The Champions League format changed in 2024, replacing the old group stage with a single 36-team league table. The 2026-27 season, the competition’s 72nd, is the third to use it. This guide explains how teams qualify, how the league phase works, and how the knockout rounds lead to the final in Madrid on June 5, 2027. For results, tables, and match previews, follow our Champions League news and scores.
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How does the Champions League format work?
The competition has two main stages. In the league phase, all 36 teams are ranked in one table after playing eight matches each. The top 24 then move into a knockout phase of two-legged ties, ending with a one-match final.
| Stage | Teams | Dates (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying rounds | Clubs from smaller leagues and lower places | July 7 to August 26, 2026 |
| League phase | 36 | September 8, 2026 to January 27, 2027 |
| Knockout phase play-offs | 16 (9th to 24th) | February 16 to 24, 2027 |
| Round of 16 | 16 | March 9 to 17, 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | April 6 to 14, 2027 |
| Semi-finals | 4 | April 27 to May 5, 2027 |
| Final | 2 | June 5, 2027, Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid |
Dates in the table are the match dates in Europe. Because most games kick off in the European evening, they usually air the following morning in the Philippines.
How does the league phase work?
Every team plays eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The opponents are set by a draw that places teams in four seeding pots, and each team faces two clubs from every pot. Teams don’t play every other club, so no two teams have exactly the same schedule. The draw also keeps clubs from the same country apart in the league phase, and no team faces more than two clubs from any one other country.
A win is worth three points, a draw one point, and a loss none. All 36 teams go into one table, and their final position decides what happens next.
| League phase finish | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1st to 8th | Straight into the round of 16 |
| 9th to 24th | Into the knockout phase play-offs |
| 25th to 36th | Eliminated, with no drop into another European competition |
When teams finish level on points, they are separated first by goal difference and then by goals scored, with further tiebreakers after that. Because every match counts toward one table, a single goal on the final matchday can move a team across a key line.
Key takeaway
Finishing in the top eight is worth a lot, because it skips the play-off round and earns a seeded place in the round of 16 draw.
How does the Champions League knockout stage work?
The knockout phase starts with play-offs for the teams that finished 9th to 24th. Teams from 9th to 16th are seeded in the play-off draw and face teams from 17th to 24th. The eight winners join the top eight in the round of 16.
From the play-offs to the semi-finals, every round is a two-legged tie, with one match at each team’s ground. The team with more goals across both games advances. The away goals rule was scrapped in 2021, so a tie level after two legs goes to extra time and then, if needed, a penalty shootout.
Seeding and the bracket
Where a team finishes in the league phase also shapes its path. Higher-placed teams are seeded in the draws and play the second leg at home, and the bracket is partly fixed in advance based on league phase positions. That gives teams a reason to keep pushing for a higher finish even after qualifying.
The final
The final is a single match at a neutral venue chosen in advance. The 2026 final was played on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. The 2027 final is on Saturday, June 5, at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, home of Atlético Madrid. The winner qualifies for next season’s league phase, the UEFA Super Cup against the Europa League winner, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
What changed from the old group stage?
Until 2024, the Champions League started with 32 teams in eight groups of four. Each team played its three group rivals home and away, the top two in each group reached the round of 16, and third-placed teams dropped into the Europa League.
The current format added four teams, replaced the groups with one league table, and gave each team eight different opponents instead of three. It also removed the safety net of dropping into the Europa League, so teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.
The other UEFA club competitions
The Europa League and the Conference League use the same league-phase idea, with a single table followed by knockout rounds. In 2026-27, the Europa League final is on May 26 at the Frankfurt Arena, and the Conference League final is on June 2, a few days before the Champions League final.
How do teams qualify for the Champions League?
Most places go to clubs based on their finish in their domestic league, with stronger leagues getting more spots. UEFA decides how many places each country gets using its coefficient rankings, which reflect how that country’s clubs have performed in Europe over recent seasons.
Some extra places are also available. The Champions League and Europa League winners can qualify through those titles, and two countries each season earn an extra place for their clubs’ overall performance in Europe. Our Premier League format guide explains how English clubs earn their places, including that extra spot.
Clubs from smaller leagues, and lower-placed clubs from mid-sized leagues, enter through qualifying rounds in July and August. Those rounds narrow the field down to the final teams that join the league phase. Qualifying is split into two paths, one for the domestic champions of smaller leagues and one for clubs that didn’t win their league.
Watching the Champions League from the Philippines
League phase and knockout matches are mostly played on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in Europe. The opening matchday was spread over three nights, and the final league phase matchday is held on a single night. In Philippine time, that means early-morning kickoffs on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Kickoff times in PHT shift when Europe changes its clocks. European clocks went back on October 25, 2026, so from then until late March 2027, the standard evening kickoffs land later in the morning in the Philippines than they did in September and early October. Check each match’s PHT start time on fixture day.
What the format means for bettors
The league phase format creates outright markets beyond single matches, such as whether a club will finish in the top eight, reach the knockout phase, or win the tournament. Two-legged ties also change match betting, since a team protecting a first-leg lead may play differently in the return game. Our football betting guide explains 1X2, Asian handicap, and other markets used for Champions League matches.
Remember that most match markets settle on 90 minutes plus stoppage time, not extra time or penalties, while “to qualify” markets include the whole tie. Betting is for adults aged 21 and over.
