The Champions League League Phase Format Explained
Since the 2024-25 season the UEFA Champions League no longer uses eight groups of four. Instead, 36 clubs play in one big league table. The same idea is used in the Europa League and Conference League. Here is how it works from the first matchday to the final.
The big picture
- 36 clubs take part in the league phase, up from 32 in the old group stage.
- Each club plays 8 matches: 4 at home and 4 away, against 8 different opponents.
- All 36 clubs are ranked in one table.
- The table decides who goes straight to the round of 16, who enters a play-off and who is eliminated.
How opponents are chosen
Before the draw, clubs are split into four pots of nine based mainly on their UEFA club coefficient, with the holders at the top of Pot 1. Each club is drawn against two opponents from each pot, one at home and one away. Clubs cannot face teams from their own country in this phase, and they can meet no more than two clubs from any other single country. Software handles the draw because the combinations are too complex to do with balls in bowls alone.
Because every team plays a different set of opponents, schedules vary in difficulty. That is the price of the format; the reward is more matches between big clubs early in the season.
What the final table decides
| League position | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 1st to 8th | Qualify directly for the round of 16 and play the second leg at home. |
| 9th to 24th | Enter the two-legged knockout phase play-off. |
| 25th to 36th | Eliminated from European competition for the season. |
Unlike the old system, teams that finish low in the Champions League no longer drop into the Europa League.
The knockout phase play-off
Clubs ranked 9th to 24th are paired so that higher-ranked teams face lower-ranked ones: for example 9th or 10th against 23rd or 24th. The higher-ranked club plays the second leg at home. The 8 winners join the top 8 in the round of 16.
From the round of 16 to the final
The round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals are played over two legs. The bracket is shaped by league positions, so finishing in the top two means a club cannot meet the other top-two side until the final. The final is a single match at a venue chosen in advance.
Tiebreakers in the league phase
If clubs finish level on points, UEFA ranks them using criteria that include goal difference, goals scored, away goals scored, wins and away wins, followed by the combined points and goal difference of the opponents they faced. Head-to-head is not the first criterion, because most tied teams will not have played each other.
No away goals
UEFA abolished the away goals rule in all its club competitions from 2021-22. In a two-legged tie where the aggregate score is level, the second leg goes to 30 minutes of extra time and then penalties if needed. See our guide to extra time and shoot-outs.
Europa League and Conference League
The Europa League uses the same 36-team, 8-match model. The Conference League also has 36 teams but each club plays 6 matches in its league phase, one against an opponent from each of six pots. Qualification rules for the round of 16 and play-off are the same as in the Champions League.
Why UEFA changed the format
The old group stage often had little at stake on the final matchday, because the top two in many groups were decided early. With one table of 36, positions near the 8th and 24th places remain open until the last evening, when all matches kick off at the same time. It also guarantees more meetings between Europe's strongest clubs.
Follow the table
On EHScore, open the Champions League from the Tournament tab and choose Standing to watch the 36-team table change live on matchdays.