August 28, (THEWILL) – UEFA is set to launch a revamped Champions League format for the 2024/2025 season. The draw, taking place in Monaco on Thursday, will mark the start of this new era in European club football.
The expanded competition will feature 36 teams in a single league, replacing the previous 32-team group stage format. In the new system, each club will play eight matches against different opponents, determined by a seeding system. The top eight teams will advance directly to the last 16, while the next 16 will compete in play-offs.
This change aims to increase competitive balance and create more exciting matchups throughout the tournament. The expansion brings a significant increase in the number of matches, from 96 to 144 in the league phase.
This growth has raised concerns about player workload, especially following the underwhelming performances at EURO 2024, which many attributed to fatigue. However, UEFA has countered these worries by highlighting the financial benefits, with the prize pot rising by about 25% to nearly 2.5 billion euros.
New entrants to the competition include Girona from Spain and Bologna from Italy, returning after a 60-year absence. French side Brest will make their European debut, benefiting from France’s additional qualification spot. The draw itself will be a hybrid process, combining manual ball selection with software to manage the increased complexity.
Alongside the UCL changes, the Europa League and Conference League will also expand to 36 teams each, with similar format adjustments. The draws for these competitions are scheduled for Friday, completing the overhaul of UEFA’s club tournaments.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
