Champions League 2026-27 brings 36 teams, a new format and a revamped VAR
UEFA already has the contours well defined for the next edition of the Champions League. The 72nd season of European football’s most prestigious tournament begins on 8 September 2026 and arrives with concrete changes: more games, revamped officiating rules and a list of qualifiers that includes at least one historic debut.
The format that expands everything
For the third year running, the competition keeps the single league-phase model with 36 clubs. In practice, that means a jump from 125 to 189 matches compared with the previous format. There are eight rounds spread between September 2026 and 27 January 2027 – and that final date has an important detail: all matches will kick off simultaneously, ensuring no club takes the field knowing exactly what it needs to do.
The qualification logic is straightforward. The top eight in the overall ranking advance directly to the round of 16. From 9th to 24th place, the teams contest knockout play-offs for the remaining spots.
Who has secured a place – and the Italian surprise
Twenty-nine clubs already have confirmed passage to the league phase. The seven remaining spots will be distributed through the preliminary rounds, which take place from June to August.
England and Spain lead with five representatives each: the English send Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool; the Spanish bring Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis. Italy and Germany appear with four each – and this is where the most improbable story of the qualifying round emerges: Como 1907, freshly promoted from the Italian second division, will play in the Champions League for the first time in its existence. For a club that spends most of its history far from the European spotlight, the debut in the tournament carries the weight of a fairy tale.
France arrive with three representatives, including the reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain. Porto and Sporting CP complete the group for Portugal, PSV Eindhoven for the Netherlands, and the rest fill out the bracket. Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are expected to make up pot 1. Stuttgart, Lens and Como are expected to occupy pot 4.
The VAR that finally changes its face
This is perhaps the most awaited novelty – and the most debated. UEFA announced a deep revision of the VAR guidelines for 2026-27, a direct response to the criticism accumulated over slow decisions and offside reviews that came to look like geometry exercises.
From the new season, if the footage does not immediately prove an offside, the on-field decision stands. No more endless slow motion to measure millimetres of shoulder. In addition, the new rules call for greater strictness on dangerous contact and simulation, with a focus on protecting players and keeping the game flowing.
Another practical change: only the captain will be allowed to approach the referee to talk. The end of the little crowds around the whistle-blower is a concrete attempt to reduce time-wasting and return rhythm to matches. Simple on paper. We will see how it works in moments of pressure.
