The premier European women’s club contest is scheduled to resume this week, showcasing the participation of three prominent Women’s Super League clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
Arsenal are aiming to defend the championship they secured in the previous season. Chelsea are determined to claim the coveted trophy for the first time, while Manchester United are making their inaugural appearance at this stage of the tournament.
The structure for the 2025/26 season has been updated, mirroring the adjustments implemented in the men’s competition for the 2024/25 season. The following details the modifications you need to be aware of.
What is the total number of teams participating in the UEFA Women’s Champions League?
Previously, the competition featured 16 teams in the group stage format, which consisted of four groups of four teams each, competing in a home-and-away format.
The updated format includes a single league phase comprised of 18 teams, with each team scheduled to play matches against six different teams throughout this league phase.
Of these matches, half will be contested on home ground, with the remaining half played away. The roster of 18 qualified teams includes:
- Arsenal (England)
- Chelsea (England)
- Manchester United (England)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- OL Lyonnes (France)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Paris FC (France)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Wolfsburg (Germany)
- Juventus (Italy)
- Roma (Italy)
- St. Polten (Austria)
- Twente (Netherlands)
- Valerenga (Norway)
- OH Leuven (Belgium)
- Benfica (Portugal)
Which teams advance?
The outcome of each game will contribute to the teams’ overall standings, awarding the customary three points for a victory, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss.
Following the completion of six matches by each team, the top four teams will automatically secure their places in the quarter-finals as seeded teams, while teams positioned from 13th to 18th will be eliminated from the competition.
Teams ranked from fifth to 12th will engage in a two-leg play-off to determine which teams will join the top four in the quarter-finals. The seeded teams will host the second leg of their respective quarter-final matches.
What is the schedule for the league phase matches?
The league phase games are slated to take place between October and December of 2025.
|
Matchday 1 |
Tuesday October 7, Wednesday October 8 |
|
Matchday 2 |
Wednesday October 15, Thursday October 16 |
|
Matchday 3 |
Tuesday November 11, Wednesday November 12 |
|
Matchday 3 |
Wednesday November 19, Thursday November 20 |
|
Matchday 4 |
Tuesday 9 December, Wednesday 10 December |
|
Matchday 6 |
Wednesday 17 December |
All matches scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, will kick off at the same time.
The knockout phase play-offs are scheduled for February 11-12 and February 18-19 in 2026.
What are the dates for the knockout stages and the final match?
The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on March 24–25, 2026, followed by the second legs on April 1–2, 2026.
The semi-finals are set to occur on April 25–26, 2026, and May 2–3, 2026.
While the specific date of the final has not been confirmed, it is scheduled to take place over the weekend of May 22–24, 2026, at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway.
Which teams are considered contenders?
Lyon holds the distinction of being the most decorated team in the tournament, with a total of eight titles to their name.
Barcelona, a three-time champion, is seeking to reach its sixth consecutive final.
Arsenal is the current champion, having secured the title in May, marking 18 years since their initial triumph. Chelsea, the WSL champions, finished as runners-up in 2021 and are optimistic that they will finally attain European success this year.
