UEFA has introduced a major rule change to the Champions League ahead of the 2025/26 season following reported complaints from Arsenal about last year’s knockout stage format.
In recent seasons, European football’s governing body has revamped its competitions, including the creation of the Europa Conference League and a complete overhaul of both the Champions League and Europa League formats.
Champions League Format Overhaul
Starting from the 2024/25 campaign, the Champions League expanded from 32 to 36 teams in a single league phase. Instead of the traditional eight groups of four, all teams compete in one large table.
- Teams ranked 1–8 automatically qualify for the round of 16.
- Teams ranked 9–24 enter a play-off round to fight for a knockout spot.
The system was largely seen as a success, but the knockout stages created controversy—particularly regarding home advantage.
The Arsenal Controversy
Under the previous rules, quarter-final and semi-final fixtures were determined by a random draw, meaning even higher-ranked clubs risked playing the first leg at home, widely considered a disadvantage compared to hosting the decisive second leg.
Arsenal experienced this first-hand in the 2024/25 quarter-finals when, despite finishing third in the league phase, they were drawn to host Real Madrid in the first leg. Madrid had only just progressed via the play-offs after beating Manchester City, yet still benefitted from the system.
Although Arsenal eliminated Madrid over two legs, the Gunners reportedly voiced their frustration to UEFA, sparking calls for reform.
UEFA’s New Rule for 2025/26
UEFA has since updated its Champions League Regulations, confirming a change designed to reward higher-ranked clubs:
- Seeded teams (ranked 1–4 after the league phase) will now play the second leg at home in the quarter-finals.
- Teams ranked 1–2 will also secure home advantage in the second leg of the semi-finals.
- If a seeded team is eliminated, the team that beats them inherits their seeding position for fixture purposes.
This ensures that clubs performing strongly in the league phase gain a tangible advantage in the knockout rounds.
Champions League 2025/26 Key Dates
- League Phase: 16 September 2025 – 28 January 2026
- Play-Offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
- Round of 16: 10–18 March 2026
- Quarter-Finals: 7–15 April 2026
- Semi-Finals: 28 April – 6 May 2026
- Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest, Hungary)
Champions League 2025/26 Favourites
According to Oddschecker, defending champions PSG lead the betting market as favourites to lift the trophy again.
Liverpool – second favourites, Barcelona – third favourites, Real Madrid – fourth favourites, Arsenal – fifth favourites, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Napoli and Newcastle complete the top 10.
