Exploring the New Swiss-System Format in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 is going to be the 70th edition of Europe’s top football league. The league is organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Earlier, this tournament was known as the European Champion Club’s Cup. 

The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League will be a special tournament because it will be played under the new format called Swiss-system. A total of 83 teams from 53 UEFA members will be playing for the title. Fans around the globe are waiting for the clash of giant football clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, etc. All and all, we can say that the Champions League promises to deliver unforgettable memories and a breathtaking display of football skills. 

Participating Teams in UEFA Champions League 

As mentioned earlier, 83 teams will be participating in the tournament from 53 member countries. The number of teams from each member depends upon its ranking. Details are explained in the following table. 

RankNumber of TeamsCountries as per the current rank
1 to 54 teams England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France
63 teams Netherlands
7 to 152 teams Portugal, Belgium, Scotland, Austria, Serbia, Turkey, Switzerland, Ukraine, Czech Republic 
16 to 531 teamNorway, Denmark, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Cyprus, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Moldova, Kosovo, Latvia, Republic of Ireland, Finland, Lithuania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland, Malta, Georgia, Estonia, Iceland, Albania, Wales, Gibraltar, North Macedonia, Andorra, Montenegro, San Marino

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Schedule 

The first leg of the tournament will start on 9th July 2024 and the final will be played on 31st May 2025 at Allianz Arena, Munich. The complete schedule is explained in the following table. 

PhaseRound1st Round2nd Round
Qualifying1st Qualifying Round9 to 10 July 202416 to 17 July 2024
2nd Qualifying Round23 to 24 July 202430 to 31 July 2024
3rd Qualifying Round6 to 7 August 202413 August 2024
Play-OffsPlay-off round20 to 21 August 202427 to 28 August 2024
League PhaseMatchday 1 17 to 19 September 2024
Matchday 21 to 2 October 2024
Matchday 322 to 23 October 2024
Matchday 45 to 6 November 2024
Matchday 526 to 27 November 2024
Matchday 610 to 11 December 2024
Matchday 721 to 22 January 2025
Matchday 829 January 2025
Knockout PhaseKnockout Play-offs11 to 12 February 202518 to 19 February 2025
Round of 164 to 5 March 202511 to 12 March 2025
Quarter-finals8 to 9 April 202515 to 16 April 2025
Semi-finals29 to 30 April 20256 to 7 May 2025
Final31 May 2025 at Allianz Arena, Munich

Qualifying Rounds and Teams 

Let’s take a look at the teams who are going to play in the different rounds of the tournament 

1st Qualifying round 

The following 30 teams will play in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25

  • Winners of 2023–24 Slovenian PrvaLiga
  • Winners of 2023–24 Moldovan Super Liga
  • Winners of 2023–24 Football Superleague of Kosovo
  • Winners of 2023 Latvian Higher League
  • Winners of 2023 League of Ireland Premier Division
  • Winners of 2023 Veikkausliiga
  • Winners of 2023 A Lyga
  • Winners of 2023–24 Armenian Premier League
  • Winners of 2023 Belarusian Premier League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Winners of 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I
  • Winners of 2023–24 Liga I
  • Winners of 2023–24 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria)
  • Winners of 2023–24 Slovak First Football League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Azerbaijan Premier League
  • Winners of 2023 Kazakhstan Premier League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Luxembourg National Division
  • Winners of 2023 Faroe Islands Premier League
  • Winners of 2023–24 NIFL Premiership
  • Winners of 2023–24 Maltese Premier League
  • Winners of 2023 Erovnuli Liga
  • Winners of 2023 Meistriliiga
  • Winners of 2023 Besta deild karla
  • Winners of 2023–24 Kategoria Superiore
  • Winners of 2023–24 Cymru Premier
  • Winners of 2023–24 Gibraltar Football League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Macedonian First Football League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Primera Divisió
  • Winners of 2023–24 Montenegrin First League
  • Winners of 2023–24 Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio

2nd Qualifying Round 

Just like the first qualifying round, 30 teams will play in the second qualifying round. However, out of these 30 teams, 24 will be selected through Champions Path (including 15 winners of the 1st qualifying round) and the rest 6 will be chosen through league path. 

Champions PathLeague Path
15 winners of the 1st qualifying roundRunner-up of 2023–24 Austrian Football Bundesliga
Winners of 2023–24 Czech First LeagueRunner-up of 2023–24 Serbian SuperLiga
Winners of 2023 EliteserienRunner-up of 2023–24 Süper Lig
Winners of 2023–24 Danish SuperligaRunner-up of 2023–24 Swiss Super League
Winners of 2023–24 Croatian Football LeagueUkraine Runner-up of 2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League
Winners of 2023–24 Super League GreeceCzech Republic Runner-up of 2023–24 Czech First League
Winners of 2023–24 Israeli Premier League
Winners of 2023–24 Cypriot First Division
Winners of 2023 Allsvenskan
Winners of 2023–24 Ekstraklasa

3rd Qualifying Round 

20 teams will play in the 3rd qualifying round. 12 will be chosen from the champions path and 8 to be selected via the league path. 

Champions Path12 winners of the 2nd qualifying round (Champions Path)
League PathFourth place of 2023–24 Ligue 1, Third place of 2023–24 Eredivisie, Runner-up of 2023–24 Primeira Liga, Runner-up of 2023–24 Belgian Pro League, Runner-up of 2023–24 Scottish Premiership, 3 winners of the second qualifying round (League Path)

Play-Off round 

A total of 14 teams will be participating in playoff rounds. The Champions Path and League Path will have 10 and 4 teams respectively. 

Champions PathLeague Path
Winners of 2023–24 Serbian SuperLiga4 winners of the third qualifying round (League Path)
Winners of 2023–24 Super Lig
Winners of 2023–24 Swiss Super League
Winners of 2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League
6 winners of the third qualifying round (Champions Path)

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 League Phase

The format of the competition has changed for the season 2024-25. Changes are explained below. 

Instead of being drawn into groups, all 36 teams will now compete together in one league. Each team will play against eight others. The teams will be divided into four pots of nine based on their UEFA club coefficients. 

Each club will have 4 home matches and 4 away matches. They will play one home and one away match against a team from each of the four pots. 

The seeding will follow specific rules –  

  • Pot 1 will have the Champions League title holder and the 8 qualified teams with the highest club coefficient. 
  • Pots 2, 3, and 4 will have the remaining qualified teams, grouped by their club coefficient. 

Note: Generally, clubs from the same association will not play against each other in the league phase, with a maximum of one match allowed between clubs from the same association.

Check: World’s richest footballs players

Teams to play in the League Phase are as follows. 

Winners of 2023–24 UEFA Champions LeagueWinners of 2023–24 UEFA Europa LeagueWinners of 2023–24 Premier League
Runner-up of 2023–24 Premier LeagueFourth place of 2023–24 Premier LeagueThird place of 2023–24 Premier League
Winners of 2023–24 La LigaThird place of 2023–24 La LigaRunner-up of 2023–24 La Liga
Winners of 2023–24 BundesligaFourth place of 2023–24 La LigaThird place of 2023–24 Bundesliga
Runner-up of 2023–24 BundesligaRunner-up of 2023–24 Serie ARunner-up of 2023–24 Ligue 1
Winners of 2023–24 Serie AThird place of 2023–24 Ligue 1Winners of 2023–24 Eredivisie
Fourth place of 2023–24 BundesligaRunner-up of 2023–24 EredivisieWinners of 2023–24 Primeira Liga
Winners of 2023–24 Ligue 1Winners of 2023–24 Scottish PremiershipWinners of 2023–24 Belgian Pro League
Fourth place of 2023–24 Serie AWinners of 2023–24 Austrian Football Bundesliga5 winners of Champions Path
Third place of 2023–24 Serie A2 winners of League PathExtra team from the association with the highest coefficient from the previous season
Extra team from the association with the second-highest coefficient from the previous season

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is any team from Russia going to take part in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League?

No, the Russian Football Union is currently suspended by UEFA.

Where will the final match of the 2024-25 Champions League be played?

It will be played at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. 

Which teams have won the most UEFA Champions League titles?

Real Madrid with 14 titles.

How many UCL titles does Cristiano Ronaldo have?

5 UEFA Champions League Titles

Where can I watch UEFA Champions League matches on TV?

UEFA Champions League matches are broadcasted by various television networks and streaming platforms around the world.

Leave a Comment