16 September 2025
The football world is back on its feet this Tuesday morning, with the start of the Champions League's league group stage. The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League is the 71st season of the premier European club football tournament organized by UEFA, and the 34th season since its rebranding from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. The final will be held on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
This will be the second season under the new format, which will see 36 teams participate instead of 32, resulting in a reduced group stage of 36 teams, with each team playing eight matches. However, the format of the qualifying and knockout stages remains unchanged.
Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions, having won their first title last season against Italian club Inter Milan.
The first night kicks off with several exciting matches, led by Real Madrid's match against Olympique de Marseille, and the Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund summit.
Real Madrid will open their Champions League campaign tonight, Tuesday, against Olympique de Marseille at the Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid is the most decorated club in the Champions League, having won it 15 times. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals last season by Arsenal.
This will be the first of eight matches for Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso in the Champions League league stage. Real Madrid will also face Juventus, Manchester City, and Monaco at the Santiago Bernabéu, while they will play four other away matches against Kairat Almaty, Liverpool, Olympiacos, and Benfica.
