UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, have introduced a new format for the Champions League from the 2024-25 season onwards. The first major change in the new format of the UCL is the increase of the number of teams to 36, adding four new clubs to the European club football competition, instead of 32 teams in the old format.
In the past editi o ns of the UEFA Champions League, 32 clubs were divided into eight groups of four, but now, 36 clubs are going to play in a single league competition, ranked together on the points table. A team in the new format of the UCL will be playing eight matches in the league stage, including four at home and four away.
There will still be three points given to a club for a win, while one point will be awarded to both the clubs in case of a draw.
The top eight teams at the end of the league stage of the UEFA Champions League will automatically make it through to the round of 16. The clubs finishing in 9th to 24th place will take on each other in a two-legged knockout phase playoff matches, with the return leg at home for clubs placed 9th to 16th, to secure their passage through to the round of 16.
The teams finishing 25th or lower in the 36-team UCL, will be knocked out of the tournament from the league phase itself. Meanwhile, the eight clubs prevailing in the knockout phase playoff matches, will take on the top eight clubs from the league phase, who had automatically qualified through to the round of 16 earlier.
From the round of 16 onwards, the UEFA Champions League will follow its existing knockout phase format, which will lead to the final happening at a neutral venue picked by the governing body itself.