The Champions League qualifying round has begun. The new season of the tournament starts in mid-September. Here’s a look at the competition’s grid from Sport Bet.
Some clubs are still fighting in the qualifying rounds for a place in the Champions League. The places are distributed in two different ways. 29 of the 36 teams qualify directly for the league stage, while the remaining seven places are determined by qualification.
A preliminary round is played between the champions of the smallest countries. This determines the starting point for the first qualifying round. There are three qualifying rounds in total, followed by the play-offs.
Three qualifying rounds and play-offs
National champions from smaller leagues who do not have guaranteed Champions League places compete in three rounds (Champions’ Way). Other non-champions from mid-tier leagues advance to the second round (League Way).
In the playoffs, the winners of the last qualifying round will compete for the remaining seven places in the league. Each round consists of a home and an away match, and the overall result determines who will advance.
Champions League Calendar 2025/26
- Qualifying stage: 8 July 2025 – 12 August 2025
- Play-offs : 4 August 2025 – 27 August 2025 League
- Stage : 16 September 2025 – 28 January 2026.
- Playoffs : 17 February 2026 – 30 May 2026
Which clubs are participating in the qualifiers
There are 54 teams competing in the qualifiers. Among them are lesser-known clubs such as Shelbourne from Ireland and Virtus from San Marino.
How the updated Champions League works
Since last season, the Champions League has had a new format. Instead of a group stage consisting of eight groups of four teams each, 36 clubs played in a league with a standings for the first time.
Each team will play eight matches against different opponents this season – four at home and four away. However, there will be no return matches against the same opponent.
The eight clubs with the best results in the standings go directly to the last 16. The teams ranked 9th to 24th advance to the play-offs and thus still have a chance to reach the last 16. All other teams are eliminated.
Reaction to the new changes
The results of the new league stage are mixed. Many fans were impressed by the increased excitement that the new competition format brought, while others criticised the complexity and lack of clarity of the system.
The final of the season, which has now begun, will take place on 30 May 2026 in Budapest.
As a reminder, UEFA has changed the Champions League stage schedule.
