Champions League rule change: higher league finish now gives second‑leg home advantage through the semis

UEFA has altered the order of knockout ties in the Champions League so that teams finishing higher in the league phase will host the second leg of knockout rounds up to and including the semifinals.

The change, which takes effect for the 2025-26 season starting tonight, follows formal complaints from Arsenal about last season's arrangements that left some higher‑placed teams playing decisive return legs away from home.

Under the revised rule, positional finishing in the league phase will determine which side hosts the second leg in each knockout tie through the last four. If a club eliminates a side that finished above it in the league phase, the advancing club inherits the higher positional status for the purpose of determining which team hosts the second leg later in the competition.

The Champions League retained its league‑table format introduced the previous season, with 36 clubs each playing eight matches against eight different opponents — four at home and four away. At the end of the league phase the top eight teams advance directly to the last 16. Clubs finishing 19th to 24th enter two‑leg play‑offs to try to qualify for the last 16, while teams placed 25th and below are eliminated from the competition.

UEFA said the tweak aims to place greater weight on final placings in the league phase and to reward teams that perform better across those eight matches. The governing body confirmed the change in the lead‑up to the opening round of fixtures for the 2025‑26 campaign.

Last season's logistical outcome prompted the intervention. Arsenal, who raised objections to being unsatisfied with the advantage allocation after finishing above some opponents in the league phase, were singled out in UEFA discussions; one cited instance saw a club that finished higher in the league phase play the second leg of a quarterfinal away. Under the new regulation, teams in Arsenal's position would have hosted the return leg.

The modification preserves the later stages of the competition in a traditional two‑leg knockout format but increases the competitive value of every league placing. Clubs and sporting directors have noted that finishing position could now influence tactical decisions and squad rotation across the eight league‑phase matches.

The 2025‑26 Champions League resumes with six matches tonight. Tottenham Hotspur face Villarreal and Arsenal open their campaign away to Athletic Bilbao. Chelsea travel to Bayern Munich, and Liverpool host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Manchester City will begin their title bid at home to Napoli, and Newcastle United will play Barcelona at St James' Park during the opening rounds of fixtures for Premier League sides.

PSG, who won the previous edition, enter the competition looking to defend the title. UEFA also confirmed that the final will be played at Budapest's Puskás Aréna on May 30, 2026, and that kick‑off for the showpiece has been moved from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time to "enhance the matchday experience and benefit fans, teams and host cities," according to the governing body.

By cementing home advantage for higher‑placed teams through the semifinals, UEFA has formalized a link between league‑phase performance and knockout‑stage advantage. That link will mean more is at stake in each of the eight league games and could affect how clubs approach the competition across the season.