Champions League: UEFA introduces new format

The Union of European Footballing Associations (UEFA), have announced the new format for the Champions League, which will be implemented from the 2024-2025 season and onwards.

The announcement video from UEFA (via Fabrizio Romano) details the changes that they will be implementing in the competition format.

The current 32-team group stage will be replaced by a singular 36-team league phase in the Champions League and also the Europa and Europa Conference League.

Each team will be drawn against eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots, playing four games at home and four away.

The teams that finish first through eighth will qualify directly for the Round of 16.

The teams finishing ninth through 24th must face each other in a knockout playoff round to join the top eight teams in the pre-quarterfinals.

However, teams that finish 25th to 36th are eliminated directly from all competitions, as opposed to the last system of third placed group finishers dropping down to the lower European league’s preliminary playoff round.