The Women’s Champions League is back this week, with three Women’s Super League teams in the competition – Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Arsenal are looking to retain the title they won last season, Chelsea are desperate to lift the trophy for the first time, while Manchester United are in this stage of the competition for the first time.
The 2025/26 competition follows a new format, closely following the changes introduced to the men’s competition in the 2024/25 campaign. Here is everything you need to know about the changes.
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How many teams compete in the UEFA Women’s Champions League?
Barcelona are one of the favourites once more (Image credit: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
We previously saw 16 teams involved in the previous group stage format – four groups of four teams who played each other home and away.
The new format incorporates a single league phase featuring 18 teams, and each team will face fixtures against six different teams in the league phase.
Half of those matches will be played at home and half of them away. The 18 teams to have qualified are:
- 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)
Who progresses?
The results of each match will determine the overall ranking of the 18 teams, with the traditional three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat.
After all teams have played six matches, the top four sides will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals as the seeded teams, while teams ranked 13 to 18 will be eliminated
The teams finishing fifth to 12th will compete in a two-legged play-off to determine who will join the top four teams in the last eight. Note, the four seeded teams will play the second leg of their quarter-finals at home.
When are the league phase matches?
Chelsea want to win their first European trophy (Image credit: Harriet Lander – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
The league phase matches take place between October and December 2025.
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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 kick-offs on Wednesday 17 December will be simultaneous
The knockout phase play-offs will take place on 11-12 February and 18-19 February 2026.
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When are the knockout stages and the final?
The quarter-final first legs will take place on 24–25 March 2026, with the second legs on 1–2 April 2026.
The semi-finals will take place across 25–26 April 2026 and 2–3 May 2026.
The exact date of the final is not decided but it will take place on the weekend of 22–24 May 2026 at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway.
Who are the teams to watch?
Lyon are the most successful team in the competition, having won eight titles.
Three-time champions Barcelona are aiming for their sixth consecutive final.
The reigning champions are Arsenal, after winning in May, 18 years after their first victory. WSL champions Chelsea were runners-up in 2021 and will be hoping this is finally the year they can achieve European glory.
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