The UEFA Champions League currently uses a new format called the "League Phase" which involves 36 teams competing together in one large league table. Each team plays eight matches, facing eight different opponents—four matches at home and four away. Teams are drawn to play two opponents from each of four seeding pots. Points are awarded as usual (three for a win, one for a draw), and the teams are ranked in a single table. The progression to the knockout rounds works as follows:

• The top 8 teams in the league automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
• Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter a two-legged knockout playoff to secure a place in the Round of 16.
• Teams ranked 25th and below are eliminated from the competition.

The knockout stages from the Round of 16 onward return to the traditional format, with two-legged ties until the final, which is a single match at a neutral venue. Notably, there is no longer an option to drop into the Europa League or Conference League once eliminated from this Champions League phase. Additionally, country protection is no longer applied in the knockout draws, so teams from the same country can face each other early in the knockout stage.

Key Points of the New Format

• 36 teams in a single league table, not groups.
• Each team plays 8 opponents (4 home, 4 away).
• Top 8 teams go directly to Round of 16.
• Teams 9-24 play in knockout playoffs for Round of 16 spots.
• Teams 25+ eliminated from Europe.
• Knockout rounds have two-legged ties until the final.
• No more Europa League "drop downs."
• No country protection in knockout draws.

This format aims to increase competitiveness and variety of matchups in the early stages by having clubs face a broader range of opponents than the old groups of four system.