Draw dates and points needed: A complete guide to the

The iconic UEFA anthem will soon be booming out of stadium sound systems all across Europe, as the 2025-26 Champions League league phase will get underway in just over 24 hours’ time.

Thirty-six of the continent’s most esteemed clubs begin the long and arduous quest to qualify for the knockout rounds, and matchday one could throw up some scintillating battles, including one between two former winners of the competition.

Indeed, Bayern Munich’s battle with 2012 final foes Chelsea at the Allianz Arena headlines the maiden round of fixtures, while Liverpool face a taxing test against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Elsewhere, Arsenal have the honour of playing one of the first two games of the league phase – taking on Athletic Bilbao at 5.45pm on Tuesday evening – shortly before Real Madrid face Marseille, Tottenham Hotspur host Villarreal and Juventus tackle Borussia Dortmund.

Champions Paris Saint-Germain begin their defence against Atalanta BC on Wednesday, before an unorthodox batch of Thursday UCL fixtures, including Newcastle United vs. Barcelona and Manchester City vs. Napoli.

Ahead of the start of the league phase, Sports Mole rounds up everything you need to know about this year’s Champions League.

2025-26 Champions League round and draw dates

Champions League League Phase

Matchday one: September 16-18Matchday two: September 30-October 1Matchday three: October 21-22Matchday four: November 4-5Matchday five: November 25-26Matchday six: December 9-10Matchday seven: January 20-21Matchday eight: January 28

Champions League knockout round playoffs

Draw date: January 30First legs: February 17-18Second legs: February 24-25

Champions League last 16

Draw date: February 27 (includes quarter-final and semi-final draws and path to final)First legs: March 10-11Second legs: March 17-18

Champions League quarter-finals

First legs: April 7-8Second legs: April 14-15

Champions League semi-finals

First legs: April 28-29Second legs: May 5-6

Champions League final

May 30 (Puskas Arena, Budapest)

Which teams have qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League?

A total of 36 teams have qualified for the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League – 29 via league positions or trophy successes and another seven from qualifying.

England have the most representatives with six teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur – while five La Liga clubs have also qualified.

Thirty-two of the 36 teams have played in the Champions League proper before, but the 2025-26 season will mark the competition debuts of Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, Kazakhstan’s Kairat, Cyprus’ Pafos and Norway’s Bodo/Glimt.

2025-26 Champions League qualified teams

AjaxArsenalAtalanta BCAthletic BilbaoAtletico MadridBarcelonaBayern MunichBayer LeverkusenBenficaBodo/GlimtBorussia DortmundChelseaClub BruggeCopenhagenEintracht FrankfurtGalatasarayInter MilanJuventusKairatLiverpoolManchester CityMarseilleMonacoNapoliNewcastle UnitedOlympiacos PafosParis Saint-GermainPSV EindhovenQarabagReal MadridSlavia PragueSporting LisbonTottenham HotspurUnion SGVillarreal

2025-26 Champions League format

As was the case in the 2024-25 edition, all teams in the league phase will play eight matches against randomly-selected opponents, with clubs divided into four pots of nine each based on their coefficient ranking for the draw.

All clubs will face two opponents from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from Pot 3 and two from Pot 4, contesting four home matches and four away matches during the league phase.

However, teams cannot face clubs from their own association – meaning no North London derby between Arsenal and Spurs in the league phase – and can only meet a maximum of two clubs from the same country, so Barcelona could not face all of Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle in the league phase, for example.

The top eight teams in the league phase will advance straight to the last 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will enter the playoff round.

Sides finishing between ninth and 16th will be seeded for the playoff draw, while clubs ranked 17th to 24th will be unseeded, and teams placing 25th or lower in the league phase will be eliminated from the competition.

As per UEFA’s rules and regulations, goal difference will be the first tiebreaker if two or more teams are level on points at the end of the league phase, while goals scored, away goals scored, wins and away wins could also come into effect.

In the knockout rounds, extra time will be played as standard if two teams are level at the end of 90 minutes, followed by a penalty shootout if required.

2025-26 Champions League league phase tiebreakers

1. Goal difference

2. Goals scored

3. Away goals scored

4. Wins

5. Away wins

6. Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents

7. Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents

8. Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents

9. Lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all league phase matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)

10. UEFA club coefficient

How many points are needed in 2025-26 Champions League?

Last year, 16 was the magic number, as all teams accruing at least that amount of points sealed a top-eight placement and a direct route into the last 16 of the Champions League.

The same scenario should unfold again this year, meaning that teams will likely have to win a minimum of five of their eight league phase matches – as well as drawing at least one other game – to avoid the knockout round playoffs.

Meanwhile, almost all teams who amassed between 11 and 15 points qualified for the playoffs; four teams finished on 11 points in 2024-25, but Dinamo Zagreb were agonisingly eliminated due to their inferior goal difference to Sporting, Man City and Club Brugge.

At the top end of the table, Liverpool finished first in the league phase with 21 points last season, so any team who can post a standout total of at least 20 may top the tree in 2025-26.

ID:578046:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect10319: