Champions League is one of the most prestigious and lucrative club competitions in world football. From Johan Cruyff to Lionel Messi, the competition has seen some of the biggest names in European football lift the trophy. The competition was revamped in 1992 and has since grown into one of the most popular sporting events on television and around the globe.
Originally, only the national league champions (and in some cases, runners-up) were eligible to participate in the tournament. Teams qualified via a series of knockout qualifying rounds, with some countries having more than one round of qualification.
From 2024 on, UEFA has changed the format of the Champions League. The tournament will feature an expanded ‘league phase’, where each team plays eight matches, with half of those games at home and the other away. Teams are placed into four seeding pots, and for the draw of the league phase matches, each team will face two opponents from each of those pots.
The knockout phase was also altered to give the top two teams home advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Previously, home advantage was determined through an open draw, but now UEFA will rank the teams at the end of the league phase, and those that finish first, second, third or fourth will have the option to play the semifinals at home.
This change could make the semi-finals more exciting, with a potential all-English showdown between Manchester City and Chelsea looming.