The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League isn’t just underway, it’s been cooking for a few days.

The first qualifying round has begun in Europe, and familiar names like Malmo, FCSB, and Ludogorets Razgrad playing meaningful games as part of their 2025-25 seasons.

Yes, it’ll still be some time before champions Paris Saint-Germain and their big-named chasers join the fray, but we’re off and running in the race to Budapest.

For all the details of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, read on….

How does UEFA Champions League qualifying work?
Eighty-two teams will participate in the UEFA Champions League beginning with the first qualifying round in early July.

Ten rounds later, two teams will meet to determine the champion of Europe.

Here’s who enters and when:

First qualifying round: Twenty-eight champions from associations 25-27 and 30-55
Second qualifying round: Eight champions from associations 16-24, excluding Russia, plus two champions from associations 28 and 29 enter the champions path. Six runners-up from associations 10-15 begin the league path.

Third qualifying round: Five teams more teams enter the league path.

Playoff round: Four champions from associations 11-14.

League phase: Ten champions from associations 1-10, six runners-up from associations 1-6, five third-placed teams from associations 1-5, four fourth-place teams from associations 1-4, one champion from association 15, two teams from the associations with the highest coefficients from the previous season, and the Europa League champions.

When and where is the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Final?
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Final will be May 30, 2026 at Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

What are the draw dates for the UEFA Champions League?
First qualifying round: June 17
Second qualifying round: June 18
Third qualifying round: July 21
Playoff round: August 4
League phase: August 28
Knockout playoff round: January 30
Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final: February 27

What are the match dates for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League?
Qualifying rounds

First qualifying round (two legs): July 8-9 and July 15-16

Second qualifying round (two legs): July 22-23 and July 29-30

Third qualifying round (two legs): August 5-6 and August 12

Playoff round: August 19-20 and August 26-27

League phase

Matchday 1: September 16-18

Matchday 2: September 30-October 1

Matchday 3: October 21-22

Matchday 4: November 4-5

Matchday 5: November 25-26

Matchday 6: December 9-10

Matchday 7: January 20-21

Matchday 8: January 28

Knockout phase
Knockout playoff round: February 17-18, February 24-25

Round of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18

Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15

Semifinals: April 28-29, May 5-6

Final: May 30 at Puskas Arena in Budapest

Who have qualified for the UEFA Champions League league phase?
Premier League: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur*

Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, AS Monaco
Serie A: Napoli, Inter Milan, Atalanta, Juventus
La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund
Eredivisie: PSV Eindhoven, Ajax
Primeira Liga: Sporting Lisbon
Belgian Pro League: Union Saint-Gilloise
Turkish Super Lig: Galatasaray
Czech First League: Slavia Prague
Super League Greece: Olympiacos

UEFA Champions League league phase qualifying schedule
First qualifying round
Wednesday June 9, 2025

Zalgiris 2-0 Hamrun Spartans
KuPS 1-0 Milsami Orhei
The New Saints 0-0 Shkendija
Iberia 1999 1-3 Malmo
FCI Levadia 0-1 RFS
Drita 1-0 Differdange 03
Vikingur 2-3 Lincoln Red Imps
Egnatia 1-0 Breidablik
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
FCSB 3-1 Inter Club d’Escaldes
Virtus 0-2 Zrinjski Mostar
Olimpija Ljubljana 1-1 Kairat
Noah 1-0 Buducnost Podgorica
Ludogorets Razgrad vs Dinamo Minsk

Tuesday June 15, 2025

Champions Path
Match 1: Hamrun Spartans vs Zalgiris
Match 2: Milsami Orhei vs KuPS
March 3: Shkendija vs The New Saints
Match 4: Malmo vs Iberia 1999
Match 5: RFS vs FCI Levadia
Match 6: Differdange 03 vs Drita
Match 7: Lincoln Red Imps vs Vikingur
Match 8: Breidablik vs Egnatia
Match 9: Linfield vs Shelbourne
Match 10: Inter Club d’Escaldes vs FCSB
Match 11: Zrinjski Mostar vs Virtus
Match 12: Kairat vs Olimpija Ljubljana
Match 13: Buducnost Podgorica vs Noah
Match 14: Dinamo MInsk vs Ludogorets Razgrad

Second qualifying round
First legs to be played July 22-23. Second legs July 29-30.

Champions Path

Match 5 winner v Match 4 winner
Match 1 winner vs Dynamo Kiev
Pafos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
Match 7 winner vs Red Star Belgrade
Match 13 winner vs Ferencvaros
Lech Poznan vs Match 8 winner
Copenhagen vs Match 6 winner
Rijeka vs Match 14 winner
Match 3 winner vs Match 10 winner
Slovan Bratislava vs Match 11 winner
Match 9 winner vs Qarabag
Match 2 winner vs Match 12 winner

League Path
Brann vs Red Bull Salzburg

Viktoria Plzen vs Servette
Glasgow Rangers vs Panathinaikos

Third qualifying round
Draw: July 21

First legs to be played August 5-6. Second legs August 12.

Champions Path

Second qualifying round winners

League Path
Winners of second qualifying round plus Benfica, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Fenerbahce, Nice

Playoff round
Draw: August 4

First legs to be played August 19-20. Second legs August 26-27.

Champions Path

Six winners of third qualifying round plus Celtic, Bodo/Glimt, Basel, and Sturm Graz.

League Path
Four winners from the third qualifying round

Nbcsports.com

Manchester United will face Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the second round of UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying.

The second round follows a mini-tournament format, with semi-finals as well as the final and third-place play-off scheduled for the end of August. United, who secured third place in last season’s Women’s Super League, are placed in Group 1. They will meet PSV in the semi-final, with the winner advancing to play either Hammarby of Sweden or Ukraine’s Metalist Kharkiv in the final.

Victory in the second round would send United into the third and final stage of qualification in September, where teams compete in a two-legged play-off for a spot in the tournament’s league phase.

Elsewhere, Glasgow City will also compete in the second round, opening against Austria’s FK Austria Wien. The winner will move on to face Bulgarian champions FC Minsk.

In the first qualifying round, Welsh club Cardiff City take on Athlone Town from the Republic of Ireland. The winner of that tie will play Croatian champions ZNK Agram in the group final for a place in round two.

Northern Ireland’s Cliftonville Ladies are also in first-round action, where they’ll meet KFF Mitrovica, the reigning champions of Kosovo.

New format, new look

Earlier on Tuesday, UEFA revealed a new brand identity for the competition as the Women’s Champions League prepares to introduce a 18-team league phase format. Last season, Arsenal won the competition, defeating FC Barcelona in the final.

UEFA said the visual identity that reflects the competition’s new format, and will hope that it develops the power and recognition of the men’s Champions League branding.

UEFA managing director of Women’s Football Nadine Kessler said: “We’re entering a landmark season in European women’s football, marked by the evolution of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the launch of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup. As the UEFA Women’s Champions League celebrates its 25th anniversary, it stands as a symbol of enduring excellence and the ultimate prize in club football. A refreshed brand identity accompanies this new chapter – honouring the competition’s rich legacy while elevating its profile for a bold new era.”

As for the design itself, UEFA said:“At the heart of the rebrand is Aura,” said UEFA. “A new and vibrant visual concept inspired by the trophy’s distinctive handles that rise to the top. This captures the energy, ambition and brilliance of the clubs competing in the new league phase. The iconic star ring has been reimagined with a glass-like aesthetic, allowing colours to flow and shift across its surface, symbolising both unity and individuality among participating teams.”

Insideworldfootball.com

Four clubs have previously been banned from competing in the Champions League by UEFA.

Over the years, the Champions League has been seen as the premier club competition in European football.

Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid are the kings of the competition, having won 15 Champions League titles.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are the Premier League side with the most Champions League trophies, having lifted the prestigious European Cup on six occasions.

However, the competition has seen some controversial moments throughout the years, with four clubs reportedly banned from taking part in UEFA tournaments.

Disciplinary Committee: Matchday 19 MLS Disciplinary Committee Decision M. Miazga (CIN)

As reported by Four Four Two, there have been at least four sides that received a ban from UEFA.

Besiktas

Besiktas are one of the biggest clubs in Turkey and a household name in European football.

However, back in 2013, they were banned from playing in UEFA competitions for allegedly being involved in domestic match-fixing.

They were handed a one-year ban after a failed appeal.

Fenerbahce

Similar to Besiktas, Fenerbahce were also reportedly involved in a match-fixing scandal back in 2013.

They were slapped with a two-year ban, while appealing the decision, Fenerbahce lost to Arsenal in a Champions League play-off against Arsenal.

Juventus

The Italian Serie A giants were suspended from UEFA competitions for the 23/24 season after being accused of breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

FK Pobeda

North Macedonian outfit FK Pobeda were hit with a huge eight-year ban in 2009 for allegedly ‘manipulating the outcome of a match’.

The report stated: “Irregular betting patterns were observed in relation to a Champions League qualifier against Armenia’s FC Pyunik five years earlier.”

Back in 2020, it was reported that UEFA’s two-year ban imposed on Premier League side Manchester City was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

City were originally suspended for a ‘serious breach of UEFA’s financial fair play rules’.

Sportbible.com