Since its inception as the European Cup in 1955 and later reincarnated as the Champions League, Europe’s greatest club competition has showcased the pinnacle of soccer excellence. It has seen some of the sport’s greatest comebacks, unforgettable matches and legendary players. The tournament has helped UEFA steer billions in revenue from global broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals to its participating clubs.
Until this season, the Champions League whittled down 32 teams from the biggest domestic leagues in Europe through three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds and then into a group stage that saw teams play six matches, including home and away against each other. The top two teams advanced to the quarterfinals and then to a two-legged semifinal before the final was played.
In 2024, a change in format was implemented that has expanded the number of teams to 36 and introduced a new league phase. From this point, each team will play eight different opponents across the two seasons. Four of those games will be at home, and four will be away. Teams will be ranked on their performance with one point for a win, two points for a draw and zero for a loss.
Teams who finish ninth to 24th will compete in a play-off round, where they will face the top eight teams from the league phase. UEFA will rank these teams based on their domestic league coefficients and then assign a spot to each based on the results of a draw.