The UEFA Champions League has undergone its biggest transformation in decades. Starting from the 2024/25 season, the traditional group stage has been replaced by a league phase featuring 36 teams competing in a single table. Here's everything you need to know about how the new format works — and how you can simulate your own draw.
Why Did UEFA Change the Format?
The old group-stage format had been in place since 1992. While iconic, it had a major problem: predictability. By Matchday 4 or 5, several groups were already decided, leading to "dead rubber" matches that fans and broadcasters didn't want.
UEFA's solution? A Swiss-system league phase that guarantees:
- More competitive matches — every game matters until the final matchday
- More top-team clashes — no more waiting until the knockout rounds
- A fairer seeding system — 4 pots based on UEFA coefficient rankings
How the League Phase Works
36 Teams, One Table
Instead of 8 groups of 4, all 36 teams are placed into a single league table. Each team plays 8 matches (4 home, 4 away) against 8 different opponents.
4 Pots, 2 Opponents Each
The 36 teams are divided into 4 pots of 9 teams, seeded by their UEFA club coefficient:
| Pot | Description |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Top 9 ranked teams (title holders + highest coefficients) |
| Pot 2 | Teams ranked 10–18 |
| Pot 3 | Teams ranked 19–27 |
| Pot 4 | Teams ranked 28–36 |
Each team is drawn to play 2 opponents from each pot — one at home and one away. This means even a Pot 1 team like Real Madrid will face two other Pot 1 giants.
Country Protection
To maintain competitive balance and broadcasting variety, no team can face more than 2 opponents from the same country. This prevents scenarios like an all-English or all-Spanish fixture list.
What Happens After the League Phase?
After all 8 matchdays:
| Position | Result |
|---|---|
| 1st – 8th | Advance directly to the Round of 16 |
| 9th – 24th | Enter the Knockout Round Playoffs (two-legged ties) |
| 25th – 36th | Eliminated from all European competition |
The Knockout Round Playoff winners join the top 8 in the Round of 16, and the tournament continues as a traditional single-elimination bracket through to the final.
How Our Draw Simulator Works
Our Champions League Draw Simulator replicates UEFA's actual draw algorithm:
- Select your team — pick any of the 36 UCL teams
- Fisher-Yates shuffle — an unbiased randomisation algorithm assigns opponents
- Constraint checking — the simulator respects pot rules and country protection
- Instant results — your 8-match fixture list is generated in seconds
The simulator uses the same logic that UEFA's software employs on draw day, giving you a realistic preview of what your team's league-phase campaign could look like.
Key Dates for 2025/26
- League Phase Draw: August 2025
- Matchday 1: September 2025
- Matchday 8 (final): January 2026
- Knockout Round Playoffs: February 2026
- Round of 16: March 2026
- Final: May 2026 (Munich)
Try It Yourself
Want to see who your favourite team could face? Our simulator is free, works on any device, and produces a new unique draw every time.
Whether you're a Barcelona fan dreaming of avoiding Bayern, or a Newcastle supporter hoping for a kind draw — there's only one way to find out. Simulate your draw now!
Popular Team Profiles
Dive deeper into the Champions League's biggest names:
- Real Madrid — The record holders with 15 titles
- FC Barcelona — Camp Nou legends
- Bayern Munich — German powerhouse
- Liverpool — Masters of European nights
- Juventus — Italian royalty
- PSG — French champions chasing European glory
👉 View all Champions League teams
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