Overview
- UEFA has replaced the 16-team group stage with an 18-team league phase in which each club plays six games, with the top four advancing to the quarterfinals, places five to 12 decided by playoffs, and the bottom six eliminated.
- Matchday 1 begins Tuesday and Wednesday with Arsenal vs. record eight-time winners Lyon headlining, alongside Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich, Twente vs. Chelsea, and Manchester United’s league‑phase debut against Valerenga.
- Defending champions Arsenal enter off a three-game winless WSL run and without injured captain Leah Williamson, while Lyon arrive in strong form under Jonatan Giraldez after adding Jule Brand and Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
- Disney+ holds multi-year live rights in many markets through 2030 with every match available, CBS Sports is the exclusive U.S. broadcaster across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network, and the BBC will air select free-to-air matches in the UK.
- A new second-tier Women’s Europa Cup launches alongside the Champions League with its winner earning a place in next season’s Champions League qualifying, as this season’s final is scheduled for Oslo in May 2026.