The new formats for the Europa Cup and UEFA Women's Champions League are explained.

Next season will see a significant upheaval in women's European football as the Champions League is being restructured and a new tournament called the Europa Cup is introduced.

The modifications represent a major shift for the women's game and mirror the format of the men's European tournaments, which were also redesigned at the beginning of the current season. The Europa Cup gives clubs all over the continent another chance to compete on the biggest stage, while the UEFA Women's Champions League, which was first known as the UEFA Women's Cup in the 2001–02 season, will take on a new format that intends to increase its competitiveness.

The updated format of each competition, the important changes fans should be aware of, and the dates that fans should put on their calendars for the 2025–2026 season are all examined in further detail in 90min.

Format of the Women's Champions League

The Champions League's group stage structure will be replaced by an 18-team league phase starting in the upcoming season, along with increased entrance. Instead of playing three opponents twice, teams will now play six different teams in a league, with half of the games being played at home and the other half away.

Each team will be placed in three distinct seeding pots according to their most recent club coefficient ranking, and the six opponents will be decided by a draw. Every team will be selected to play one home and one away match against two opponents from each pot.

Instead of groups being set with many games remaining, as is presently the case, it is believed that this new format would boost the competition right up until the end of the round. The results of these matches will determine the ranking in the league phase. The teams ranked fifth through twelve will play a two-leg knockout play-off to secure their spot in the last eight, while the top four teams from the 18 will automatically advance to the quarterfinals.

Seeded teams will play the second leg at home if they automatically advance to the quarterfinals. The competition will thereafter proceed according to the current structure until the final.

The domestic champions of the six highest-ranked national associations, as well as the winners of the previous season, automatically qualify. Associations one and two's runners-up will also advance straight to the league stage, with the qualifying procedure deciding the remaining spots.

Along with the winners of Spain, England, Portugal, and Italy, the winners and runners-up of France and Germany will automatically advance to the league stage in 2025–2026.

Important dates for the Women's Champions League

Draw for the first and second qualifying rounds on June 16

The first qualifying round (one-venue mini-tournaments) takes place from July 30 to August 2.
The second qualifying round (one-venue mini-tournaments) is scheduled for August 27–30.
Draw for the third qualifying round on September 1st
11 September: First leg of the third qualifying round

18 September: League phase, second leg, third qualifying round, knockout stages

Format for the Europa Cup

Thirteen teams—the third-place teams in the domestic league from associations ranked 8–13 and the runners-up of associations ranked 18–24—will directly compete in the recently established Europa Cup. The runners-up and third-place teams from the second qualifying round of the Champions League, as well as those ousted in the third qualifying round, will also have another opportunity in the Europa Cup.

The Europa Cup, which will take place concurrently with the Champions League, will be a direct knockout competition without a league phase or group round. The first and second qualifying rounds will be followed by a two-leg final at the end of the season, for a total of six rounds.

The winners of this competition will have only one round to contend for a spot in the league stage of the main event, as they will automatically advance to the third qualifying round of the champions path of the Women's Champions League the following season.

Important dates for the Europa Cup
Rounds of qualifying knockouts

Comments

Why Man United’s Brilliant Transfer Window Makes Carrick’s Failure Unforgivable.

The most damaging football results are not always defeats. Sometimes a draw reveals a deeper weakness because it exposes exactly what a team lacks when pressure rises. Manchester United’s failure to beat ten-man Tottenham was one of those moments. The scoreline may have shown a point gained, but the mood around Old Trafford suggested something far more serious: a club with better players, greater expectations and considerable investment still looked incapable of controlling a match that had swung decisively in its favour. For Michael Carrick, the issue was not simply that Tottenham found a late equaliser. The issue was the sequence that made it possible. United had the lead, the crowd behind them and an opponent reduced to ten players. A team with authority should have used those conditions to take ownership of the evening. It should have slowed the contest, circulated possession and forced Tottenham to spend the final minutes chasing shadows. Instead, United became uncertain. Their fo...

Is it now appropriating for Mikel Arteta to let Merino go at the beginning of a game?

During the last international break, Mikel Merino received much-needed playing time for Spain, and the midfielder is now prepared to start for Arsenal. He was sidelined for many weeks following an injury sustained during his first training session, delaying his Gunners debut. Merino has since, however, made fleeting appearances in Arsenal's most recent two games against Southampton and PSG, which was sufficient to win him a return to the Spanish national team. Now, the midfield player is excited to get started in the match against Bournemouth. In contrast, Thomas Partey is more fit and in excellent form than ever, making it challenging for anyone to replace him in the starting lineup. Merino is eager to get a starting position soon, but Jorginho has also done well when given the chance. Merino is attempting to advance in the hierarchy and is hoping to start against Bournemouth, according to Standard Sports. After carefully weighing his midfield options, Mikel Arteta will choo...

The most intriguing Euro 2024 quarter-final ties are listed.

It seems like only a few days ago when fans around the continent sat down to watch Germany thrash Scotland in the opening match, but the quarter-final stage of Euro 2024 is already just around the corner. This summer's tournament has delivered amazing moments and some significant scalps, but none of the competition's minnows have made it to the last eight. Instead, Europe's major boys have all advanced, with the exception of incumbent champions Italy, who were eliminated in the final 16. Not all of the continent's titans have realized their full potential in Germany, but if they want to raise the Henri Delaunay Cup on July 14, they must rediscover their mojo soon. Here are the four quarter-final ties of Euro 2024, evaluated by how entertaining they will be to watch. 4. England vs Switzerland England is the least exciting team to watch at Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate's side has been very poor, especially considering the talent available. There has been little to sug...

Inside Liverpool's Unprecedented Attacking Crisis Ahead of Man City.

Liverpool’s trip into the Manchester City fixture has been shaped by a problem no elite club wants on the eve of its biggest match: the loss of both of its most influential attackers. Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, injured while representing Sweden and the Netherlands during the international break, have been ruled out of the Anfield showdown. Neither injury is described as long-term, but their absence against the Premier League leaders is severe enough to force Andoni Iraola into a complete rethink of Liverpool’s attacking structure. This is not an ordinary selection headache. Isak is Liverpool’s central reference point, a striker capable of stretching defences, combining with midfield and finishing with clinical calm. Gakpo is the team’s most in-form wide threat, a player who can attack defenders directly, cut inside, drift centrally and create chances from the left. Losing both at once removes the two players who have carried Liverpool’s attacking identity in the early weeks of the ...

Why Man City’s Trip to Anfield Is the Most Tense Fixture in Premier League History.

Manchester City’s trip to Anfield is no longer just a title-race collision between two elite teams. It has become the first major public trial of City’s reputation after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of 115 alleged Premier League financial-rule breaches. With City appealing and no punishment yet imposed, the match arrives in an atmosphere where sporting rivalry, legal uncertainty and supporter anger have fused into one extraordinary occasion. Liverpool versus Manchester City has produced defining Premier League nights before: tactical duels, title-deciding moments, late goals and an intensity few stadiums can reproduce. But this fixture now carries a completely different type of tension. The game will be played under the shadow of allegations related to the period from 2009 to 2018, a period in which City won three Premier League titles. Liverpool are among the clubs most closely associated with the consequences of those seasons, which is why Anfield is expecte...

Dribble Diaries

Search This Blog