The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has unveiled a new format for the Champions League, set to be implemented starting from the 2024-2025 season onward.
In a release video by UEFA (via Fabrizio Romano), the modifications to the competition format were outlined. The existing 32-team group stage will be replaced by a unified 36-team league phase in both the Champions League and the Europa and Europa Conference League.
Under this format, each team will be drawn against eight different opponents, with two from each of the four seeding pots, leading to a schedule of four home and four away games. The teams securing the top eight positions will directly qualify for the Round of 16.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will need to compete in a knockout playoff round, determining which ones advance to join the top eight teams in the pre-quarterfinals. However, teams ending in the 25th to 36th positions will be eliminated directly from all competitions, contrasting with the previous system where third-placed group finishers dropped down to the preliminary playoff round of the lower European leagues.