The UEFA Women’s Champions League enters a new era this season with a revamped format, expanded league phase, and the introduction of a second-tier continental competition.
The shake-up reveals UEFA’s ambition to expand women’s football visibility and competitiveness and plan hoping the new structure not only raises standards but also ensures more clubs from across Europe get meaningful exposure on the biggest stage.
As the third qualifying round kicks off, here’s everything you need to know about how the tournament now works, what’s at stake, and key dates to mark on your calendar.
Women’s Champions League: From Groups to a Single League Table
Under the old system, 16 teams were split into four groups of four, with the top two advancing to the quarterfinals.
This season, the competition mirrors the men’s revamped Champions League: 18 teams in a single league phase.
Each team plays six matches, against two clubs from each of the three seeded pots, with three at home and three away.
Unlike the men’s competition, the women’s edition is slightly smaller (18 instead of 36 teams), but the principle remains the same: one large league table replaces group play.
Who’s Already Qualified?
Nine clubs booked automatic places from UEFA’s top seven nations, plus the holders:
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Titleholders: Arsenal
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France: Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain
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Germany: Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg
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Spain: Barcelona
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England: Chelsea
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Portugal: Benfica
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Italy: Juventus
The remaining nine spots will be decided in the final qualifying round, with notable ties;
- Valerenga vs. Ferencvaros
- Vorskla Poltava vs. OH Leuven
- St. Pölten vs. Fortuna Hjørring
- Katowice vs. Twente
- BK Häcken vs. Atlético Madrid
- Paris FC vs. Austria Vienna
- Brann vs. Manchester United
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Real Madrid
- AS Roma vs. Sporting CP
How the League Phase Works
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Positions 1–4: Go straight into the quarterfinals.
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Positions 5–12: Advance to knockout phase playoffs in February.
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Positions 13–18: Eliminated.
The playoff round will decide the final four quarterfinalists. From there, the format reverts to traditional two-legged ties through to the semifinals, before a one-off final in Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion in May.
Another twist: from the quarterfinals onward, there’s no country protection, meaning clubs from the same nation can face each other at any stage.
The Draw Explained
The league phase draw takes place on September 19.
Instead of drawing groups, UEFA’s computer will generate each team’s six opponents (two from each pot), along with home and away designations.
Draw rules:
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Teams from the same country cannot face each other.
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No club can be paired against more than two teams from one country.
UEFA said the computer-assisted method was necessary because a manual draw would be too complex under the new system.
Key Dates for the Women’s Champions League
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Qualifying Round 3: Sept. 11 (Leg 1), Sept. 18 (Leg 2)
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League Phase:
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Matchday 1: Oct. 7-8
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Matchday 2: Oct. 15-16
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Matchday 3: Nov. 11-12
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Matchday 4: Nov. 19-20
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Matchday 5: Dec. 9-10
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Matchday 6: Dec. 17 (all nine games simultaneous)
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Quarterfinals: Feb. 11-12 & Feb. 18-19
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Semifinals: March 24-25 & April 1-2
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Final: May 22–24, Ullevaal Stadion (Oslo, Norway)
Enter the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup
This season also launched the birth of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, a second-tier continental competition.
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Features 43 teams, primarily runners-up and third-placed clubs from nations ranked 8–24.
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Teams eliminated in UWCL qualifying rounds drop into this tournament (e.g., Inter Milan).
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Entirely two-legged knockout ties, including the final.
Key dates include the opening round in September, with the final set for April 25/26 and May 2/3, 2025.
