After seven rounds of games since September, the UEFA Champions League “league stage” is nearing a close. What does this mean? It means soccer fans worldwide are in for more action-packed matches than ever before, with titans from across the world colliding on soccer’s biggest stage in the “knockouts.”
You may be wondering: What is the Champions League? The champions league is a giant tournament spanning across all of Europe. The field comprises 36 teams that go through a so-called “league phase,” where they play eight games in total and are ranked by points from their results. After the “league stage” concludes next week, the 24 teams with the highest points will advance to the “knockout stage,” with the bottom 12 teams being eliminated.
These Champions League games promise more action and entertainment than most regular season games because only the top 36 teams from all of Europe make the competition. The caliber of teams in each match is far higher than most matches. The Champions League is considered the most action-packed, tense, and passionate event in the club soccer world and thus gathers fans from all over the globe. “The Champions League is what I look forward most to watching every year; the rivalries, the goals, and the tense matches are all on another level in this tournament,” said Tzyion Morris, ‘26. Each club decides the way which teams can enter the tournament result in their prior league season. The bigger the league, the more teams they send to the tournament; for example, the top 5 leagues in Europe, England, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are allotted four slots each for their top 4 finishing teams the prior season. The last 16 slots are reserved for the winners of more minor, lower-level leagues, such as the Scottish, Austrian, and Portuguese leagues.
With the league phase wrapping up, teams fight to claim their place in the next round with one round of matches left. Only two teams, Liverpool F.C from England and F.C Barcelona from Spain have secured their place in the knockouts. Liverpool is the only undefeated team, with a sparkling record of 7 wins and 0 losses, whereas Barcelona trails 3 points behind with an impressive tally of 6 wins and 1 loss. However, numbers aren’t everything. “I think Benfica F.C from the Portuguese league is going to make a run to the finals and shock the world. I know they are underdogs coming from a smaller league than the big teams, but they have the passion and fanbase to surprise everyone, and not to mention one of their friends is family friends with my teammate,” said Lohkoah Paye ’25. The teammate in question is Diogo Charraz ‘25, who is from Lisbon, Portugal, and has known Benfica player Nuno Felix since a young age when they played in the same youth club.
The tournament’s final match will be held in Munich, Germany, this June. It is guaranteed to be one for the ages, considering how tight the standings are this year without any clear favorites. The final game garnered over 450 million viewers last year, so it’s clear that people from across the globe will be tuning in to see who will continue on the road to Munich and who will be sent home with their championship dreams in tatters.
