Soccer viewership has been steadily on the rise in the U.S. Coupled along with a booming interest in women’s sports, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Women’s Champions League provides the perfect intersection for spectators. Entering its 24th year, the UEFA Women’s Champions League has been long established, but this year the league has some tricks up its sleeve with the implementation of a new format for the 2025-26 season.
The official season, which started on Oct. 7, sees teams playing a total of six matches (three home and three away) in the main league phase. After this initial stage, there are knockout rounds followed by a tournament-style bracket with quarterfinals, semifinals and the ultimate final for the prized title.
For those unfamiliar with the Champions League, the set-up of the UEFA Women’s League may seem mystifying — indeed, it is quite different from that of professional American sports.
Essentially, this season the league is comprised of Europe’s best 18 teams. This is a change from the 16-team format of the past. The first nine teams gain an automatic bid in different ways: The titleholder from last year, the winners of the six best domestic leagues and the runners-up of the top two domestic leagues all gained automatic entry. The other nine teams had to vie their way in through either the champions’ qualifying path or the league qualifying path, which have two and three rounds respectively.
Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. These points inform a team’s ranking, which is used for seeding in the championship. From the league phase, the top four ranked teams automatically reserve a spot in the quarterfinals, while teams five through 12 must make it through a knockout phase, with the top four teams progressing on.
Another new change this year is the addition of a second club competition, which introduces even more teams, helping to expand UEFA’s reach. The first 13 teams gain automatic entry through national leagues, while 31 teams who were eliminated previously from the UEFA Women’s Champions League have the chance to enter this second competition, which will be played in parallel to the main competition.
“The new format for the UEFA Women’s Champions League will reinforce the competition’s position at the pinnacle of club football,” Nadine Kessler, UEFA managing director of women’s football, said. “Combined with the introduction of the new second competition, [it] will further incentivise growth domestically and help us to build a strong and open European football pyramid that everyone can be proud of.”
New changes this year have been implemented in hopes to expand participation and create more dynamic matches. As opposed to past years, teams now play six different teams and rankings directly correlate to seeding for the finals. More competitive teams are also expected to meet earlier in the season, making for more meaningful gameplay.
“It’s an exciting format for us, because we’re getting right into the swing of it by facing some great teams,” Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Anaïs Ebayilin said. “It’s great to dive straight into this competition … This format will allow us to express ourselves from the start.”
Other players also expressed optimism toward the new league changes.
“I’m super excited for the new league system to be implemented this year. I think it just brings something completely different,” Bayern Munich midfielder Georgia Stanway said. “You need to make the most of the 90 minutes that are in front of you.”
While most responses have been generally positive, not all players are in full support of the new format.
“I’m not the biggest fan — I like group football and knockout football,” Arsenal forward Beth Mead told ESPN. “I think that’s a beauty of football, but ultimately this is the way it’s now [and] we’ve got to play what’s in front of us.”
With 91 active teams and growing interest, the future looks bright for women’s football. The new league changes will hopefully help to embrace the sport’s evolution and foster growth.
Barcelona, who has won two matches and has the greatest goal differential, currently stands as the top team in the league, but Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, OL Lyonnes and Manchester United all follow closely behind. As the season goes on, who knows which stars will dazzle on the pitch and which teams will emerge victorious? Only time will tell.
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New Format Promises Exciting UEFA Women’s Champion League Season – The Colgate Maroon-News
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