Dawning of a new era: How will the Champions League format change in 2024-25?

The formats that exist today have become a familiar part of our midweek routines, as continental football takes centre stage on several Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.

However, the 2024-25 campaign will bring major change to how these much-loved tournaments are run, and a fresh look for the Champions League is forthcoming.

Next season will mark the first of a new 36-team league phase and subsequent playoff round, before the usual knockout action unfolds.

Here, Sports Mole explains what is set to change and exactly how the new format will work.

Which teams will qualify?

There are to be 36 teams in the initial league phase - of which more later - with 25 automatically earning a spot by virtue of their domestic league finish.

The holders of the Champions League and Europa League trophies are also both guaranteed a place, while two further clubs are taken from UEFA's 'European Performance' rankings.

The final seven teams are determined via qualifying, which takes place during July and August.

How does the league phase work?

Until last season, the Champions League group stage had 32 clubs divided into eight groups of four, with the top two from each progressing to the post-Christmas knockout rounds.

From 2024-25 onwards, though, a total of 36 will participate within a single league, which sees all competing clubs ranked together - earning three points for a win, one for a draw.

Under this new format, each team plays eight matches, and rather than playing three opponents twice like before, they will instead face fixtures against eight different teams: half are at home; half away.

Every club will be placed in one of four seeding pots - based on their ranking - then drawn to play against two different teams from each of those pots, making a total of eight.

Who goes through to the knockout phase?

This part has caused much consternation, as the former clarity of which 16 teams would progress has been replaced by a format unfamiliar to most football fans.

Put simply as possible, the top eight teams in the final league table - after eight games played - qualify automatically for the last 16; teams finishing from 9th to 24th in the rankings must compete in a two-legged playoff to join them.

Where does that leave the sides that finish 25th to 36th? They will all be eliminated, with no second-chance entry into the Europa League.

What about changes to the knockout stages?

Clubs that finish between 9th and 16th are to be seeded in the playoff draw, so they are guaranteed to meet a team placed between 17th and 24th. Furthermore, they will benefit from having the second leg at home.

The eight playoff winners then progress to the last 16, where they will each face one of the top eight teams from the league stage.

From the last 16 onwards, the existing format of two-legged knockout rounds is unchanged.

When will the games be played?

In short, all matches up until the final will still take place in midweek - although there is a slight change in the calendar.

League fixtures are now going to be played between September and January - to fit the extra two games in - while each of the three UEFA club competitions has one 'exclusive matchweek'.

Usually, Champions League games are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but in the Champions League's exclusive matchweek, they will be played on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday too.

On the final matchday of the new league phase, all games will be played simultaneously.