Has the New Champions League Format Been a Success?

The 2024-25 Champions League received a major overhaul this season by introducing a revamped format. The traditional group stage where four teams play against each other twice across multiple groups has been replaced by a 36-team table. Now that the new-look group stage has concluded and the Round of 16 knockout fixtures have been confirmed, can the new format which promised heightened excitement and fairness be considered a success?

According to UEFA, the European governing body of football, the new format was intended to increase excitement, drama, and unpredictability in the group stage. By having all teams compete in a large 36-team table, with the top eight automatically seeding into the round of 16 and teams 9th to 24th battling through playoffs, UEFA aimed to keep each game as relevant as possible. In multiple ways, you could say that this goal was achieved. Take for instance the final day of the table phase, which mirrored the excitement of the last match day of a domestic league, with multiple teams jostling for survival. Teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City, due to their lackluster performances in the table stage, had to rely on final-day heroics to advance. The added volatility also allows “outside” teams like Aston Villa to shine.

However, the new format has sparked further debate on its effectiveness, especially in the round of 16 draw. Liverpool, who impressively finished 1st in the group with 21 points, drew to formidable team PSG in the first round of 16 matchups. Aston Villa, who finished 4th in the table, drew to an ‘easier’ team in Club Brugge in the round of 16. If the team that finished first in the table received a worse draw than a team that finished below them, it becomes debatable if the new format worked. Therefore, what incentive does a team have to try to take the group stage as seriously as possible? It seems success is punished rather than rewarded.

Supporters of the new format argue that its unpredictability is its strength, which sees blockbuster matchups that bring more excitement during the group stage. However, it also means that two additional games are played in an already grueling schedule — and even more so for a team that has to play a qualifier to advance to the final 16.

It’s undeniable that the group stage has brought more excitement — and that fact alone could be considered a success. UEFA clearly has kinks to iron out in this new system, and it is unfair to expect them to get it perfectly right in the first iteration.

But for now, it’s a partial, albeit flawed, success.