The Champions League is the top club competition in Europe, and it has been a major draw for fans around the world since it launched in 1992. Over the years, UEFA has tweaked the format to reflect changes in the game and the competition’s growing reach.
In 2024-25, the tournament moved away from traditional groups of four and introduced a table in which teams compete over eight games to advance. The top 24 sides earn a bye into the knockout phase, and the other 16 will play a two-legged playoff round to secure one of the spots in the last 16.
This year, Champions League also saw a change to how home-field advantage is awarded in the knockout stage. Previously, the teams were seeded based on their ranking in the group stage. The idea was to create an even playing field by preventing clubs with similar records from meeting in the same round.
But the new system has sparked controversy, with many clubs saying that a new ranking is needed to prevent ties with a lower-ranked team. Moreover, the new rules allow teams that eliminate higher-ranked opponents to inherit their ranking in the next round, and the fact that a home second leg can be contested against a bottom-ranked team is an additional point of concern.
This year’s competition looks to be an exciting affair with the big names taking center stage. Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico chase LaLiga glory, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea represent England, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt are representing Germany, and Juventus, Napoli and Inter are hoping to give Italy a boost.