UEFA Champions League Standings

About UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League standings show all 36 clubs in a single combined table, ranked by the points they have won in the competition’s league phase. This page explains what the live table directly below shows, how the 2026/27 season is built, what each position is worth, and how clubs level on points are separated. The table updates automatically as results come in, so it always reflects the current order – the guide beneath it explains how to read it.

How the Champions League format works

Since 2024, the Champions League has used one league phase instead of eight separate groups. All 36 clubs sit in the same table, but no club plays the other 35. Each team plays eight matches – four at home and four away – against eight different opponents drawn from four seeding pots, with a maximum of two opponents from any one country and none from its own.

Scoring is the standard three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. Because every club plays a different set of eight fixtures, strength of schedule varies, which is why the order can look uneven early in the season. If you are new to league tables, our guide on how to read a sports standings table walks through every column, and the sports standings and results homepage links to more explainers.

What each position in the table means

A club’s final league-phase position decides whether it advances and by which route. The top of the table earns a direct place in the knockout rounds, the middle earns a play-off, and the bottom is knocked out.

The top eight clubs go straight into the round of 16 and are seeded, which is a real advantage in the draw. Clubs finishing 9th to 24th drop into a two-legged knockout play-off: positions 9-16 are seeded and 17-24 are unseeded, and the play-off winners join the top eight in the round of 16. Clubs placed 25th to 36th are eliminated – under this format there is no longer a drop-down into the Europa League.

The Champions League is a knockout cup, so the table itself has no promotion, relegation or continental-qualification places: a club’s entry into next season’s European competitions comes from its domestic league, not from this table.

How teams level on points are separated

When clubs finish level on points, UEFA does not use head-to-head results; it ranks them by overall record. The criteria are applied in this order:

1. Goal difference across the league phase
2. Goals scored
3. Away goals scored
4. Number of wins
5. Number of away wins
6. Points earned collectively by a club’s eight opponents
7. Collective goal difference of those opponents
8. Goals scored collectively by those opponents
9. Fewer disciplinary points (yellow and red cards)
10. Higher UEFA club coefficient

The first five criteria can be used at any point during the league phase; the rest apply only once all matchday-eight games are complete. For what each column in the table means, see our standings table abbreviations glossary, and for the wider logic behind ordering teams, our guide to how sports standings are ranked.

Key dates and how the season is decided

The 2026/27 league phase runs across eight matchdays from 8-10 September 2026 to 27 January 2027. The knockout stage follows (UEFA notes that dates are subject to change):

• Knockout play-offs: 16/17 and 23/24 February 2027
• Round of 16: 9/10 and 16/17 March 2027
• Quarter-finals: 6/7 and 13/14 April 2027
• Semi-finals: 27/28 April and 4/5 May 2027
• Final: Saturday 5 June 2027, Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

Every round from the play-offs to the semi-finals is played over two legs, home and away. The final is a single match at a neutral venue – the 2026/27 showpiece is in Madrid – and its winner is crowned European champion. There is no play-off for the title, and the table only decides who reaches the knockout bracket, not who wins the trophy.

How to follow the Champions League in New Zealand

In New Zealand the Champions League is shown exclusively by DAZN, the streaming service that holds UEFA’s digital rights in the country through the 2026/27 season. There is no free-to-air or Sky Sport coverage of the competition; matches are streamed through the DAZN app on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, Apple TV and games consoles.

Most league-phase matches kick off at around 7:00am or 9:00am NZDT the morning after the European matchday – roughly an hour earlier for September fixtures, when New Zealand and Europe are 11 hours apart rather than 12. The final on 5 June 2027 kicks off in the evening in Madrid, which is early on Sunday 6 June in New Zealand. Check DAZN for the current subscription price and exact kick-off times, as both can change.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many teams are in the Champions League standings?

36 clubs. They are all ranked together in one league-phase table, and each club plays eight matches rather than facing all 35 others.

What do the positions in the Champions League table mean?

The top eight qualify directly for the round of 16. Clubs in 9th to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off, and clubs in 25th to 36th are eliminated from the competition.

How are teams separated when level on points?

By goal difference first, then goals scored, away goals, wins and away wins, followed by the collective record of their opponents and finally disciplinary points and club coefficient. Head-to-head results are not used.

When does the 2026/27 Champions League end?

The league phase ends on 27 January 2027, and the final is on Saturday 5 June 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.

How can I watch the Champions League in New Zealand?

Through DAZN, which streams every match in New Zealand. Most games are shown early in the morning NZ time, the day after they are played in Europe.