Today, September 16th, marks the start of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league stage.
This prestigious annual tournament brings together 36 of Europe’s top clubs to compete against one another, providing fans more chances to see their favorite teams face off against elite opponents.
In May 2025, Paris Saint-Germain clinched their first European Cup title with a decisive 5-0 victory over Inter Milan. Both teams, along with other renowned past winners like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, are returning this year.
For fans in the US, there’s a straightforward way to watch all the action through a single streaming service.
How to watch and stream UEFA Champions League in the US:
Paramount+ is the official streaming home for the UEFA Champions League in the US. Every match from today through May 30, 2026, will be available there.
Paramount+ offers subscriptions starting at $7.99 per month with ads, or you can opt for an ad-free premium plan for $12.99 per month. New subscribers can try either plan with a free week trial.
Currently, the annual subscription rates are particularly low. The ad-supported plan is available for $29.99, while the ad-free option costs $59.99. This represents a 50% discount for a year of viewing.
UEFA Champions League Match Day 1 Schedule:
Over the next three days, six matches will take place each day. Two are set to start at 12:45 PM ET, followed by four that begin at 3 PM ET.
Tuesday, September 16th
- PSV vs Union SG – 12:45 PM
- Athletic Club vs Arsenal – 12:45 PM
- Real Madrid vs Marseille – 3 PM
- Benfica vs Qarabag – 3 PM
- Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund – 3 PM
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal – 3 PM
Wednesday, September 17th
- Olympiacos vs Paphos – 12:45 PM
- Slavia Prague vs Bodø/Glimt – 12:45 PM
- PSG vs Atalanta – 3 PM
- Bayern Munich vs Chelsea – 3 PM
- Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid – 3 PM
- Ajax vs Inter Milan – 3 PM
Thursday, September 18th
- Club Bruges vs Monaco – 12:45 PM
- Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen – 12:45 PM
- Manchester City vs Napoli – 3 PM
- Frankfurt vs Galatasaray – 3 PM
- Sporting CP vs Kairat – 3 PM
- Newcastle vs Barcelona – 3 PM
When will the next Champions League match be?
The next Match Day will occur on Tuesday, September 30th, and Wednesday, October 1st.
2025 UEFA Champions League Teams:
- Ajax (Netherlands)
- Arsenal (England)
- Atalanta (Italy)
- Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
- Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Benfica (Portugal)
- Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Chelsea (England)
- Club Bruges (Belgium)
- Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
- Galatasaray (Turkey)
- Inter Milan (Italy)
- Juventus (Italy)
- Kairat (Kazakhstan)
- Liverpool (England)
- Manchester City (UK)
- Marseille (France)
- Monaco (Monaco)
- Napoli (Italy)
- Newcastle United (England)
- Olympiacos (Greece)
- Paphos (Cyprus)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
- Sporting CP (Portugal)
- Tottenham Hotspur (England)
- Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
- Villarreal (Spain)
The Format of the UEFA Champions League Explained:
The 2025-26 season marks the second year for the UEFA Champions League’s new format. The previous group stage has been replaced with a league phase known as the “Swiss” system.
Previously, the tournament started with 32 teams organized into four groups. Teams played each other twice home and away before moving to the knockout stage.
In the current structure, 36 teams compete in a single league where each club plays eight different opponents, balancing home and away matches. Teams are ranked collectively rather than divided into groups.
The scoring system remains the same; a win still counts for three points, while a draw gives each team one point.
This format not only tests teams against a wider range of opponents but also enhances the experience for fans who can watch more marquee matchups early in the tournament.
Ultimately, the top eight clubs will automatically advance to the round of 16, with teams finishing 9th to 24th entering a playoff system.
Additionally, this new format will be adopted in the Europa League and UEFA Conference League as well.
