sportnews full logo

Champions League 2025/26 Start Date and New Format Details

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League will begin with a fresh structure that changes the landscape of Europe's top club tournament. The familiar group stage is gone, replaced by a league phase designed to deliver more matches, new rivalries, and heightened competition across Europe.

Paris Saint-Germain enters as the defending champions, while Tottenham Hotspur will compete as the UEFA Europa League winners. A total of 36 clubs will compete for the title, culminating in the grand final hosted in Budapest.

Schedule for the League Phase

The league phase includes eight matchdays where each team faces different opponents:

  • Matchday 1: September 16–18, 2025
  • Matchday 2: September 30–October 1, 2025
  • Matchday 3: October 21–22, 2025
  • Matchday 4: November 4–5, 2025
  • Matchday 5: November 25–26, 2025
  • Matchday 6: December 9–10, 2025
  • Matchday 7: January 20–21, 2026
  • Matchday 8: January 28, 2026

The highest-ranked teams after this phase will move straight to the Round of 16. Those in the middle rankings enter a knockout play-off round.

Knockout Stages Leading to the Final

Following the league phase, the knockout rounds take place on these dates:

  • Knockout Play-offs: February 17–18 and 24–25, 2026
  • Round of 16: March 10–11 and 17–18, 2026
  • Quarterfinals: April 7–8 and 14–15, 2026
  • Semifinals: April 28–29 and May 5–6, 2026
  • Final: May 30, 2026 – Puskás Aréna, Budapest

Budapest’s Puskás Aréna will host its first-ever Champions League final, having previously been the venue for the 2023 Europa League final.

Important Draw Dates

The draws for various stages are scheduled as follows:

  • First Qualifying Round: June 17, 2025
  • Second Qualifying Round: June 18, 2025
  • Third Qualifying Round: July 21, 2025
  • Play-offs: August 4, 2025
  • League Phase Draw: August 28, 2025
  • Knockout Play-offs Draw: January 30, 2026
  • Round of 16 to Final Draws: February 27, 2026

A Season of Expanded Competition

This edition of the Champions League introduces more matches and new clashes right from the start. Top clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and reigning champs PSG will all strive for European supremacy in Budapest.

Related Articles