The UEFA Women’s Champions League format has been shaken up for the 2025/26 season with a new structure designed to create more excitement.
The new layout featuring more competitive matches comes into play imminently, and The Halfway Line is here to break it all down.
The old system featured 16 teams split into groups of four, but this will now be replaced by a single league phase with 18 clubs, like that which we saw in the men’s competition last season.
Each team will play six matches — three at home and three away — against six different opponents. This year’s Champions League draw has been based on seeding, ensuring every side faces a balanced mixture of teams. The 18 teams will be divided up into 3 pots depending on league coefficient ranking, and drawn to play against two sides from each pot. For example, defending champions Arsenal will face two sides from Pot 1 (Lyon, Bayern Munich), two sides from Pot 2 (Real Madrid, Benfica), and two sides from Pot 3 (FC Twente, OH Leuven).
At the end of the league phase, the top four clubs will qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Teams finishing 5th to 12th will go into a two-legged playoff round, with the winners joining the top four in the last eight. The bottom six sides will be eliminated.
From the quarter-finals onwards, the format remains the same as before, with two-legged ties leading into the semi-finals followed by the final.
The Women’s Europa Cup also springs into action during 2025/26. This second-tier tournament will provide additional opportunities for clubs to play continental football, including those knocked out of the Champions League qualifying rounds.
The Champions League is already the highest level of club football in Europe, but from 2025/26 it will become even more competitive. With bigger clashes earlier in the season, more jeopardy across the league phase.
