Champions League 2026: Qualifications, Format, & Dates

The new-format Champions League is heading into its second year. Just under two months ago, PSG stormed to its first-ever European triumph, crushing Inter Milan 5:0 in a dominant finals display at the Allianz Arena.

It was a stunning performance – certainly worthy of all the winner's commercials in the pipeline – but other footballing giants are already sharpening their swords. The chase resumes on 16 September.

But before then, there's still the qualification round to conclude what teams will meet for the 71st iteration of Europe's most elite club competition. As we speak, teams across the continent are fighting fiercely for the right to host the iconic anthem on their turf.

UCL 2025-26 Season Format

Last season, UEFA introduced a new UCL format by expanding the team list to 36 and eliminating the group stage in favor of a league-style preliminary round. The same format is due for a repeat in the upcoming season.

The 2025-26 Champions League will operate in the same manner. The 36 clubs that qualify will play eight games each—four home and four away—against eight different opponents. The eight best performers will qualify directly for the last 16 round, while teams seeded 9-24 will play a preliminary round to determine the rest.

From then on (17/18 February, 2026), the knockout stage was played over two legs without the away goal advantage until the one-off final in Budapest.

The 2025-26 Champions League Dates

Qualification round matches started on 8 July and will last until the playoffs in August:

The draw for the league phase takes place on 28 August, with game dates already determined.

The knockout phase starts on 17 February, while the finals are played on 30 May 2026 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.

Which Teams Have Qualified for the 2025–26 UCL?

Twenty-nine teams have already qualified for the league phase. England contributes with six clubs—the first time that's ever happened in the competition's history, courtesy of the Premier League coefficient (Newcastle) and Tottenham Hotspur winning the Europa League.

Spain follows with five, while Italy and Germany each have four clubs among the elite.

Qualifications in Full Swing

A word of note first: If the info that follows sounds more complicated than it needs to be, that's because it is. Nevertheless, by dividing teams into Champions path and League path, UEFA found a clever way to solve the age-old problem of uncompetitive qualifications where teams from stronger leagues regularly steamroll the champions of weaker divisions.

But let's take it from the start, shall we?

Qualifications Format

A total of seven spots are up for grabs, to be determined through the burgeoning new-format qualification cycle, which started on 8 July. There are three qualification rounds, at the end of which teams will cross paths in the two-legged playoff matchup.

From the second round and beyond, the remaining 30 teams are divided into two paths to the elite competition:

• Champions Path
• League Path

The Champions Path consists of teams that won their domestic league, while the League Path is made up of clubs whose domestic leagues have more than one representative. Teams can be on either one or the other, there's no mix-up. Winning the round propels each club forward, while losing it sends them either to the Europa League or the Conference League, depending on which path they are in and which round they dropped out of.

Some teams enter round one, while others enter rounds two or three, and some join the party only for the final playoff round. In total, the playoff round for the seven UCL places comprises 10 clubs from the Champions Path and four clubs from the League Path.

The first of three qualification rounds is already behind us, while the second is awaiting resolution on 29/30 July 2025. After the third qualification round, played in the first half of August, the remaining clubs will clash in the playoff round for direct qualification. The playoffs will be staged across two legs, starting from 19-27 August.

Who Are the Early Favorites?

Despite the fact that the qualifications are not over and that the ball hasn't been kicked yet, the odds for who's winning the finals at Puskas Arena are already out.

As expected, last year's winners PSG are 6.00 Shuffle favorites to repeat, while Liverpool jumped to second following the club-record acquisition of Florian Wirtz (£116) and the £79m signing of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

The Spanish duo of Real Madrid and Barcelona are tied for third, both at odds of 8.00.