Ahead of the draw for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League, which takes place on Thursday in Monaco, AFP Sport explains the format of the new, expanded version of Europe’s elite club competition:
– More clubs, no more groups: The updated version of the Champions League will see 36 clubs feature in the competition proper, an increase from 32 under the old format.
– A lot more games: Before, participating teams played six games in the group stage, facing each opponent home and away. Now clubs will each have eight games.
– Extra knockout round: The 36 clubs will be ranked together in the one league, with the top eight all progressing to the last 16 and the format of the competition from that point on remaining the same.
Full list of qualified teams:
Pot One:
Real Madrid (ESP)
Manchester City (ENG)
Bayern Munich (GER)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Liverpool (ENG)
Inter Milan (ITA)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
RB Leipzig (GER)
Barcelona (ESP)
Pot Two:
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Atalanta (ITA)
Juventus (ITA)
Benfica (POR)
Arsenal (ENG)
Club Brugge (BEL)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
AC Milan (ITA)
Pot Three:
Feyenoord (NED)
Sporting (POR)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Celtic (SCO)
Young Boys (SUI)
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) or Qarabag (AZE)
Slavia Prague (CZE) or Lille (FRA)
Pot Three or Four (depending on results of play-off ties):
Midtjylland (DEN) or Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Bodo/Glimt (NOR) or Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Pot Four:
Monaco (FRA)
Sparta Prague (CZE)
Aston Villa (ENG)
Sturm Graz (AUT)
Bologna (ITA)
Brest (FRA)
Girona (ESP)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
