New UEFA WCL format explained | OneFootball

UEFA has announced a significant overhaul to the Women’s Champions League (UWCL) format, mirroring the forthcoming changes to the men’s tournament and introducing a second European competition.

The adjustments will take effect from the 2025/26 season and promise to reshape women’s football across the continent.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

League phase expansion

The headline change is the introduction of an 18-team League phase, half the size of the men’s tournament. Each team will play six matches in the League phase, compared to the eight played by their male counterparts. Nine teams will gain direct entry to this stage, including the title holder and the league champions from France, Germany, Spain, England, Portugal, and Italy. France and Germany will each send two representatives: the league winners and the regular-season runner-ups.

This marks a stark increase in direct qualification, up from four teams in the previous 16-team format. However, it comes at the expense of smaller nations, whose champions will now face tougher paths to the League phase.

Qualification structure

The revamped qualification process introduces three rounds, replacing the current two. Rounds 1 and 2 will retain their mini-tournament format, with groups of four teams competing, while Round 3 will shift to a home-and-away format.

The entry points are stratified by national ranking:

In the League Path, third-placed teams from countries ranked 4 (England) to 7 (Sweden) and runner-ups from countries ranked 6 (Italy) to 17 (Kazakhstan) will join Qualifying Round 2. Qualifying Round 3 will feature third-placed teams from the top three countries (France, Spain, Germany) and additional runner-ups from Spain, Portugal, and France’s regular season.

Smaller nations’ reduced access

UEFA’s changes heavily favour higher-ranked nations. Only four spots in the League phase are guaranteed to countries ranked 7 to 52, halving their share from 44% to 22%. This move prioritises teams from footballing powerhouses, effectively relegating smaller associations’ champions to the fringes of the competition.

Introducing a second competition

To offset the reduced opportunities in the UWCL, UEFA is launching a second, as-yet-unnamed competition. Structured as a knockout tournament, it begins with two qualifying rounds before progressing to a Round of 16. This tournament is designed as a fallback for teams eliminated in the UWCL qualifying stages, as well as a platform for clubs from smaller nations to compete in Europe.

Ultimately, 18 teams from the UWCL Champions Path and 13 from the League Path will join the second competition, alongside 13 directly qualified teams.

A mixed verdict

The expansion of the League phase and the creation of a second competition are positive steps for the development of women’s football, broadening opportunities for clubs to compete on the European stage. However, the reduction in guaranteed spots for smaller associations undermines inclusivity, effectively sidelining champions from lower-ranked nations. The second competition offers a consolation, but it remains to be seen whether it will compensate for their diminished access to the UWCL.

UEFA’s reforms signal ambition but come with a cost. Balancing competitive integrity with growth across all levels of the game will be the challenge as the new format unfolds.