UEFA Champions League: Embracing the New Format for 2024-25 Season
The UEFA Champions League, Europe's most prestigious club competition, will debut its new 36-team format in the 2024-25 season. Starting from the qualifiers and throughout the season, you can find Champions League match tickets on the Seatpin website. By frequently visiting Seatpin, Europe's most reliable and the world's second most active match and concert event sales platform, you can secure the opportunity to witness the most thrilling matches live.
A Look Back: First Champions and Format Evolution
The Champions League replaced the European Cup in the 1992-93 season. The inaugural tournament saw 8 teams progress to the group stage after one preliminary round and two qualifying rounds. Marseille emerged as the first champions by defeating Milan 1-0 in the final.
The format has undergone several changes since then. Initially, only group leaders played in the final, but from the second season onwards, the top two teams from each group progressed to the semi-finals. The number of qualifying rounds was reduced, and more teams were allowed to join the group stage. By the 1997-98 season, teams that did not win their domestic leagues were also able to participate, increasing the number of teams in the group stage to 24.
With the 1999-2000 season, the group stage expanded to 32 teams and featured a two-group stage format. Turkish teams have had notable moments, with Galatasaray reaching the quarterfinals in the 2000-2001 season and Fenerbahçe in 2007-08. Galatasaray repeated this achievement in 2012-13. Beşiktaş, in the 2017-18 season, became the first Turkish team to top their group unbeaten but were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the last 16.
The New 36-Team Format
The 2024-25 season will mark the beginning of a new era for the Champions League with its 36-team league format. The traditional group stage will be replaced by a single league phase where each team plays 8 matches – 4 home and 4 away. The top 8 teams at the end of this phase will advance directly to the last 16 round.
Teams ranked 9th to 24th will enter play-offs to determine the remaining spots in the knockout stages. The new format also ends the transitions between the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League during the league phase.
The season will culminate in the final hosted in Munich, Germany, which is also set to host the 2024 European Football Championship finals. Champions League match tickets will be available on Seatpin throughout the season, promising fans an unforgettable football experience.
Embrace the excitement of the revamped UEFA Champions League and secure your tickets on Seatpin to witness Europe's best clubs compete for glory.
