Overview

• The league phase kicks off on 24–25 September with eight matchdays running through 29 January, followed by play-off rounds in February and knockout ties through May.
• Under the expanded format, 36 clubs each play eight games, the top eight advance directly to the round of 16, and places 9–24 contest play-offs for the remaining berths.
• Germany’s entrants are VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg, with a field that also features clubs such as Aston Villa, AS Roma, Feyenoord, Porto, Fenerbahçe and Celtic.
• RTL Deutschland holds the rights through 2027, with all matches streaming on RTL+ (subscription €8.99/month) and at least one free-to-air game per matchday on RTL or Nitro; today’s example is SC Freiburg vs FC Basel on Nitro at 21:00.
• UEFA lists the final for 20 May 2026 in Istanbul, though reports differ on the stadium name, citing either Beşiktaş Park or Tüpraş Stadyumu.