The beginning of the Champions League 2025–26 league phase is drawing nearer and excitement is building for the return of Europe’s premier competition.
Thirty-six teams will duke it out during the league phase to earn a coveted position in the knockout round of the Champions League, an arena in which the characteristic chaos of the competition reaches even dizzier heights.
The new-look Champions League format was first employed last season and is almost entirely the same for the current campaign, but there is one potentially crucial difference once the knockout rounds arrive.






