The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League will bring notable changes to how the tournament is played, marking a significant shift in its structure. As clubs prepare for Europe’s most prestigious football competition, the new format will present teams and fans with a different experience.
This season’s competition, the 70th edition of the UEFA Champions League, will abandon the traditional group stage format. Instead, the tournament will follow a single 36-team league format. Each team will play eight matches, with four home games and four away games. This means teams will face eight different opponents during this stage.
The top eight teams from the league stage will advance directly to the round of 16. Meanwhile, the teams that finish between ninth and 24th will enter the knockout round play-offs. The winners of these play-offs will also secure a place in the round of 16. After this, the tournament will continue in a knockout format until the final match.
The competition will kick off with the first phase matches on 17–19 September 2024. The following matchdays are set for 1/2 October, 22/23 October, 5/6 November, 26/27 November, 10/11 December, 21/22 January, and 29 January. Knockout round play-offs are scheduled for 11/12 and 18/19 February 2025. The round of 16 will take place in March, with the quarter-finals in April and semi-finals in May.
The grand finale will take place on 31 May 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. This will be the second time the stadium hosts the final, following its previous role in 2012.
UEFA has also announced the draw dates for the tournament. The draws for the league stage will occur on 29 August 2024, with the knockout play-offs draw set for 31 January 2025, and the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals draw scheduled for 21 February 2025.
