Daily Junction.mobi portalSports · July 8, 2026 · Tom Bennett · 11 min
The Champions League has adopted a radical new format for 2024-25, replacing the group stage with a 36-team league phase. Here's how the Swiss model works, why UEFA made the change, and what it means for clubs and fans.
The UEFA Champions League has undergone its most radical transformation in over 30 years, replacing the familiar group stage with a 36-team league phase and a Swiss model format starting in the 2024-25 season. The changes add 64 extra matches to the competition, create more high-profile clashes earlier in the tournament, and are projected to generate €3.5 billion in additional revenue for UEFA and participating clubs. But the new format has been controversial — critics argue it favours big clubs, reduces competitive jeopardy, and creates unsustainable fixture congestion that harms player welfare and domestic leagues. Here is everything you need to know about the new Champions League format — how it works, why UEFA made the change, and what it means for the future of European football.
To understand the new format, it helps to review the old one. From 1992 to 2024, the Champions League used a group stage format:
The knockout rounds (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final) were played as two-legged ties (home and away), except for the final, which was a single match at a neutral venue.
This format was stable for over 20 years, but UEFA faced pressure to change it due to:
The new format, introduced for the 2024-25 season, is based on the Swiss model used in chess tournaments. Here's how it works:
The Champions League expanded from 32 to 36 teams. The 4 extra places were allocated as follows:
In 2024-25, the two extra places based on coefficient performance went to Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundesliga, meaning Italy qualified 5 teams and Germany qualified 5 teams.
Instead of 8 groups of 4, all 36 teams are placed in a single league table. Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents (4 home, 4 away).
Opponents are determined by seeding pots:
For example, Manchester City (Pot 1) might play:
After all 8 matches are played (January 2025), teams are ranked in a single table based on:
The league phase standings determine qualification for the knockout rounds:
The knockout playoff round is a new addition. It is a two-legged tie (home and away) played in February 2025, with the following seeding:
The 8 winners advance to the round of 16, where they join the top 8 teams from the league phase.
From the round of 16 onwards, the format is similar to the old system:
The bracket is pre-determined based on league phase standings, meaning teams know their potential path to the final from the round of 16 onwards (similar to the World Cup knockout bracket).
UEFA's official justification for the new format is to create more competitive matches and reduce dead rubber games. But the real reasons are commercial and political:
The new format adds 64 extra matches (from 125 to 189 total), which increases TV rights value. UEFA projects the new format will generate €3.5 billion per year in TV rights (up from €2.5 billion under the old format), according to analysis by the Financial Times in June 2024.
The extra matches also create more sponsorship and ticketing revenue. UEFA's total Champions League revenue is projected to reach €4.4 billion per year by 2027, up from €3.2 billion in 2023.
In April 2021, 12 elite clubs (including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Juventus) announced plans for a European Super League — a closed competition with guaranteed entry for founding members. The proposal collapsed within 48 hours due to fan backlash, but it forced UEFA to make concessions.
The new Champions League format gives big clubs:
This reduces the incentive for clubs to pursue a breakaway league.
Under the old format, elite clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City could only meet in the knockout rounds (from the round of 16 onwards). Under the new format, they can meet in the league phase, creating more marquee matches earlier in the competition.
For example, the 2024-25 league phase includes:
These matches would previously only occur in the knockouts, making them rarer and more valuable to broadcasters.
The new format has been widely criticised by fans, players, and football administrators:
The new format adds 2 extra matches in the league phase (8 instead of 6) and a new knockout playoff round for teams ranked 9-24. This means:
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and FIFPro (the global players' union) have warned that the new format is unsustainable and could lead to legal action over player welfare, according to reports by The Athletic in August 2024.
Under the old format, finishing 3rd in a group of 4 meant elimination (or dropping to the Europa League). Under the new format, teams can finish 24th out of 36 and still qualify for the knockout playoff.
This reduces the risk of early elimination for big clubs. For example, in 2023-24, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona both finished 3rd in their groups and were eliminated. Under the new format, they would likely have qualified for the playoff round.
Critics argue this makes the competition less exciting and reduces the incentive for smaller clubs to compete, as the top 24 places are likely to be dominated by elite clubs.
The new format is more complex than the old one. Fans must understand:
This has led to criticism that UEFA has prioritised commercial interests over fan experience.
The extra Champions League matches reduce the number of midweek slots available for domestic cup competitions and league matches. In England, the EFL Cup (League Cup) has been forced to scrap two-legged semi-finals to accommodate the new Champions League format, according to the BBC in September 2024.
Smaller clubs that do not participate in European competitions argue they are being harmed by fixture congestion that benefits only the elite.
The new format is projected to generate €4.4 billion per year for UEFA by 2027, up from €3.2 billion in 2023. This revenue is distributed as follows:
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