The UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025/26 has a brand-new look this season. The old four-group stage is gone. In its place comes an 18-team league phase, similar to the men’s competition. It means more big clashes early on, more chances for underdogs to progress, and plenty of twists on the road to the final in Oslo in May 2026.
How the new format works
League phase
- 18 teams in one league table
- Each team plays six matches: three at home, three away, against six different opponents.
- All points go towards final league position
Knockouts
- The top four teams in the league go straight to the quarter-finals
- Teams finishing 5th–12th face a two-legged play-off to join them
- From there, it’s the familiar quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a one-off final
Who’s already in?
Nine clubs qualify automatically for the league phase:
- Six domestic champions from: England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy
- Two runners-up from the top two ranked leagues: France, Germany
- Current holders
Because Arsenal also finished as England’s runner-up, their title-holder spot opened the door for Manchester United (third in WSL). United must still battle through qualifying to reach the league phase.
Qualifying stage
Nine other places are decided through qualifying.
- Champions Path – for winners of leagues in lower-ranked countries (4 clubs qualify)
- League Path – for runners-up and third-placed sides from stronger leagues (5 clubs qualify)
How qualifying works
- Rounds 1 & 2: One-off mini-tournaments (semis and finals). Winners go through.
- Round 3: Two-legged ties. Winners take the last spots in the league phase.
Key dates
- The third qualifying round concludes on 18 September 2025
- The league-phase draw take place on 19 September 2025
Full Match Schedule
League phase
- Matchday 1: 7/8 October
- Matchday 2: 15/16 October
- Matchday 3: 11/12 November
- Matchday 4: 19/20 November
- Matchday 5: 9/10 December
- Matchday 6: 17 December
Knockout phase play-offs
- Draw: 18 December
- First leg: 11/12 February
- Second leg: 18/19 February
Quarter-finals
- Draw: 18 December
- First leg: 24/25 March
- Second leg: 1/2 April
Semi-finals
- Draw: 18 December,
- First leg: 25/26 April
- Second leg: 2/3 May
Final (Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo)
- 22, 23 or 24 May tbc
How to Watch
- Disney+ will stream ALL matches
- BBC will broadcast selected matches TBC
VERTA’s Take
One thing is clear: the UEFA Women’s Champions League will never be the same again.
Too often, Europe’s giants have cruised through the early stages untested, with the real battles saved for later rounds. The new format changes that. This season, the biggest names meet in the league phase, giving us an early reality check on who’s truly good enough to go all the way. And that can only be a good thing, right?
