The UEFA Champions League now operates with a new format starting from the 2024/25 season, continuing in 2025/26, where 36 teams compete in a single league phase rather than the old group stage format. Each team plays eight matches against different opponents (not the same teams twice), with four games at home and four away. The top eight teams from this league phase advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter a knockout playoff round, where they compete in two-legged ties for the remaining eight spots in the round of 16. Teams ranked 25th and below are eliminated with no further European competition access. After the knockout playoffs, the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals proceed with traditional two-legged knockout rounds, culminating in a single-match final to decide the champion. The draw for the league phase pairs teams from four seeded pots, ensuring teams do not face clubs from their own country more than twice and never face the same team twice in this phase. This format is designed to create more diverse and competitive matchups earlier in the tournament.