The upcoming 2024/2025 Champions League will be a new chapter in the highest caste European club competition. The total number of teams involved has increased from 32 teams to 36 teams, now the list of participants is starting to form.
The 2023/2024 season will be the last season of the Champions League with the old format. Next season, starting 2024/2025, UCL will present more matches.
The current Champions League format has been used for dozens of years. There are a total of 32 participating teams in the group phase, narrowing down to the last 16 in the knockout phase, and so on until the final.
So, starting next season, UEFA will increase the number of participants to 36 teams. The group phase will also be abolished, replaced with a new system that uses a large standings containing all participating teams.
UEFA claims that this change in format is necessary so that the Champions League can survive as the best football competition at club level. They want to steal the attention of new audiences, namely young viewers.
Currently, with the old format, there are six matches, aka 6 matchdays, in the group phase. Each team will face three away matches and three away matches in an effort to win tickets to qualify for the round of 16.
So, starting next year, the group phase will no longer exist, replaced by the League Phase. There are a total of eight matches in the League Phase, two more than in the current group phase.
Differences can also be found in the League Phase. Teams are no longer divided into eight groups of four. Next year, all participating teams will be placed in one large standings based on points and goal difference.
So, from this big standings, the top eight teams will qualify directly for the round of 16. Then, 9th to 24th place will play a play-off round to win the remaining eight tickets to the last 16.
So, positions 25-36 are certain to be eliminated from European competition, no one will be relegated to the Europa League.
UEFA has explained the selection of the 36 teams participating in the 2024/2025 UCL. There are 25 spots divided into each domestic league, then there are 2 automatic qualifying spots for the UCL champion and UEL champion.
Furthermore, UEFA will carry out rebalancing if the UCL champion or UEL champion also secures a qualifying spot in the domestic league. For example, if Real Madrid also won the UCL this season, considering that they already won the league.
The following is a list of teams that have qualified for the UCL via the non-qualifying route so far:
England (4): Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Spain (4): Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atletico de Madrid
Germany (4): Leverkusen, Bayern, Stuttgart, Leipzig
Italy (4): Inter, Milan, Juventus, Bologna
France (3): PSG, Monaco, Brest
Netherlands (2): PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Portugal (1): Sporting
Belgium (1): Anderlecht
Scotland (1): Celtic
Austria (1): Sturm Graz
European Performance Spots (2): Roma (ITA), Dortmund (GER)
Champions League winner rebalancing (1): Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Europa League winners rebalancing (1): Benfica (POR)
Please remember, the list above can still change, depending on the situation at the end of the season, including the final standings of domestic leagues and UCL/UEL champions. UEFA also still provides qualification paths for Champions Path and League Path.
Champions path is a qualifying round for league champions who do not automatically qualify for the group phase. Usually from leagues with low coefficients, such as the Greek, Hungarian, Croatian leagues, and so on.
League path is a qualifying path for non-league champions, usually for runners-up. Also comes from leagues with low coefficient values.
