UEFA has decided to revamp the format of the Champions League from the 2024/25 season onwards. The new format will include an increased number of teams in the competition and a total of 100 additional matches.
The traditional group stage which included eight different groups has been replaced by one big league stage. Each team will play a total of 10 matches, including 5 home and away fixtures each. The top 8 ranked teams at the end of the group stage will qualify for the round of 16. They will be joined by further eight teams through play-offs.
The teams ranked 9 to 24 will play two-legged play-offs to qualify for the next round. The teams which finish below 25th spot will automatically be knocked out of the tournament and will not drop down to the Europa League.
The tournament will be played according to the current format from the round of 16 onwards. The same format will be followed in the Europa League and the UEFA Conference League.
According to the new format, 36 teams will take part in the tournament instead of 32. The additional four teams will be determined according to three different criteria. The first slot will go to the third-ranked team in UEFA’s fifth-ranked national association ranking. Currently the French league, Ligue 1 is the fifth-ranked league.
“The second slot will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the so-called champions path.”
The third and fourth spots will be awarded to teams that are the highest ranked in UEFA’s club coefficient but failed to automatically qualify for the Champions League. However, they need to have qualified for one of the European leagues.
