Tue Sep 17 08:01:50 UTC 2024: ## Champions League Gets a Makeover for 2024-25 Season

The UEFA Champions League is back with a brand new format for the 2024-25 season. The competition has expanded to 36 teams, ditching the traditional group stages and introducing a “league phase” where each team will play eight matches against different opponents. The top eight teams automatically advance to the Round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th compete in a playoff round to claim the remaining Round of 16 spots.

This shake-up promises more high-profile clashes earlier in the competition, with heavyweight fixtures like Real Madrid facing Liverpool and a rematch of last season’s final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund already on the schedule. The league phase will run from September to January, extending the competition beyond Christmas for the first time.

Among the notable newcomers are Girona, making their Champions League debut and facing Liverpool and Arsenal, and Brest, the first French club to ever compete in the tournament, who will go up against Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The final will be held at the Munich Football Arena, home of Bayern Munich. Reigning champions Real Madrid, bolstered by the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, are the strong favorites, but Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona all pose serious threats.

The prize money for the Champions League has also increased, with a total pot of nearly 2.5 billion euros ($2.79bn). The winners can expect to pocket more than 86 million euros ($95.6m).

Al Jazeera Sport will provide comprehensive coverage of the Champions League throughout the season, including live text commentary of select matches.

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