The UEFA Women’s Champions League will be expanded and have a new format from the 2025/26 season, European football’s governing body announced on Saturday.
ADULAWO NEWS reports that the new format will see the group stage turned into an 18-team league phase in which each team plays three home and three away matches, followed by knockout rounds.
No further details were confirmed, but it is a move along the same lines as the planned new format for the men’s Champions League which will be introduced from next season and will see 36 teams organised into one league with each playing eight matches.
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ADULAWO NEWS recalls that the Women’s Champions League was a straight knockout competition until a group stage was created starting in 2021, featuring 16 teams split into four groups of four.
Barcelona are the reigning champions, having defeated Wolfsburg of Germany in last season’s final, inspired by Spain World Cup-winning star Aitana Bonmati.
UEFA also said it would create a second competition for women’s clubs from 2025/26.
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The Champions League is currently the only UEFA competition for women’s teams, while there are three men’s tournaments, with the second-tier Europa League and the recently-introduced Europa Conference League.