UEFA Unveils Updated Futsal Champions League Format for 2025/26 Season

Revamped structure introduces home-and-away knockout rounds to boost competitiveness and fan engagement

Starting with the 2025/26 campaign, the UEFA Futsal Champions League will adopt a new competition structure, introducing two-legged knockout ties in the round of 16 and quarter-final stages. This adjustment marks a significant shift from the current system and was officially approved by the UEFA Executive Committee on April 2, 2025.

Key Changes to the Format

The updated structure replaces the existing 16-team elite round, which previously determined the final four clubs for the single-venue knockout finals. Under the new format, all teams that reach the round of 16 will be guaranteed at least one home match. This ensures a more balanced and competitive experience across the tournament’s final stages.

Format Breakdown

Entry System (No Change)

• Each national association can submit one club to the competition, plus the defending champions.
• The three highest-ranked eligible associations in UEFA’s futsal national team coefficient rankings (as of April the year before the season) earn the right to enter a second team.
• If the defending champions also qualify through their domestic ranking, the fourth-best association is granted a second spot.

For the 2025/26 season, Portugal, Spain, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine will each have two representatives. Ukraine secures this privilege as the 2024/25 winners will come from the top three nations.

Preliminary Round (Unchanged)

• Lower-ranked teams start here, drawn into groups of four or three.
• These groups are played as single-location mini-tournaments.
• Group winners — and potentially the best runners-up — progress to Path B of the main round.

Main Round (Unchanged)

Path A:

• Involves the title holders and clubs ranked 1–11 and 16–19 in UEFA futsal coefficients.
• Teams are split into four groups of four, playing mini-tournaments at one venue.
• The top three teams from each group move on to the round of 16.

Path B:

• Comprises teams qualified from the preliminary round and direct entrants (including teams ranked 12–15, who are seeded here).
• Four groups of four compete in mini-tournaments.
• Only the group winners move forward to the round of 16.

Newly Introduced Knockout Stages

Round of 16 (New)

A draw will split teams into two pots:

• Pot 1: Path B group winners + third-placed teams from Path A.
• Pot 2: Top two teams from each Path A group.

Each tie is played over two legs, with Pot 1 teams hosting the first leg. The draw will also define the pathway through to the final, removing the need for a separate bracket draw later.

Quarter-Finals (New)

• Played over two legs.
• Winners advance to the final four tournament.

Final Four Tournament (Unchanged Structure)

• Continues as a single-venue, four-team knockout event held over three days.
• Semi-finals and final (plus third-place match) remain in place.
• However, unlike previous editions, the host venue will now be selected well in advance.
• The knockout bracket will already be determined by the earlier round of 16 draw.

UEFA Futsal Champions: Historical Highlights

Futsal Champions League Final Results:

• 2024 (Yerevan): lles Balears Palma (ESP) 5-1 Barça (ESP)
• 2023 (Palma de Mallorca): lles Balears Palma (ESP) 1-1 aet, 5-3 pens Sporting CP (POR)
• 2022 (Riga): Barça (ESP) 4-0 Sporting CP (POR)
• 2021 (Zadar): Sporting CP (POR) 4-3 Barça (ESP)
• 2020 (Barcelona): Barça (ESP) 2-1

Laurent Morel – Head of UEFA Futsal competitions posted on LinkedIn:

“Glad to finally confirm that the long-awaited new UEFA Futsal Champions League format is confirmed for next season 2025/26. Welcome to the round of 16 and quarter-finals home & away, instead of the Elite Round. Top matches for the best 16 European clubs, great opportunity to make sell-out games, activate sponsors and bring TV on board. The product expands, inexorably. Let’s rock”

Source of the image: Laurent Morel – Head of UEFA Futsal competitions – LinkedIn

Organ Donation

Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

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