What is the new Champions League format? Changes, teams, qualification, prize money & more

Cameron Smith

• 14 Dec 2023 08:23 GMT
• 5 min read

The 2023-24 Champions League season will be the final year under the competition’s current format, with radical changes coming into place from 2024-25 onwards.

The existing structure has been altered significantly and there are several major changes that will be in effect during the next Champions League campaign.

There will be changes to the number of teams in the competition, the qualification method for the knockout stages and much more, while the Europa League and the Conference League will both undergo similar format alterations.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through everything you need to know about the new Champions League format.

How many teams will compete in the new Champions League format?

There will be an increase to 36 teams competing in the Champions League from the 2024-25 season onwards. Previously, there has been 32 clubs in the competition, split into eight groups of four.

However, the group stages will look entirely different in 2024-25 and that round of the competition will be called “the Champions League league phase.”

How will the extra four Champions League spots be decided?

Slot One: The team who finish third in the country in fifth position in UEFA’s Coefficient Ranking. It’s expected this will be between the Eredivisie and Ligue 1, meaning the team who finish 3rd in whichever league wins out will be awarded a Champions League slot.

Slot Two: An extra qualifying spot through the Champions path of the Champions League’s qualifying process.

Slots Three and Four: Awarded to nations whose clubs achieve the best collective performance in the season before.

How will the group stage work in the new Champions League format?

Instead of being split into eight groups of four with the top two teams qualifying for the last-16, all 36 teams will be in the same league competition.

Each team will play eight matches in the new league phase, with all eight matches against different opponents. Four of the games will be played at their home ground, while four will be played away.

As per the UEFA website: “To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots. Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.”

How will qualification for the knockout stages work in the new Champions League format?

With all 36 teams in a league format (and every team playing eight matches), the end of the league phase will leave a convenient table, sorted by the number of points amassed.

The top eight teams in the league (those with the highest points tallies) will automatically qualify for the last-16.

The teams from 9th to 24th place will compete in two-legged play-offs to determine who qualifies for the knockout stages.

Those who finish between 9th and 16th will be seeded in the league phase play-offs and will face an unseeded team - a side that finished between 17th and 24th.

The winner of each two-legged tie will earn qualification to the last-16, where they will face one of the top eight teams from the league phase.

From the round of 16 onwards, the Champions League format will remain the same, with two-legged knockout matches leading to the one-game final held at a neutral venue.

The teams who finish from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition, and they will not drop into the Europa League.

What will the 2024-25 Champions League schedule look like?

Similar to the existing format, the new Champions League scheduling will begin in September. However, the league phase (formerly known as the group stage) will continue until January, due to the additional two matches played by each team.

As usual, Champions League matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

What is the prize money for the new Champions League format?

UEFA have not stated whether the prize money will be increased, decreased or if it will stay the same from the 2024-25 season onwards.

It’s believed the winner of this year’s Champions League will receive €23.5 million in total prize money.