The Champions League returns with six English clubs. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle play eight games in Europe; the top eight clubs advance straight to the last 16; teams ranked ninth to 24th advance to the playoffs.
The Champions League is returning with six English clubs and the league format will remain the same – here's everything you need to know…
How will the Champions League 'league' format work in the 2025/26 season?
This is only the second year of UEFA's new structure. Gone are the usual eight groups; instead, 36 clubs are now in one league table. Each team plays eight different opponents, split evenly between home and away games.
Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, but qualification is no longer as simple. The top 8 teams after the 8th round advance directly to the 1/8 finals. The clubs ranked 9th to 24th must play a two-legged play-off to reach the play-offs. The bottom 12 teams are eliminated entirely, with no second chance in the Europa League.
- Champions League Match Schedule
- Download the Sky Sports app | Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp
Which English clubs have qualified?
There are six players representing England this season. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City , Chelsea and Newcastle United have all qualified for the knockout stages by virtue of finishing in the league, while Tottenham Hotspur are through as Europa League winners.
Newcastle finished fifth in the Premier League, just ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, after a tense final day.
Importantly, England gained an extra Champions League spot thanks to UEFA's new European Performance Spots system, which is awarded to the two best performing nations in UEFA competitions in the relevant season based on coefficient rankings.
This allowed Newcastle to qualify despite finishing outside the traditional top four, a new achievement under the rules.
Who is the Champions League favorite?
Opta's supercomputer is focused on the Premier League, with Liverpool considered the most likely winners with a 20.4% chance of winning and an impressive 95.3% chance of reaching the last 16.
Arsenal have a 14.5% chance of winning and a 93.6% chance of progressing to the last 16 – the second-highest in the competition after the Reds.
Datawrapper. This content is provided by Datawrapper, which may use cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your consent to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to change your settings and enable Datawrapper cookies or allow them to be used just once. You can change your settings at any time in the Privacy Settings section. Sorry, we were unable to verify your consent to use Datawrapper cookies. To view this content, you can use the button below to allow Datawrapper cookies for this session only. Enable cookies Allow cookies once
Manchester City , the 2023 Champions League winners, are only fifth favourites with 8.6%, with Chelsea just behind with 7.3%.
Newcastle are ninth overall with 3.2%, while Tottenham, who returned to the Champions League as Europa League winners, are 13th with 1.2%.
The odds highlight Liverpool and Arsenal as the Premier League's biggest hopes, but with six English clubs involved, the outcome of the competition could once again be determined by the depth of English football.
How many points will be enough to reach the 1/8 finals?
Last season showed the value of a fast start. Sixteen points from eight games was almost always enough to get into the top eight, and 15 points were usually enough.
Ten points – three wins and a draw – virtually guaranteed a playoff spot, and nine points were often enough to qualify. Less than eight points put clubs on the brink of relegation.
When will the 2025/26 Champions League playoffs take place?
Round 1: September 16-18, 2025
Round 2: September 30 – October 1, 2025
Round 3: October 21-22, 2025
Round 4: November 4-5, 2025
Round 5: November 25-26, 2025
Round 6: December 9-10, 2025
Round 7: January 20-21, 2026
Round 8: January 28, 2026
Pictured: Tottenham Hotspur's Jed Spence celebrates with the UEFA Europa League trophy after their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the final in Bilbao in May to secure the club's place in the Champions League.
When will the 2025/26 Champions League playoffs take place?
Play-off draw: 30 January 2026
Knockout playoff matches: 17-18 and 24-25 February 2026
Round of 16: 10–11 and 17–18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7-8 and 14-15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28-29 April and 5-6 May 2026
Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Where will the Champions League final be held in 2026?
The 2025/26 Champions League final will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday, May 30.
Sourse: skysports.com
