Wikipedia: 2025 UEFA Champions League
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Wikipedia: 2025 UEFA Champions League
Introduction
The 2025 UEFA Champions League will be the 70th season of Europe’s premier club football tournament organized by UEFA, and the 27th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs’ Cup to the UEFA Champions League. The tournament will begin on 19 September 2025 and conclude with the final on 30 May 2026 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Format Changes
For the 2025-26 season, the UEFA Champions League format will undergo significant changes, with the introduction of a new group stage format and an expansion to 36 teams. The traditional 32-team group stage will be replaced by a single league of 36 teams, with each team playing 10 matches against different opponents. The top eight teams in the league will advance directly to the knockout phase, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th will enter a play-off round to determine the remaining eight knockout phase participants.
Qualification
A total of 36 teams will qualify for the 2025 UEFA Champions League. The top four teams from each of the six highest-ranked UEFA member associations will qualify directly for the group stage. The fifth- and sixth-placed teams from the top three associations, and the champions from the associations ranked 4th to 10th will enter the play-off round. The remaining four places will be filled by the winners of the Europa League and Europa Conference League, and two teams from the UEFA Champions League Path of the Champions.
Group Stage
The 36 teams will be drawn into six groups of six teams each. Each team will play two matches against each of the other teams in their group, one at home and one away. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout phase.
Knockout Phase
The knockout phase will consist of two-legged ties, with the away goals rule being abolished. The eight group winners will be seeded and drawn against the eight runners-up in the round of 16. The winners of the round of 16 ties will advance to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals and the final.
Host City
The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, will host the final of the 2025 UEFA Champions League. The stadium has a capacity of over 75,000 and has previously hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League final.
Participating Teams
The following 36 teams have qualified for the 2025 UEFA Champions League:
- Spain: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla
- England: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur
- Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt
- Italy: Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, AS Roma
- France: Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lyon, Monaco
- Portugal: Porto, Benfica, Sporting CP, Braga
- Netherlands: Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, AZ Alkmaar
- Russia: Zenit Saint Petersburg, Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow
- Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk, Dynamo Kyiv, Dnipro, Zorya Luhansk
- Turkey: Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor
- Belgium: Club Brugge, Anderlecht, Genk, Union Saint-Gilloise
- Switzerland: FC Basel, Young Boys, Zürich, Lugano
- Austria: Red Bull Salzburg, LASK Linz, Rapid Vienna, Sturm Graz
- Czech Republic: Slavia Prague, Sparta Prague, Viktoria Plzeň, Slovan Liberec
- Scotland: Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts
- Denmark: FC Copenhagen, Brøndby IF, Midtjylland, AaB
- Greece: Olympiacos, PAOK, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos
- Sweden: Malmö FF, AIK, Elfsborg, Häcken
- Norway: Bodø/Glimt, Molde FK, Rosenborg, Viking FK
- Serbia: Red Star Belgrade, Partizan, Vojvodina, Čukarički
- Cyprus: APOEL, AEK Larnaca, Apollon Limassol, Omonia Nicosia
- Israel: Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv
- Bulgaria: Ludogorets Razgrad, CSKA Sofia, Levski Sofia, Slavia Sofia
- Romania: CFR Cluj, FCSB, Universitatea Craiova, Rapid București
- Poland: Legia Warsaw, Lech Poznań, Raków Częstochowa, Pogoń Szczecin
- Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Rijeka, Osijek
- Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava, Spartak Trnava, Žilina, Ružomberok
- Belarus: BATE Borisov, Dinamo Minsk, Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino
- Kazakhstan: Astana, Kairat, Tobol, Shakhter Karagandy
- Azerbaijan: Qarabağ, Neftçi Baku, Sumgayit, Zira
Favorites
Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona are the favorites to win the 2025 UEFA Champions League. Manchester City has won the last two Premier League titles and is the current holder of the Champions League trophy. Real Madrid has won the Champions League a record 14 times, including the last two editions. Bayern Munich has won the Bundesliga for the last 11 seasons and is always a threat in Europe. Barcelona is a perennial contender and has won the Champions League five times.
Other Contenders
Other teams that could challenge for the title include Liverpool, Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atlético Madrid. Liverpool is the reigning Premier League champion and has reached the Champions League final three times in the last four seasons. Chelsea is the current FIFA Club World Cup champion and has won the Champions League twice in the past. Juventus has won the Serie A title for the last nine seasons and has reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years. AC Milan is the reigning Serie A champion and has won the Champions League seven times. Inter Milan is the current Italian Cup holder and has won the Champions League three times. Paris Saint-Germain is the dominant force in French football and has reached the Champions League semi-finals in the last two seasons. Atlético Madrid is a consistent performer in Europe and has reached the Champions League final twice in the last decade.
Underdogs
There are a few teams that could surprise people in the 2025 UEFA Champions League. Ajax is a young and talented team that has reached the Champions League semi-finals in the last two seasons. RB Leipzig is a rising star in German football and has reached the Champions League quarter-finals in the last two seasons. Benfica is a Portuguese powerhouse that has won the Champions League twice and is always a threat in Europe. Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian team that has reached the Champions League quarter-finals in the last three seasons.
Conclusion
The 2025 UEFA Champions League promises to be one of the most exciting and competitive seasons in the history of the tournament. With a new format, more teams, and some of the best players in the world on display, the Champions League is sure to provide plenty of drama and excitement.
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