UEFA Champions League 2025-26 returns: Everything you need to know

Football fans are thrilled as the UEFA Champion League 2025-26 returns earlier but this time with a new twist.

European soccer champion league returns on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, with a new match format.

As reported by BBC, new phase of the Champions League will include 36 teams and will also have an exclusive week, where matches will be played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

During this week no other UEFA competition such as Europa or Conference League will be scheduled.

For the 2025-26 season, the Champions League exclusive week will be matchday one of the league phases scheduled for 16-18 September.

The idea of the exclusive week gives UEFA the chance to showcase its European competitions individually, means exclusive week is just one week per competition per season.

Moreover, the Europa League and Conference League will also have exclusive match weeks.

The exclusive weeks were launched last season and are continuing in the new campaign, with the concept allowing UEFA a chance to showcase its major men's European club competitions.

For the Europa League exclusive week, matches will be played across two days - Wednesday, 24 September and Thursday, 25 September.

While, for the Conference League, the exclusive week is a one-night situation means the matches will take place on Thursday, December 18, 2025, but will draw full focus as no other European competition games are scheduled for the Tuesday or Wednesday.

On the last matchday of all competitions league phases, all games will be played simultaneously.

Why UEFA has given a new match schedule?

The Champion League matches draw bulks of revenue for the sports business. Staggering kicks-off time allows television viewers to watch more games and means fewer overlaps for broadcasters, creating more revenue for them and clubs.

Moreover, it also helps make games more time zone-friendly for global audiences. In California, for example, the early kick-off would be the start of the working day, but those in New York could sneak in at least 60 minutes if they time their lunch break correctly.

This year the Champions League Final will be played 3 hours earlier at 5pm BST (12PM ET) instead of 8PM BST (3PM ET) with UEFA citing a more accessible broadcasting window, improved access to public transport, and a safer more convenient journey back from the stadium, reports NY Times.

What’s so exclusive about the new UEFA teams:

The exclusive news about UEFA 2025 Champions League is that six English teams will be playing UEFA matches in this competition.

Moreover, this will be the first time any European country has had more than five clubs competing in the Champions League at one time. Five clubs, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United were qualified through league position and Tottenham Hotspur won the 2024-25 Europa League for their entry.

While they will not be allowed to meet in the league phase, they can be drawn against each other in the knockouts.

Week 1 fixtures:

Following is the week one fixture for UEFA Champions League 2025/26 to begin at the Estadio de San Mames stadium in Bilbao, Spain on Tuesday September 16, 2025.

The match will Kick off at 5:45pm UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+ starting from 5:00pm.

Tuesday, September 16

Athletic Club vs Arsenal, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

PSV vs Union Saint-Gilloise, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

Benfica vs Qarabag, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Real Madrid vs Marseille, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST (UK: Amazon Prime)

Wednesday, September 17

Olympiacos vs Pafos, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

Slavia Prague vs Bodo/Glimt, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

Ajax vs Inter, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Paris Saint-Germain vs Atalanta, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Thursday, September 18

Club Brugge vs Monaco, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen, 12.45 ET/ 17.45 BST

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Galatasaray, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Manchester City vs Napoli, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Newcastle United vs Barcelona, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

Sporting CP vs Kairat, 15.00 ET/ 20.00 BST

UEFA:

UEFA Champion League also known as the “Champion League” is a prestigious annual soccer tournament organized by the Union of European Football Association (UEFA).

It features top club teams from across Europe; the Champion League is annual is considered as the world’s greatest club association competition.