number of matches each team will play has increased by two, in comparison to the six that are currently played in the group stage. This is expected to result in more revenue for the teams, as well as UEFA.
