2024–25 UEFA Champions League
 Allianz Arena in Munich will host the final. | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 9 July – 28 August 2024 Competition proper: 17 September 2024 – 31 May 2025 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 36 Total: 83 (from 53 associations) |
The 2024–25 UEFA Champions League will be the 70th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 33rd season since it was rebranded from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.[1] This will be the first season of UEFA Champions League played under a new format where in the League phase each team plays eight games against different opponents but all 36 teams are ranked in a joint league.[2][3]
The final will be played on 31 May 2025 at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.[4] The winners of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase, earn the right to play against the winners of the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League in the 2025 UEFA Super Cup, 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and potentially enter the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup (this is yet to be determined).
Association team allocation
A total of 83 teams from 53 of the 55 UEFA member associations are set to participate in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League (the exceptions being Liechtenstein which does not organise a domestic league and Russia which is currently suspended). The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[5]
- Associations 1–5 each have four teams.
- Association 6 has three teams.
- Associations 7–15 each have two teams.
- Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein[Note LIE] and Russia[Note RUS]) each have one team.
- The winners of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League and 2023–24 UEFA Europa League are each given an additional entry if they do not qualify for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League through their domestic league.
- The two associations who obtain the most coefficient points in the 2023–24 season will each have one European Performance Spot into the league phase. The winners of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League cannot fill into the European Performance Spots.
Association ranking
For the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2023 UEFA association coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2018–19 to 2022–23.[6] The table reflects Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA.
Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:
- (EPS) – European Performance Spot, the additional berths for associations who finished in the top 2 of the 2023–24 association coefficients
- (UEL) – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders
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Distribution
| Teams entering in this round | Teams advancing from the previous round | ||
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| First qualifying round (30 teams) |
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| Second qualifying round (30 teams) |
Champions Path (24 teams) |
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| League Path (6 teams) |
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| Third qualifying round (20 teams) |
Champions Path (12 teams) |
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| League Path (8 teams) |
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| Play-off round (14 teams) |
Champions Path (10 teams) |
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| League Path (4 teams) |
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| League phase (36 teams) |
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The information here reflects the ongoing suspension of Russia in European football, and so the following changes to the default access list have been made:
- The champions of associations 23 (Sweden) and 24 (Poland) will enter the second-qualifying round instead of the first-qualifying round (Champions Path).
Should the Champions League title holders have qualified via their domestic league, then the club (Champions Path only) with highest club coefficient will enter the league phase.
Should the Europa League title holders have qualified via their domestic league, then the club (Champions Path & League Path) with the highest club coefficient will enter the league phase, except for the runners-up of associations 11–15, as they have higher-ranked domestic team in the qualifiers.
Teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- TH: Champions League title holders
- EL: Europa League title holders
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season
- EPS: The European Performance Spots given to clubs from the 2 associations with the highest coefficient points in 2023–24
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and League Path (LP).
- ^ Liechtenstein (LIE): The seven teams affiliated with the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) all play in the Swiss football league system. The only competition organised by the LFV is the Liechtenstein Football Cup – the winners of which qualify for the UEFA Conference League for the 2024–25 season.
- ^ Portugal (POR): Sporting CP and Benfica have qualified as they will both finish in the top two of the 2023–24 Primeira Liga.
- ^ Russia (RUS): On 28 February 2022, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[7] The tables reflect Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA competitions.[8]
- ^ Scotland (SCO): Celtic and Rangers have qualified as they will both finish in the top two of the 2023–24 Scottish Premiership.
- ^ Serbia (SRB): Red Star Belgrade have qualified as they will finish in the top two of the 2023–24 Serbian SuperLiga.
- ^ Turkey (TUR): Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe have qualified as they will both finish in the top two of the 2023–24 Süper Lig.
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[9] Compared to past seasons, "exclusive week" will be introduced in which Thursday will also be a matchday.[2][10][11] All matches in other weeks will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays apart from the final.
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | First qualifying round | 18 June 2024 | 9–10 July 2024 | 16–17 July 2024 |
| Second qualifying round | 19 June 2024 | 23–24 July 2024 | 30–31 July 2024 | |
| Third qualifying round | 22 July 2024 | 6–7 August 2024 | 13 August 2024 | |
| Play-offs | Play-off round | 5 August 2024 | 20–21 August 2024 | 27–28 August 2024 |
| League phase | Matchday 1 | 29 August 2024 | 17–19 September 2024 | |
| Matchday 2 | 1–2 October 2024 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 22–23 October 2024 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 5–6 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 26–27 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 10–11 December 2024 | |||
| Matchday 7 | 21–22 January 2025 | |||
| Matchday 8 | 29 January 2025 | |||
| Knockout phase | Knockout round play-offs | 31 January 2025 | 11–12 February 2025 | 18–19 February 2025 |
| Round of 16 | 21 February 2025 | 4–5 March 2025 | 11–12 March 2025 | |
| Quarter-finals | 8–9 April 2025 | 15–16 April 2025 | ||
| Semi-finals | 29–30 April 2025 | 6–7 May 2025 | ||
| Final | 31 May 2025 at Allianz Arena, Munich | |||
Qualifying rounds
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 18 June 2024. The first legs were played on 9 and 10 July, and the second legs were played on 16 and 17 July 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the Champions Path second qualifying round. 12 of the 14 losers were transferred to the Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round and 2 were transferred to the Conference League Champions Path qualifying and received a bye to the third qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Slovan Bratislava  | 6–3 |  Struga | 4–2 | 2–1 |
The New Saints  | 4–1 |  Dečić | 3–0 | 1–1 |
Borac Banja Luka  | 2–2 (4–1 p) |  Egnatia | 1–0 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
Ħamrun Spartans  | 1–1 (4–5 p) |  Lincoln Red Imps | 0–1 | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
UE Santa Coloma  | 3–3 (6–5 p)[A] |  Ballkani | 1–2 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
Flora  | 1–7 |  Celje | 0–5 | 1–2 |
KÍ  | 2–0 |  Differdange 03 | 2–0 | 0–0 |
Panevėžys  | 4–1 |  HJK | 3–0 | 1–1 |
RFS  | 7–0 |  Larne | 3–0 | 4–0 |
Víkingur Reykjavík  | 1–2 |  Shamrock Rovers | 0–0 | 1–2 |
Virtus  | 1–11 |  FCSB | 1–7 | 0–4 |
Ludogorets Razgrad  | 3–2 |  Dinamo Batumi | 3–1 | 0–1 |
Ordabasy  | 0–1 |  Petrocub Hîncești | 0–0 | 0–1 |
Dinamo Minsk  | 1–0 |  Pyunik | 0–0 | 1–0 |
- ^ Order of legs reversed after original draw.
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 19 June 2024. The first legs were played on 23 and 24 July, and the second legs were played on 30 and 31 July 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the third qualifying round of their respective path. The Champions Path losers were transferred to the Europa League Champions Path third qualifying round, while the League Path losers were transferred to the Europa League Main Path third qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Path | ||||
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2–1 | Dinamo Minsk | 2–0 | 0–1 |
APOEL  | 2–1 | Petrocub Hîncești | 1–0 | 1–1 |
Ferencváros  | 7–1 | The New Saints | 5–0 | 2–1 |
PAOK  | 4–2 | Borac Banja Luka | 3–2 | 1–0 |
Bodø/Glimt  | 7–1 | RFS | 4–0 | 3–1 |
Malmö FF  | 6–4 | KÍ | 4–1 | 2–3 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 2–6 |  Sparta Prague | 0–2 | 2–4 |
| UE Santa Coloma | 0–4 |  Midtjylland | 0–3 | 0–1 |
| Celje | 1–6 | Slovan Bratislava | 1–1 | 0–5 |
| Panevėžys | 1–7 |  Jagiellonia Białystok | 0–4 | 1–3 |
| Lincoln Red Imps | 0–7 |  Qarabağ | 0–2 | 0–5 |
| FCSB | 2–1 |  Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| League Path | ||||
Lugano  | 4–6 |  Fenerbahçe | 3–4 | 1–2 |
Dynamo Kyiv  | 9–2 |  Partizan | 6–2 | 3–0 |
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 22 July 2024. The first legs were played on 6 and 7 August, and the second legs were played on 13 August 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the play-off round of their respective paths. The Champions Path losers were transferred to the Europa League play-off round, while the League Path losers were transferred to the Europa League league phase.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Path | ||||
| Qarabağ | 8–4 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 1–2 | 7–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Slovan Bratislava | 2–0 | APOEL | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Sparta Prague | 4–3 | FCSB | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Malmö FF | 6–5 | PAOK | 2–2 | 4–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Midtjylland | 3–1 | Ferencváros | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Jagiellonia Białystok | 1–5 | Bodø/Glimt | 0–1 | 1–4 |
| League Path | ||||
| Slavia Prague | 4–1 |  Union Saint-Gilloise | 3–1 | 1–0 |
Lille  | 3–2 | Fenerbahçe | 2–1 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 3–1 |  Rangers | 1–1 | 2–0 |
Red Bull Salzburg  | 5–4 |  Twente | 2–1 | 3–3 |
Play-off round
The draw for the play-off round was held on 5 August 2024. The first legs will be played on 20 and 21 August, and the second legs will be played on 27 and 28 August 2024.
The winners of the ties will advance to the league phase. The losers will be transferred to the Europa League league phase.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Path | ||||
| Young Boys | Match 1 | Galatasaray | 21 Aug | 27 Aug |
Dinamo Zagreb  | Match 2 | Qarabağ | 20 Aug | 28 Aug |
| Midtjylland | Match 3 | Slovan Bratislava | 21 Aug | 28 Aug |
| Bodø/Glimt | Match 4 | Red Star Belgrade | 20 Aug | 28 Aug |
| Malmö FF | Match 5 | Sparta Prague | 21 Aug | 27 Aug |
| League Path | ||||
| Lille | Match 1 | Slavia Prague | 20 Aug | 28 Aug |
| Dynamo Kyiv | Match 2 | Red Bull Salzburg | 21 Aug | 27 Aug |
League phase
Qualified teams
| Pot 1 | Pot to be determined |
|---|---|
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Knockout phase
The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout phase, while the teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure their path to the last 16. The winners will join the top eight in that round. Meanwhile, teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated, with no access to the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League.[2]
Final
TBD  | v | TBD |
|---|---|---|
See also
- 2024–25 UEFA Europa League
- 2024–25 UEFA Conference League
- 2025 UEFA Super Cup
- 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League
- 2024–25 UEFA Youth League
References
- ^ "UEFA approves final format and access list for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season". UEFA.com. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ a b c UEFA.com (13 March 2024). "New format for Champions League post-2024: Everything you need to know | UEFA Champions League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "The New Champions League Format Explained". www.soccersat.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Venues appointed for club competition finals". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League, 2024/25 Season". Nyon: UEFA. 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Association coefficients 2022/23". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis: Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian clubs and national teams". BBC.co.uk. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "UEFA decisions for upcoming competitions relating to the ongoing suspension of Russian national teams and clubs. However this could change depending on what happens" (Press release). Nyon: UEFA. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "UEFA club competitions cycle 2024–27 ("Post 2024")". UEFA Circular Letter. No. 36/2023. Union of European Football Associations. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Sheldon, Dan. "How the new Champions League format works". The Athletic. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "More national derby games possible when revamped Champions League starts next year". AP News. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.