Champions League 2025/26: Start Dates and New Format Details

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League is set to begin under a fresh structure that changes how Europe's premier club tournament unfolds. The classic group stage has been replaced by a league phase, promising more games, new rivalries, and heightened competition across the continent.

Paris Saint-Germain enters as the defending champion, and Tottenham Hotspur joins as the UEFA Europa League winner. Altogether, 36 teams will compete for the title, culminating in a final in Budapest.

Schedule for the League Phase

The league phase spans eight matchdays where each club faces various 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

Teams finishing top in the standings move straight into the Round of 16. Those placed in the middle will enter a knockout play-off round.

Knockout Phase and Final

After the league phase, the knockout matches begin:

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

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

Draw Dates to Remember

The draw events 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

An Expanded Tournament Full of Drama

This edition's expanded format means more fixtures and unpredictable clashes from the start. Clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and reigning champs PSG headline the competition, all chasing European glory in Budapest.