Women's Champions League: New format explained as Arsenal gear up to defend title 

With Arsenal Women's name engraved on the Champions League trophy it's time to look to the changes made for forthcoming 2025-26 European campaign

Arsenal Women are Champions of Europe, and we've commemorated their achievement with a special souvenir print issue of the Gooner Fanzine! ?Pre-order now at https://t.co/11KAFvVSDh or buy for £10 at AWFC games this season in a larger A4 size to relive Lisbon all over again ? pic.twitter.com/3no7DLKHAE

— The Gooner (@GoonerFanzine) July 24, 2025

From the 2025-26 season, 18 teams will compete in the league phase, two more than presently take part in the group stage format.

The main difference is that under the new format, teams will no longer play three opponents twice.

Instead of the usual home and away fixtures, clubs will instead face individual clashes against six different teams in the league phase, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.

In addition to Renee Slegers' side's participation as the previous season's Women's Champions League winner, and the domestic champions of the three top-ranked national associations, who qualify directly in the current format, the champions of associations ranked 4 to 6 and the runners-up of associations 1 and 2 will access the league phase directly.

For 2025-26, that means the champions and runners-up of France and Germany will have direct berths in the league phase, along with the champions of Spain, England, Portugal and Italy.

Good news for Arsenal is that teams will be seeded based on their latest club coefficient ranking and placed in three pots.

These are the clubs that will begin directly in the league phase:

Holders: Arsenal

France: Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain

Germany: Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg

Spain: Barcelona

England: Chelsea

Portugal: Benfica

Italy: Juventus

UEFA say that to ensure a balanced level of opposition and calendar for all, each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.

The results of each match will decide the overall ranking in the new league, with three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. 

The top four sides in the league phase will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals, and play the second leg at home.

Those finishing in 5th to 12th place will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to secure their path to the last eight. Teams ranked 13 to 18 will be eliminated.

From the quarter-finals onwards, the competition will follow its existing format of knockout rounds leading to the final.

League phase

Draw: September 19

Matchday 1: October 7/8

Matchday 2: October 15/16

Matchday 3: November 11/12

Matchday 4: November 19/20

Matchday 5: December 9/10

Matchday 6: December 17

Knockout phase play-offs

Draw: December 18

First leg: February 11/12

Second leg: February 18/19

Quarter-finals

Draw: December 18

First leg: March 24/25

Second leg: April 1/2

Semi-finals

Draw: December 18

First leg: April 25/26

Second leg: May 2/3

Final (Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo)

May 22, 23 or 24