The prestigious UEFA Champions League returns for the 2024-25 season with a revised format and an increased number of teams competing for the title. This year, 36 teams will participate, an expansion aimed at ensuring that Europe’s leading clubs face each other more frequently throughout the tournament.
In the previous format, 32 teams competed in eight groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages. The new format replaces these groups with a “league phase,” in which each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents, utilizing a home-and-away system. The eight teams with the best records will progress directly to the round of 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th will enter a playoff round consisting of knockout matches, ultimately filling the remainder of the knockout bracket.
This alteration increases the total number of matches in the tournament from 125 to 189. UEFA has highlighted that the new system provides clubs the opportunity to compete against a broader array of opponents, enhancing fans’ chances of witnessing high-profile matchups earlier in the competition.
The draw for the league phase, conducted on August 29, set the stage for several exciting clashes, including a match at Anfield for defending champions Real Madrid and a rematch of last season’s final against Borussia Dortmund. Other significant fixtures include Liverpool facing AC Milan and tournament newcomers Girona, who are set to host the Reds.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the titleholders from 2023, will have tough opposition against Italian champions Inter Milan and will also visit PSG and Juventus. Aston Villa will feature in their first Champions League campaign, drawing formidable fixtures against Bayern Munich and Juventus, while Scottish side Celtic is poised for thrilling matches against Villa, Dortmund, and Atalanta.
New teams debuting in this year’s Champions League include French club Brest and Girona, which will compete against notable opponents like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG.
The league-phase matches will take place from September to January, extending the competition beyond the Christmas period for the first time. Key fixtures to watch for include Arsenal against PSG on October 1, Barcelona facing Bayern Munich on October 23, and Liverpool hosting Bayer Leverkusen on November 5.
The knockout rounds will commence in February 2025, with the final set to take place on May 31 at the Munich Football Arena, home of Bayern Munich, which has a capacity of 67,000.
Real Madrid, with their rich history of six Champions League titles since 2014, are considered frontrunners for the title this season, bolstered by a talented roster including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr. Manchester City, alongside other clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, also aim for glory.
The financial stakes have risen as well, with the total prize money pool for the Champions League increasing by approximately 25% to nearly 2.5 billion euros. The winners stand to earn over 86 million euros in prize money.