Format, Schedule, and Key Highlights
The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League is one of the most anticipated football tournaments in the world, featuring top European clubs battling for continental glory. This season brings intense rivalries, star-studded squads, and a fresh race to reach the ultimate stage the final, which will be held at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, on 30 May 2025.
From match schedules and qualified teams to venues and format changes, here’s everything you need to know about the 2025–26 Champions League.
The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League marks the 72nd edition of Europe’s most prestigious club football competition, and it brings a revolutionary format change that fans and clubs have been anticipating. With a revamped structure and an exciting new calendar, this season promises to be bigger, more competitive, and packed with high-stakes drama from start to finish.
Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions, and won their first Champions League title Saturday with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan. Real Madrid is the most successful club in Champions League history, having won a record 15 titles.
What is the New Format of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League?
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League will feature a new format, expanding to 36 teams and replacing the traditional group stage with a league phase. Each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with four at home and four away, selected from four seeding pots.
Swiss System Replaces Traditional Groups
One of the biggest talking points of the 2025–26 Champions League is the complete overhaul of the group stage. Instead of the usual 8 groups of 4 teams, UEFA has introduced a Swiss-style league format.
Here’s how it works:
- A single league table of 36 teams will be formed.
- Each team plays 8 different opponents in the league phase — four at home and four away.
- The top 8 teams from the league phase will directly qualify for the Round of 16.
- Teams ranked 9th to 24th will enter a knockout play-off round to compete for the remaining 8 spots in the Round of 16.
- Teams finishing 25th and below will be eliminated from European competition for the season.
This format is designed to increase competition and ensure more marquee matchups earlier in the tournament.
Key Dates and Schedule
The tournament kicks off in July 2025 with the first qualifying rounds and concludes with the final on 30 May 2026. Below is a breakdown of important phases:
| Phase | Draw Date | First Leg / Matchday | Second Leg / Matchday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Qualifying Round | 17 June 2025 | 8–9 July 2025 | 15–16 July 2025 |
| 2nd Qualifying Round | 18 June 2025 | 22–23 July 2025 | 29–30 July 2025 |
| 3rd Qualifying Round | 21 July 2025 | 5–6 August 2025 | 12–13 August 2025 |
| Play-off Round | 4 August 2025 | 19–20 August 2025 | 26–27 August 2025 |
| League Phase (Swiss-format) |
28 August 2025 | Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025 | — |
| Matchday 2: 30 September – 1 October 2025 | — | ||
| Matchday 3: 21–22 October 2025 | — | ||
| Matchday 4: 4–5 November 2025 | — | ||
| Matchday 5: 25–26 November 2025 | — | ||
| Matchday 6: 9–10 December 2025 | — | ||
| Matchday 7: 20–21 January 2026 | — | ||
| Matchday 8: 28 January 2026 | — | ||
| Knock‑out Play‑offs | 30 January 2026 | 17–18 February 2026 | 24–25 February 2026 |
| Round of 16 | 27 February 2026 | 10–11 March 2026 | 17–18 March 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | — | 7–8 April 2026 | 14–15 April 2026 |
| Semi-finals | — | 28–29 April 2026 | 5–6 May 2026 |
| Final | — | 30 May 2026 – Puskás Aréna, Budapest | |
UEFA Champions League Draw
Liverpool to face Real Madrid as clubs learn their European fixtures..
Here is the full list of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Draw
| POT 1 | POT 2 | POT 3 | POT 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (FRA) Real Madrid (ESP) Man City (ENG) Bayern München (GER) Liverpool (ENG) Inter (ITA) Chelsea (ENG) Borussia Dortmund (GER) Barcelona (ESP) |
Arsenal (ENG) Leverkusen (GER) Atleti (ESP) Benfica (POR) Atalanta (ITA) Villarreal (ESP) Juventus (ITA) Frankfurt (GER) Club Brugge (BEL) |
Tottenham (ENG) PSV Eindhoven (NED) Ajax (NED) Napoli (ITA) Sporting CP (POR) Olympiacos (GRE) Slavia Praha (CZE) Bodø/Glimt (NOR) Marseille (FRA) |
Copenhagen (DEN) Monaco (FRA) Galatasaray (TUR) Union SG (BEL) Qarabağ (AZE) Athletic Club (ESP) Newcastle (ENG) Pafos (CYP) Kairat Almaty (KAZ) |
Qualifying Rounds:
- 1st Round: 8–9 July & 15–16 July 2025
- 2nd Round: 22–23 July & 29–30 July
- 3rd Round: 5–6 August & 12–13 August
- Play-off Round: 19–20 August & 26–27 August
First qualifying round
- Žalgiris (Lithuania) 2–2 Hamrun Spartans (Malta)
- Hamrun Spartans won 11–10 on penalties
- 1st leg: 2–0 | 2nd leg: 0–2 (a.e.t.)
- KuPS (Finland) 1–0 Milsami Orhei (Moldova)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 0–0
- The New Saints (Wales) 1–2 Shkëndija (North Macedonia)
- 1st leg: 0–0 | 2nd leg: 1–2 (a.e.t.)
- Iberia 1999 (Georgia) 2–6 Malmö FF (Sweden)
- 1st leg: 1–3 | 2nd leg: 1–3
- FCI Levadia (Estonia) 0–2 RFS (Latvia)
- 1st leg: 0–1 | 2nd leg: 0–1
- Drita (Kosovo) 4–2 Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 3–2
- Víkingur (Faroe Islands) 2–4 Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar)
- 1st leg: 2–3 | 2nd leg: 0–1
- Egnatia (Albania) 1–5 Breiðablik (Iceland)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 0–5
- Shelbourne (Republic of Ireland) 2–1 Linfield (Northern Ireland)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 1–1
- FCSB (Romania) 4–3 Inter Club d’Escaldes (Andorra)
- 1st leg: 3–1 | 2nd leg: 1–2
- Virtus (San Marino) 1–4 Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
- 1st leg: 0–2 | 2nd leg: 1–2
- Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) 1–3 Kairat (Kazakhstan)
- 1st leg: 1–1 | 2nd leg: 0–2
- Noah (Armenia) 3–2 Budućnost Podgorica (Montenegro)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 2–2
- Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) 3–2 Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)
- 1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 2–2 (a.e.t.)
Second qualifying round
Champions Path
- RFS (Latvia) 1–5 Malmö FF (Sweden)
1st leg: 1–4 | 2nd leg: 0–1 - Hamrun Spartans (Malta) 0–6 Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
1st leg: 0–3 | 2nd leg: 0–3 - Pafos (Cyprus) 2–1 Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
1st leg: 1–1 | 2nd leg: 1–0 - Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) 1–6 Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
1st leg: 0–1 | 2nd leg: 1–5 - Noah (Armenia) 4–6 Ferencváros (Hungary)
1st leg: 1–2 | 2nd leg: 3–4 - Lech Poznań (Poland) 8–1 Breiðablik (Iceland)
1st leg: 7–1 | 2nd leg: 1–0 - Copenhagen (Denmark) 3–0 Drita (Kosovo)
1st leg: 2–0 | 2nd leg: 1–0 - Rijeka (Croatia) 1–3 Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
1st leg: 0–0 | 2nd leg: 1–3 (a.e.t.) - Shkëndija (North Macedonia) 3–1 FCSB (Romania)
1st leg: 1–0 | 2nd leg: 2–1 - Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) 6–2 Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
1st leg: 4–0 | 2nd leg: 2–2 - Shelbourne (Republic of Ireland) 0–4 Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)https://www.fifaworldcupnews.com/soccer-match-fixtures-17-september-2025/
1st leg: 0–3 | 2nd leg: 0–1 - KuPS (Finland) 2–3 Kairat (Kazakhstan)
1st leg: 2–0 | 2nd leg: 0–3
League Path
- Brann (Norway) 2–5 Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
1st leg: 1–4 | 2nd leg: 1–1 - Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic) 3–2 Servette (Switzerland)
1st leg: 0–1 | 2nd leg: 3–1 - Rangers (Scotland) 3–1 Panathinaikos (Greece)
1st leg: 2–0 | 2nd leg: 1–1
Third qualifying round
Champions Path
- Malmö FF (Sweden) vs Copenhagen (Denmark) – 1st Leg: 5 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Kairat (Kazakhstan) vs Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Lech Poznań (Poland) vs Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) vs Ferencváros (Hungary) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) vs Pafos (Cyprus) – 1st Leg: 5 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Shkëndija (North Macedonia) vs Qarabağ (Azerbaijan) – 1st Leg: 5 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
League Path
- Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) vs Club Brugge (Belgium) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Rangers (Scotland) vs Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic) – 1st Leg: 5 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Nice (France) vs Benfica (Portugal) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
- Feyenoord (Netherlands) vs Fenerbahçe (Turkey) – 1st Leg: 6 Aug – 2nd Leg: 12 Aug
Play-off round
Champions Path
- Winner of Match 4 vs Winner of Match 6 – 1st Leg: 19 or 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 or 27 Aug
- Winner of Match 3 vs Winner of Match 5 – 1st Leg: 19 or 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 or 27 Aug
- Bodø/Glimt (Norway) vs Sturm Graz (Austria) – 1st Leg: 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 Aug
- Celtic (Scotland) vs Winner of Match 2 – 1st Leg: 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 Aug
- Basel (Switzerland) vs Winner of Match 1 – 1st Leg: 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 27 Aug
League Path
- Winner of Match 4 vs Winner of Match 3 – 1st Leg: 19 or 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 or 27 Aug
- Winner of Match 2 vs Winner of Match 1 – 1st Leg: 19 or 20 Aug – 2nd Leg: 26 or 27 Aug
League Phase (Swiss Format)
- Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025
- Matchday 2: 30 Sep – 1 Oct
- Matchday 3: 21–22 October
- Matchday 4: 4–5 November
- Matchday 5: 25–26 November
- Matchday 6: 9–10 December
- Matchday 7: 20–21 January 2026
- Matchday 8: 28 January 2026
2025–26 UEFA Champions League Qualified teams- League phase
| Pot | Country | Club | Club Coefficient (CC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 1 | France | PSG (TH) | 118.500 |
| Spain | Real Madrid (1) | 143.500 | |
| England | Manchester City (2) | 137.750 | |
| Germany | Bayern Munich (3) | 135.250 | |
| England | Liverpool (4) | 125.500 | |
| Italy | Inter Milan (6) | 116.250 | |
| England | Chelsea (7) | 109.000 | |
| Germany | Borussia Dortmund (8) | 106.750 | |
| Spain | Barcelona (10) | 103.250 | |
| Pot 2 | England | Arsenal (12) | 98.000 |
| Germany | Bayer Leverkusen (13) | 95.250 | |
| Spain | Atlético Madrid (14) | 93.500 | |
| Italy | Atalanta (16) | 82.000 | |
| Spain | Villarreal (17) | 82.000 | |
| Italy | Juventus (22) | 74.250 | |
| Germany | Eintracht Frankfurt (23) | 74.000 | |
| Pot 2/3 | England | Tottenham Hotspur (27) | 70.250 |
| Netherlands | PSV Eindhoven (28) | 69.250 | |
| Pot 3 | Netherlands | Ajax (30) | 67.250 |
| Italy | Napoli (34)https://www.fifaworldcupnews.com/soccer-match-fixtures-17-september-2025/ | 61.000 | |
| Portugal | Sporting CP (35) | 59.000 | |
| Greece | Olympiacos (37) | 56.500 | |
| Czech Republic | Slavia Prague (42) | 51.000 | |
| France | Marseille (44) | 48.000 | |
| Pot 3/4 | France | Monaco (54) | 41.000 |
| Turkey | Galatasaray (58) | 38.250 | |
| Pot 4 | Belgium | Union Saint-Gilloise (61) | 36.000 |
| Spain | Athletic Bilbao (75) | 26.750 | |
| England | Newcastle United (83) | 23.039 |
2025-26 UCL Standings
Update on 15 December 2025 after Matchday 4:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England Arsenal (W) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | +16 | 18 |
| 2 | Germany Bayern Munich (X) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | France Paris Saint-Germain (X) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 13 |
| 4 | England Manchester City (X) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 13 |
| 5 | Italy Atalanta (X) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 13 |
| 6 | Italy Inter Milan | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 12 |
| 7 | Spain Real Madrid | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 12 |
| 8 | Spain Atlético Madrid | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 12 |
| 9 | England Liverpool | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 12 |
| 10 | Germany Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 11 |
| 11 | England Tottenham Hotspur | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 |
| 12 | England Newcastle United | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 10 |
| 13 | England Chelsea | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 10 |
| 14 | Portugal Sporting CP | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 10 |
| 15 | Spain Barcelona | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 10 |
| 16 | France Marseille | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 9 |
| 17 | Italy Juventus | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 9 |
| 18 | Turkey Galatasaray | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
| 19 | France Monaco | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 9 |
| 20 | Germany Bayer Leverkusen | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 9 |
| 21 | Netherlands PSV Eindhoven | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 8 |
| 22 | Azerbaijan Qarabağ | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 7 |
| 23 | Italy Napoli | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 7 |
| 24 | Denmark Copenhagen | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 7 |
| 25 | Portugal Benfica | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 6 |
| 26 | Cyprus Pafos | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 6 |
| 27 | Belgium Union Saint-Gilloise | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 15 | −8 | 6 |
| 28 | Spain Athletic Bilbao (Y) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 5 |
| 29 | Greece Olympiacos (Y) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | −7 | 5 |
| 30 | Germany Eintracht Frankfurt (Y) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | −8 | 4 |
| 31 | Belgium Club Brugge (Y) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | −8 | 4 |
| 32 | Norway Bodø/Glimt (Z) | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 3 |
| 33 | Czech Republic Slavia Prague (Z) | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 |
| 34 | Netherlands Ajax (Z) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 3 |
| 35 | Spain Villarreal (Z) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 1 |
| 36 | Kazakhstan Kairat (Z) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 1 |
Knockout Rounds
- Knockout Playoffs: 17–18 & 24–25 February 2026
- Round of 16: 10–11 & 17–18 March
- Quarter-finals: 7–8 & 14–15 April
- Semi-finals: 28–29 April & 5–6 May
- Final: 30 May 2026 at Puskás Aréna, Budapest
2026 UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer
Barcelona’s Raphinha and Dortmund’s star player Serhou Guirassy are the top scorers in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League with 13 goals each.
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | 9 | 441 |
| 2 | Victor Osimhen | Galatasaray | 6 | 316 |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 437 | ||
| 4 | Gabriel Martinelli | Arsenal | 5 | 294 |
| Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United | 467 | ||
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | 489 | ||
| 7 | Lautaro Martínez | Inter Milan | 4 | 333 |
| Harvey Barnes | Newcastle United | 340 | ||
| Igor Paixão | Marseille | 404 | ||
| Marcus Rashford | Barcelona | 416 | ||
| Julián Alvarez | Atlético Madrid | 449 | ||
| Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain | 539 |
Where is the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League Final Venue?
The grand finale of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League will be held at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. With a seating capacity of over 65,000, this iconic stadium will provide the perfect stage for crowning Europe’s next club champion.
What happens to the winner of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League?
- The winner of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the 2026–27 Champions League league stage, regardless of their domestic league position.
- They will also earn a place in the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
Why the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League Season is Special?
This is the first-ever full season under UEFA’s new expanded format. With more matches, more elite clashes, and a better pathway for underdog teams to rise, the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League edition is set to redefine Champions League football as we know it.
