The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League season features a new league format with 36 teams in a single table, where each team plays eight matches. The top eight after Matchday 8 qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th face two-legged play-offs. The bottom 12 are eliminated. Six English clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur, are participating. Notably, Newcastle qualified outside the traditional top four due to UEFA's new performance spots system. Opta's supercomputer predicts Liverpool as the most likely winner with a 20.4% chance and a 95.3% probability of reaching the knockout stage. Arsenal follows with a 14.5% chance of winning and a 93.6% chance of advancing. Manchester City and Chelsea are also considered strong contenders, with City at 8.6% and Chelsea at 7.3%. Newcastle and Tottenham have lower odds. Qualification points needed for the knockout stage typically range from 15 to 16 points, with 10 points often sufficient for the play-offs. The league matches are scheduled from September 16, 2025, to January 28, 2026, with the knockout stages beginning in February 2026. The final will be held in Budapest at the Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026. In addition, data from Kaizen Gaming indicates FC Barcelona as the fan favorite to win the Champions League, with 40% of wagers across 19 countries. Other favorites include AS Roma for the Europa League and Crystal Palace FC for the Conference League.