UEFA Champions League 2025/26: Schedule, important dates, and final
The new winner of the Champions League will be known on May 30 next year (x.com/championsleague)
UEFA has presented the official match calendar for the 2025/26 Champions League season, from the qualification round to the final. The new edition began on July 8 with the first qualification round and will conclude with the final on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, according to the official website of the organization.
The path to the main stage
53 clubs are participating in the Champions League qualification: 42 in the so-called "Champions' Path" and 11 in the "Leagues' Path." Only seven teams from the qualification will reach the main stage of the tournament: five through victories in the "Champions' Path" playoffs, and two through the "Leagues' Path."
Ukraine has one representative in the qualification. Kyiv's Dynamo will try to reach the main round through the "Champions' Path."
Key qualification dates:
- 1st qualification round: July 8-9 and July 15-16
- 2nd round: July 22-23 and July 29-30
- 3rd round: August 5-6 and August 12
- Playoffs: August 19-20 and August 26-27
Main stage: Draw and matches
29 out of 36 teams have already automatically qualified for the group stage. The draw for this stage will take place on August 28. The first round will be on September 16. The matches will take place over eight rounds until January 2026:
- Round 1: September 16-18
- Round 2: September 30-October 1
- Round 3: October 21-22
- Round 4: November 4-5
- Round 5: November 25-26
- Round 6: December 9-10
- Round 7: January 20-21
- Round 8: January 28
Playoff grid
The draw for the playoff matches based on the main stage results will take place on January 30, 2026.
On February 27, the grid for the Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals will be determined.
Knockout matches will take place on these dates:
- Playoff round: February 17-18 and February 24-25
- Round of 16: March 10-11 and March 17-18
- Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and April 14-15
- Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6
When and where will the final take place?
The decisive match of the tournament will be held on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
This will be the first Champions League final at the new stadium of the Hungarian national team. The arena previously hosted the UEFA Super Cup 2022 and the UEFA Europa League final 2023.
Puskás Arena in Budapest is the venue for the CL 2025/26 final (photo: Wikipedia)
Earlier, we reported on the biggest victories of Ukrainian teams in European cups.
