This Season's Champions League 36-Team List and Pot Allocation

Muhe - Thursday, 28 August 2025 | 02:00 PM (WIB)

This Season's Champions League 36-Team List and Pot Allocation

The UEFA Champions League season is always one of the biggest draws for fans of the beautiful game, and this season is no exception. The competition comes back this season with a new league phase to replace the standard group phase, and in it 36 teams will battle for the best available spot in the Round of 16. Eight games will be played by each team against eight other sides, and this is shaping up for intense and thrilling competition all through the season.

Pot Distribution

The teams are divided into four pots based on their UEFA coefficients and performance in their local league. The distribution determines each team's opponent in the league phase while promoting competitive balance.

Pot 1 – Seeded Teams

Pot 1 contains the seeded teams with the best performances and coefficients. They include:Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)Real Madrid (ESP)Manchester City (ENG)Bayern Munich (GER)Liverpool (ENG)Inter Milan (ITA)Chelsea (ENG)Borussia Dortmund (GER)Barcelona (ESP)These clubs in this pot are the usual favorites for the title, with decades of European football tradition and the quality of their star players. That these clubs are present ensures that each of their matches will be of high technical and tactical quality.

Pot 2 – Stable Teams with Regular Performance

Pot 2 has teams with regular campaigns in European and domestic competitions, including:Arsenal (ENG)Bayer Leverkusen (GER)Atletico Madrid (ESP)Benfica (POR)Atalanta (ITA)Villarreal (ESP)Juventus (ITA)Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)Club Brugge (BEL)These types of teams have a tendency to topple the favorites, can spring surprise results, and always have the potential to turn the direction of the standings. They make the league phase interesting as any match can be a tight and competitive affair.

Pot 3 – Newcomers and Potential Teams

Pot 3 consists of high-potential teams, some of which are first-timers in this competition:Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)PSV Eindhoven (NEE)Ajax Amsterdam (NEE)Napoli (ITA)Sporting CP (NEE)Olympiakos (GRE)Slavia Prague (CZE)Bodø/Glimt (NOR)Marseille (FRA)These teams are renowned for their attacking brand of football and ability to topple heavyweight teams. Their presence can provide moments of drama and shock goals.

Pot 4 – Newcomers and Dark Horses

Pot 4 consists of debutants and a few dark horses that can cause an upset:Copenhagen (DEN)AS Monaco (FRA)Galatasaray (TUR)Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL)Qarabag (AZE)Athletic Bilbao (ESP)Newcastle United (ENG)Paphos (CYP)Kairat Almaty (KAZ)Most of these teams are not contenders for the title, but they possess the never-say-die attitude and can cause an upset of the party of the big guns, and this added unpredictability makes the league stage all the more exciting.The Champions League group stage this season promises fierce fights among favorites, old-timers, and ambitious underdogs. The pot system makes the competition evenly matched, yet also makes giant-killings possible. The football fan can expect fantastic soccer, thrilling goals, and Champions League drama at its best. It is not just this season's champion that counts, but the moments of magic in each and every match.