From the group stage league format to knockout action – all the way to the final - our guide explains everything you need to know about the Champions League.
The Champions League is the biggest club competition in European football, featuring the best teams from across the continent. Since its inception in 1955, when it was initially named the European Cup, the Champions League rules have changed significantly. And for newer viewers, it can sometimes be difficult understand the tournament’s latest format.
Luckily, if you’re struggling to understand how the competition works, our guide will help you follow your favourite team through the action. From the league stage to the knockouts, concluding with the Champions League final, we’ll explain all you need to know about the tournament’s layout.
What is the Champions League?
The Champions League is an annual football competition organised by UEFA and contested by the best teams in Europe. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious club football tournament.
How does the Champions League work?
The competition is contested by the domestic champions of each UEFA member nation and, for the strongest national leagues, up to four runners-up.
For many years, the tournament opened with a group stage, in which 32 teams were split into eight groups of four. Teams would play two matches against each of their fellow group members (6 games in total), earning points based on their number of wins and draws, with the two highest-point-scoring teams progressing to the knockouts.
In 2025, however, a new Champions League format was introduced, replacing the groups with a “league stage”. The tournament now features 36 teams, with each side playing eight matches against eight different teams. Here’s an explanation of the road to the final:
League stage – 36 teams play eight games (four home and four away) against eight different sides. A seeding system decides these matches: teams are ranked into four pots, and each club plays two opponents from each pot.
Knockout stage – The eight teams with the most points in the league stage automatically pass to the round of 16, while the 9th to 24th place teams take part in a two-legged knockout phase.
Round of 16 – The remaining 16 teams will face each other in two-legged knockout games, where the winners progress to the quarterfinals.
Quarter-finals – The eight teams that won their round of 16 matches compete in another two-legged knockout game.
Semi-finals – The semifinals are the last two-legged knockouts in the tournament before the final
Final – The semi-final winners face off in one 90-minute game to determine the outright winner of the Champions League.
When did the Champions League start?
The Champions League in its original format was first established in 1955 under the name the European Cup. The competition was initially a straight knockout and only open to the champion club of each domestic division.
It took its current name after a 1992 rebrand that added a round-robin group stage and allowed extra entrants from certain countries.
How are teams selected for the Champions League?
Each UEFA member country has a domestic football league. The winners of their leagues are automatically qualified for the Champions League (though, depending on the nation’s coefficient ranking, some teams will have to undergo pre-tournament qualification rounds). The number of berths given to each association is based on the UEFA coefficients of its member countries.
The UEFA coefficients are scores based on how well clubs from a particular league have performed in the Champions League or Europa League over the last five seasons: the better the performance from member teams of a certain association, the higher their coefficient.
This means that their teams are allocated more spaces in the tournament, up to a maximum of five. Currently, the countries given four spots in the Champions League are England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France. Those places are awarded to the top four teams in each respective division.
However, the two top performing nations from the previous season receive an additional place, meaning both the Premier League and La Liga received 5 spots for the 2025/2026 tournament. Plus, because Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League while placing outside of the top five, England earned a record 6th spot.
How does Champions League qualification work?
Since 2009/10, Champions League qualification has been split into two sections for sides that are not directly entered into the group stage.
They are split into teams: the country’s domestic champions and those that finished in any other position. Five teams from each section will qualify for the group stage.
How is the Champions League draw done?
The 36 sides competing in the Champions League are split into four seeded pots of nine teams. These are based on each club’s UEFA coefficient ranking.
Using UEFA’s automated software, each team is drawn against two opponents from each of the four pots. So, each team plays two sides from each seeded pot, including their own. They will play one of those games at home, and the other away.
This system ensures that each club’s schedule is reasonably balanced. For example, if the top-performing team in Europe for that season were only drawn against the teams with the lowest UEFA coefficients, the matches would be unfairly weighted. The seeded pots ensure each team faces a range of opponents of a similar ranking.
How does the Champions League league stage work?
Each team plays eight games (four at home and four away) against the opponents they were assigned in the Champions League draw. This means that every club faces one team from their own seeding pot and two from every other seeding pot.
If a team wins a game, it is awarded three points. A draw earns one point for each side, while no points are awarded for a loss.
The eight highest-ranked teams automatically progress to the round of 16, while any teams from 9th place to 24th place face each other in a two-legged knockout to determine the last eight places. Any teams ranked from 25th to 32nd are eliminated.
How does the Champions League knockout stage work?
In the round of 16, teams that finished in the top eight of the league stage are seeded and drawn against the winners of the knockout playoff games of the last phase. These games are completed in two legs, with the top eight finishers all playing their second legs at home.
The winners of these games progress to the quarter-finals, where the format is repeated. The winners then progress to the semi-finals, where they’ll play one last two-legged knockout match before qualifying for the prestigious Champions League final.
When and where is the Champions League final in 2026?
The 2026 Champions League final will be held at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. This is the first time that the stadium will host the event since it opened in 2019, but it has already hosted the 2023 Europa League final; where Sevilla beat Roma on penalties to earn their record seventh title.
The final is currently scheduled for 30 May 2026 at 6 pm CEST (4 pm GMT).
Who has won the most Champions League titles?
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament’s history, having won the trophy a staggering 15 times. Their most recent win came in 2024, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final.
AC Milan holds the second-most Champions League titles with seven, while Liverpool and Bayern Munich tie in third with six. As of 2025, the reigning champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who earned their first title in the tournament’s history after a dominant 5-0 win over Inter Milan.
How can I bet on the Champions League?
You can find the latest Champions League betting odds here at Betway, with a variety of markets to choose from for all the biggest games of the tournament. Head to our sportsbook page, find the match you’d like to bet on, and get playing today.
Looking for news, guides, and betting tips? Visit our Champions League blog for expert advice on how you can boost your play. From our tips on how to bet on football to our Champions League betting guide, you’ll find all you need to place your first bet and start getting involved in the action from home.
Visit Betway’s Champions League betting page here.
