How the Champions League Standings Work

From the 2024-25 season, the Champions League uses a single league phase table with 36 teams. Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents. The top 8 teams qualify directly for the Round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a knockout playoff round.

The standings are updated after every matchday, reflecting points, wins, draws, losses, goals scored, goals conceded, and goal difference.

• • Top 8 — direct qualification to Round of 16
• • 9th to 24th — knockout playoff round
• • 25th to 36th — eliminated from the competition
• • Tiebreakers: goal difference, then goals scored

Key Standings Metrics

Each team's position in the standings is determined by total points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss). If teams are level on points, tiebreakers include goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head results.

The standings table is the definitive guide to which teams advance in the competition and which are eliminated.

Frequently Asked Questions