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Last Updated On: May 03, 2025 11:52 AM , Published On: Sep 26, 2024 10:00 AM
The 15 teams that will join hosts Switzerland in the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 will be determined by the redesigned Women's European Qualifiers, which will take place from April to December 2024. The 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League has two rounds of group stage qualification, in which 68 teams compete, with 46 teams on the Champions Path and 22 teams on the League Path.
Along with the four clubs that entered in the second round, the 14 winners of the round, nine from the Champions Path and five from the League Path move on to the group stage. For the first time, UEFA will hold a second women's club competition, giving new clubs an opportunity to compete against teams in Europe and giving some teams that are knocked out in the first round of the Women's Champions League another chance to win.
The flagship women's competition has undergone modifications similar to those of UEFA's redesigned men's club championships. Starting in the 2024–2025 season, the new single-league structure will be introduced.
Teams
Champions Path
All league champions who did not automatically qualify for the group stage are included in the Champions Path, which consists of the following rounds:
- Round 1: Forty-three teams compete in a one-leg semifinal, championship, and third-place match.
- Round 2 (14 teams): eleven teams that advanced from the round 1 finals are joined by three new teams.
League Path
All leagues that aren't champions are included in the League Path, which consists of the following rounds:
- Round 1: Sixteen teams participate in a one-leg semifinal, final, and third-place match.
- Round 2 (10 teams): Four winners of the Round 1 finals and six other teams go to this round.
What is the breakdown of allocations for 2024–2025?
- Germany (4)
- Netherlands (2)
- Scotland (1)
- Qualifying rounds - champions path (5)
- Champions League titleholders (1)
- Europa League titleholders (1)
Why is the Women's Champions League format being altered by UEFA?
One of the first successes of UEFA's women's football strategy, Time for Action, was introducing the current structure. Since 2019, the plan has worked to expand the game throughout Europe by improving standards and broadening the scope and importance of our competitions.
The number of clubs participating in the league stage has increased from 16 to 18. Still, the format change means that top teams will play each other more frequently and earlier, and all teams will play more competitive matches against a diverse range of opponents, all without adding more matches at this stage.
What is the purpose of UEFA's second competition and how will it operate?
A feeding system from the UEFA Women's Champions League will see the new competition offer a second chance to the clubs eliminated in Round 2 and the runners-up and third-placed teams from the Round 1 tournaments. Thirteen teams, the third-placed in the domestic league from associations ranked 8–13, and the runners-up of associations ranked 18–24, will enter the competition directly.
The second tournament, which takes place concurrently with the Women's Champions League, will be a knockout. There will be six rounds; the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will take place over two legs home and away, as will rounds one and two and the round of 16.
What changes have you seen in the UEFA Women's Champions League throughout time?
Thirty-three teams participated in the competition's maiden season, the UEFA Women's Cup in 2001–02. Germany's Frankfurt defeated Sweden's Umea in a single-leg final. Two legs were used to settle the final between 2002–03 and 2008–09.
For its ninth season, the competition returned as the UEFA Women's Winners League, featuring runners-up from the eight highest-ranked associations and domestic winners throughout Europe. A one-off final and a 32-team elimination round preceded the qualifying round.