Overview

• The league phase kicked off on September 16 with six games, including Union Saint-Gilloise beating PSV 3-1 and Qarabağ upsetting Benfica 3-2.
• Other opening results included Juventus 4-4 Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal winning 2-0 at Athletic, Tottenham 1-0 Villarreal, and Real Madrid 2-1 Marseille.
• The reworked format replaces groups with eight league fixtures per club, sends the top eight straight to the round of 16, and places teams 9–24 into play-offs.
• UEFA guarantees about €18.6 million per club for the league phase, with new performance bonuses starting at €275,000 and up to €9.9 million for the best record.
• This edition features broader representation with debutants Kairat (Kazakhstan), Pafos (Cyprus), Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) and Bodø/Glimt (Norway), and the league phase runs from September 16 to January 28.