OVERVIEW OF THE COMPETITION FORMAT
This season’s Women’s Champions League format has undergone some changes compared to the 2024/25 season, aligning more closely with the structure established in the men’s competition last season.
Instead of the traditional 16-team group stage divided into four groups, this year features 18 teams competing in a single league table.
Where teams previously played each other twice, both home and away, under the old format, clubs will now face six different opponents, with the venue determined during the draw. For Manchester United, this means they will host Valerenga, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lyon, while playing away against Atletico, Wolfsburg, and Juventus.
The top four teams at the conclusion of these six matches will automatically advance to the quarter-finals, while those finishing fifth to twelfth will enter a two-legged playoff to secure a spot in the knockout stages. Teams ranked thirteenth or lower will be eliminated from the competition.
