The UEFA Champions League is one of the biggest soccer tournaments in the world—and the 2025/26 season is right around the corner! If you love soccer and want to follow your favorite European teams, we’ve got you covered with all the important info about who’s playing, when games happen, how the tournament works, and some cool facts along the way.
Let’s break it all down in a fun and simple way!
UEFA Champions League
What Is the UEFA Champions League?
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is Europe’s top club competition. It brings together the best soccer clubs from across Europe to compete for the famous trophy. Teams qualify by finishing high in their country’s top leagues (like the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, or the Bundesliga in Germany).
Fun Fact: The Champions League final is watched by over 400 million people worldwide—that’s more than the Super Bowl!
Who Has Qualified So Far?
A total of 36 teams will be in the main tournament this season. Right now, 29 teams have already qualified, based on how well they did in their domestic leagues last season.
Here are the teams that are already in (alphabetical order):
Ajax (Netherlands)
Arsenal (England)
Atalanta (Italy)
Athletic Club (Spain)
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Barcelona (Spain)
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Chelsea (England)
Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Galatasaray (Turkey)
Inter Milan (Italy)
Juventus (Italy)
Liverpool (England)
Manchester City (England)
Marseille (France)
Monaco (France)
Napoli (Italy)
Newcastle (England)
Olympiacos (Greece)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
Sporting CP (Portugal)
Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Villarreal (Spain)
Seven more teams will join them through the qualifying rounds.
Key Dates to Remember
Here are some of the important dates you’ll want to keep track of:
August 4 – Playoff Round Draw
This is when we find out who plays who in the final round of the qualifiers.
📺 You can watch the draw live on UEFA.com.
August 5 & 6 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg)
August 12 & 13 – Third Qualifying Round (Second Leg)
These matches help decide who makes it to the playoff round.
August 19 & 20 – Playoff Round (First Leg)
August 26 & 27 – Playoff Round (Second Leg)
The winners from these matches will complete the 36-team lineup for the league phase.
August 28 – League Phase Draw
This draw will tell us who each team will face in the new league-style tournament.
September 16–18 – First Matchday of League Phase
This is when the main competition begins!
More Key Dates:
Last League Phase Matchday: January 28, 2026
Knockout Playoff Draw: January 30
Knockout Playoff Matches: February 17–25
Round of 16 Draw: February 27
Round of 16: March 10–18
Quarter-finals: April 7–15
Semi-finals: April 28–May 6
Final: May 30, 2026
Where’s the Final?
The final will be played at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary on May 30, 2026. The stadium has room for 67,215 fans and is one of the newest and most beautiful stadiums in Europe.
Fun Fact: This is the first time theUEFA Champions Leaguee final will be held in Hungary!
New Format – What’s Changed?
In 2024, UEFA changed the Champions League format, and that change continues this season.
Here’s how it works now:
UEFA Champions League
Instead of 32 teams in groups, there are now 36 teams in one big league.
Each team plays 8 matches (not against all teams).
Teams play four home games and four away games.
Points are earned like normal: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw.
What Happens After the League Phase?
Top 8 teams: Go directly to the Round of 16.
Teams ranked 9th–24th: Play in a Knockout Playoff Round to qualify for the remaining 8 Round of 16 spots.
Bottom 12 teams (25th–36th): Are eliminated. They do not drop to the Europa League.
Fun Fact: Last season, the average Champions League game had over 3 goals—so expect lots of action!
Knockout Stage
Once the Round of 16 is set, the tournament becomes a straight knockout:
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
All knockout rounds have two legs (home and away), except the final, which is a single match.
The team that wins the final becomes Champions of Europe!
Why Is the UEFA Champions League So Special?
It features the best players in the world: stars like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Júnior.
It’s watched in over 200 countries.
Winning the Champions League is often considered more important than winning your country’s league!
Fun Fact: Real Madrid has won the Champions League 15 times—more than any other club!
Final Thoughts
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League promises to be full of excitement, drama, and goals. Whether you cheer for a giant like Barcelona, a surprise team like Union Saint-Gilloise, or just love watching great soccer, this tournament has something for everyone.
So mark your calendars, follow your favorite teams, and get ready for one of the most exciting seasons ever!
Let the games begin!
