Champions League 2025 Quarter-Finals: Live Scores, Biggest Upsets & What They Mean for the Road to the Final

H2: Champions League 2025/26 – what fans need to know right now Football’s elite tournament is back with a bang, and the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League is already generating huge buzz online. Below is your up-to-the-minute guide to the draw, the new league-phase format, confirmed clubs, key dates, live-stream info and the story lines every supporter is searching for. H2: When and where is the Champions League draw? UEFA will stage the men’s league-phase draw in Monaco on 28 August 2025, with the women’s, Europa League and Conference League draws following on 29 August. The event begins at 17:00 CET and will be streamed live on UEFA.tv plus rights-holding broadcasters worldwide. H2: New Swiss-style format explained in 60 seconds • 36 teams instead of 32 • Single 36-team “league phase” replaces the old group stage • Each club plays eight different opponents (four home, four away) • Top eight advance automatically; teams 9–24 enter two-legged play-offs for the last eight knockout spots • From the round of 16 onward the traditional two-leg format returns Fans repeatedly search “Swiss model Champions League” and “how many games in new format”; bookmark this page for a quick refresher. H2: Confirmed Champions League 2025/26 teams The list below will update after every domestic season and play-off, but these clubs are already guaranteed a place thanks to league positions or competition victories. England: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Club, Villarreal Italy: Napoli, Inter, Atalanta, Juventus Germany: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Stuttgart France: Paris Saint-Germain* (defending UCL champions) Europa League winners: Tottenham Hotspur* *Automatic Pot 1 seeds Eleven more berths will be decided via domestic leagues and the August play-off round. H2: Key Champions League dates 2025/26 • 4 August 2025 – play-off round draw (Nyon) • 19–27 August – play-off ties • 16-17 September – league-phase Matchday 1 • 29 January 2026 – knockout draw • 21 May 2026 – final, Allianz Arena, Munich H2: How to watch the Champions League live For maximum SEO reach include the phrase “Champions League live stream free” – but remember legal options only. In the United States the tournament airs on Paramount+ and CBS Sports, while UK viewers can stream every match on TNT Sports/Discovery+. UEFA.tv provides free highlights worldwide minutes after full-time. H2: Star power off the pitch: opening-ceremony headline act American rock giants Linkin Park will perform at the 2026 final’s opening ceremony, adding extra hype to the Munich showdown. H2: Story lines to watch • Can PSG defend their crown without Kylian Mbappé? • Will Tottenham’s return under Ange Postecoglou spring more upsets after their Europa League triumph? • Which Bundesliga surprise package can replicate Stuttgart’s 2024/25 fairy-tale? • Newcastle, Villarreal and Atalanta eye deep runs thanks to the expanded 36-team field. H2: Fast FAQs fans are Googling Q: How many teams qualify for Champions League 2025/26? A: 36, with two extra places awarded to the best-performing leagues in Europe last season. Q: What pots will the English clubs be in? A: PSG and Tottenham are locked into Pot 1; other seedings depend on UEFA coefficient updates after the play-off round. Q: Is VAR still in use? A: Yes, VAR will operate from the league phase onwards, plus semi-automated offside technology during knockout matches. H2: Bottom line Search traffic around “Champions League 2025 draw,” “Swiss-format fixtures,” and “where to watch UCL live” will spike through August and September. Bookmark this page and enable notifications so you never miss a schedule change, injury update or transfer twist as the road to Munich 2026 begins.