Complete Packages for the Champions League 2025-26: All the News

The 2025-26 edition of the UEFA Champions League, the 71st in history and the 34th since its renaming, will be remembered for a substantial restyling of the format and for important regulatory changes designed to reward team performance from the earliest stages.

Key Dates to Mark in Your Calendar

The first matchday of the "League" phase will be played between September 16 and 18, 2025, while the eighth and final matchday will take place on January 28, 2026. The knockout phase will begin in February, with the final scheduled for May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

The Favorites for the 2025-26 Champions League

Among the main candidates for the final victory are top-tier clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (the reigning champions), Barcelona, Liverpool, and, with some reservations, Real Madrid. These are the teams that are attracting the most attention from analysts due to the depth of their squads and their most recent investments.

Changes in Format and Regulations

For the second consecutive year, the 36-team Swiss-style format is confirmed: each club faces 8 different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots, alternating between four home matches and four away matches.

Therefore, there are no longer traditional groups: the final ranking of the "League" phase establishes that the top 8 teams qualify directly for the Round of 16 as seeded teams, while those ranked from 9th to 24th place face each other in knockout playoffs.

A significant regulatory change concerns the advantages for the best teams: starting this season, the top eight teams will have the right to play the first or second leg at home in all knockout phases (Round of 16, Quarter-finals, and Semi-finals). A measure introduced in response to criticisms from previous editions.

Other possible changes, such as the abolition of extra time with a direct transition to penalty shootouts or the prohibition of matches between clubs from the same federation until the Quarter-finals, have been discussed but not yet approved.

Complete Packages to Attend the Champions League 2025-26 Live

On Esasport, you will find complete packages to attend the 2025-26 Champions League matches, including tickets and accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels.