Champions League format 2026-27, explained: How league phase and knockout bracket works

The UEFA Champions League is widely regarded as the world's foremost club football competition, and its trophy the most coveted bit of silverware the game has to offer on an annual basis.

Every year, teams from all around Europe travel to square off in a multi-phase competition which pits the biggest clubs against one another in some blockbuster matchups.

The Champions League is where superstars playing at clubs across the biggest leagues across the continent square off to determine who is the champion of Europe. After an overhaul ahead of the 2024/25 season, the Champions League boasts a new format which can still be new to many fans.

The Sporting News explains the new format for the Champions League and how the draws work throughout the competition.

MORE: What teams are in the 2026/27 Champions League?

UEFA Champions League format explained

Since the reformatting of the Champions League competition structure in 2024/25, the main difference is that the group stage has been replaced with a new 'league phase', and the number of teams competing at that juncture has increased from 32 to 36.

Previously, 32 teams qualified for the initial phase of the tournament. They were then drawn into eight groups of four, with seedings used to help determine which teams were placed where. This was the "group stage."

Now, the first phase of the competition sees all 36 teams placed into a league format with a single table ranking teams from 1-36. Each team faces eight others, four at home and four away, with these matchups determined by the league-phase draw. A total of 24 teams will then qualify from this phase for the knockout stage.

While there is less jeopardy for those qualifying for the knockout stage, there is still plenty to be earned up and down the standings. Most importantly, the top eight teams in the league-phase table earn a coveted bye directly to the Round of 16.

Below them, the next 16 teams are sent to the perilous knockout playoff round, with those finishing 9-16 seeded in the draw and matched up against those who finish 17-24. Teams finishing in the bottom 12 of the standings are eliminated from the competition entirely and do not drop down to the Europa League or Conference League.

MORE: The new Champions League format is a resounding success

How many teams are in the 2026/27 Champions League?

There are 36 teams in the draw for this season's Champions League league phase.

That's an increase of four from the old format. Two additional spots were awarded to the nations with the best co-efficient score in UEFA rankings, which, based on last season, were England and Spain.

What is the 'Swiss model' the Champions League is using?

You may have heard this new Champions League format described as a "Swiss model". This is essentially another way of describing the switch to the new "league phase" format for the first round of the tournament proper.

You can read more about the Swiss model — and why UEFA  chose to adopt it — here.

How does the league phase draw work?

The league phase sees 36 teams pitted together in one big table, rather than divided into groups of four.

The draw is used to determine which teams will face one another during this first phase of the tournament. Each team will play against eight others, with four matches at home and four away. Teams earn three points for a win and one for a draw, as is commonly the case in league football around the world.

Seedings are still used for the draw itself, a bit like with the old group stage, so teams are drawn against a mixture of opponents in terms of Champions League experience and pedigree. There are four pots, and every team is drawn to play a match against two teams from each pot. In UEFA's own words: "This gives the opportunity for clubs to test themselves against a wider range of opponents and raises the prospect for fans of seeing the top teams go head to head more often and earlier in the competition. It will also result in more competitive matches for every club across the board."

Seeding pots for 2026/27 draw

Each of the four pots feature nine clubs. 

For the 2026/27 draw, the pots are divided almost entirely by UEFA club coefficient points. Additionally, last year's title winners PSG are automatically placed in Pot 1.

* Denotes Champions League title holders

Can teams still drop into the Europa League?

Previously, teams who finished third in their Champions League group had a certain reprieve as they would drop into the Europa League (or, in recent seasons, a Europa League playoff round). However, that is no longer the case.

From 2024/25 onwards, the teams that finish in the bottom 12 places of the Champions League's league phase do not drop into the Europa League. Instead, they are eliminated entirely from European competition for that season.

How does the knockout phase work?

The knockout phase has had little change, despite the new expanded format for the league phase. However, there are some minor alterations.

With 24 teams progressing into the knockout stage instead of the 16 from the old format, there is an additional phase added to the beginning known as the knockout playoff round.

Teams finishing ninth through 24th in the league phase are slotted into this part of the competition, while those finishing in the top eight in the league phase earn a bye to the Round of 16.

There are two knockout-round draws. First, the knockout playoff draw selects the initial playoff-round matchups and also sets the majority of the bracket for the rest of the competition. Each of the top eight finishers is placed in the overall bracket and given a pod of four playoff participants that could be drawn against them in the Round of 16.

Then, the Round of 16 draw simply selects which of the two playoff-round winners each top-eight finisher will face, thus completing the drawing of the knockout bracket.

When is the 2027 Champions League final?

The 2027 UEFA Champions League final will take place on Saturday, June 5.

It will be held at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. This venue is the regular home of La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.