The Champions League has a new look. Here’s what has changed

The 2024-25 Champions League kicked off Tuesday in a new format with 36 teams instead of 32.

The revamped competition features a league system in which each team plays eight games, replacing the old group stage with eight groups of four teams.

Here’s what to know about the new format:

How does it work?

Out goes the traditional group-stage format, with 32 teams drawn in eight groups of four, that the Champions League used for 21 seasons.

In comes a single-standings league — 36 teams each playing eight games against eight different opponents through January. Teams get a balanced schedule facing two opponents from each of four seeding pots.

The top eight in the standings go direct to the round of 16 in March. They will be seeded in a tennis-style tournament bracket with no separate draws for each round until the final.

Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February. The bottom 12 teams are eliminated.

In the playoffs round, teams ranked Nos. 9-16 are seeded in the draw to play second legs at home against unseeded teams Nos. 17-24.

Why change such a successful competition?

The simple answer is clubs wanted more money.

The Champions League showcases the highest quality play in world soccer. It has let UEFA steer billions of euros (dollars) of prize money raised from global broadcasting and sponsor deals to clubs who pay the highest transfer fees and salaries.

Those clubs also wanted to play more of what they regarded as prestige games against a bigger range of high-quality opponents.

The group stage, clubs said, became too repetitive with only three opponents and lacked drama. More games against stronger opponents would be more valued by broadcasters, viewers and new fans worldwide.

Their leverage over UEFA was potentially launching their own breakaway competition. Indeed, then-leaders of the influential European Club Association in early 2021 were negotiating Champions League reform with UEFA and also plotting their own Super League.

The Super League was launched by 12 Spanish, Italian and English clubs in April 2021 and failed within 48 hours amid a backlash in England by fans and threats of government legislation.

Still, the Champions League format shaped mostly by rebel Super League clubs was broadly approved one year later by UEFA.

What are the upsides and risks of the new format?

The 36 teams are guaranteed more money and brand-building exposure to a global audience. Players should get more higher-quality games to accelerate their development.

The extra games — 189 total in the competition compared to 125 for the past two decades — can confirm the Champions League as the pinnacle of club soccer.

Two extra match rounds in January gives the Champions League a new foothold in the increasingly packed soccer calendar. Though, could it overload players after many looked fatigued at the 2024 European Championship, and ahead of FIFA launching its month-long Club World Cup next June?

Eight of the Champions League round-of-16 teams will have played 10 games to get there, compared to just six in the old format. Europe will send 12 teams — 11 of them playing in this Champions League edition — to the new FIFA club tournament, each playing at least three and up to seven games in the United States next summer.

Will the extra prize money be spent wisely? Spiraling spending on player transfers has slowed in this European summer, though top players’ salaries still escalate.

Mid-ranked clubs in top domestic leagues, plus leagues in lower-ranked countries warn of the Champions League creating a bigger wealth gap in European soccer and driving more competitive imbalance.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer