UEFA Youth League: New format from 2024/25

The UEFA Executive Committee has approved a new format for the UEFA Youth League from 2024/25.

Qualification

The competition will adapt to the format change of the senior UEFA club competitions and include the 36 youth teams of the clubs which qualify for the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (Champions League path). The Domestic Champions path will be restructured to include the domestic youth champions of all UEFA member associations (currently participation is limited to the top 32 associations of the ranking list).

If a club qualifies for both the Champions League path and the Domestic Champions path, it automatically participates in the Champions League path and the vacancy in the domestic path is filled by the runner-up of the same association.

The UEFA Youth League titleholder automatically qualifies for the Domestic Champions' path unless the club has qualified for the Champions League path.

Initial stages

The league stage will mirror the UEFA Champions League 'league stage' but limited to the first six matchdays, with the same matches played in both competitions (three at home and three away).

The Domestic Champions path will consist of three rounds played under the cup (knockout) system with two-legged ties (home and away matches). The clubs of the top-ranked associations will enter in the second round.

Knockouts & final four

At the end of these initial phases a single knockout phase will be played with one-leg ties starting with the round of 32. The clubs ranked 1 to 6 (Champions League path) will qualify for the round of 32 and play against the clubs ranked 17 to 22. The clubs ranked 7 to 16 will face the 10 clubs that qualify via the Domestic Champions path in the round of 32.

The clubs ranked 23 and lower in the Champions League path are eliminated from the competition, as well as those losing the knockout rounds of the Domestic Champions path.

The tournament will conclude with a final four (semi-finals and final) played at a neutral venue.

For the round of 16, the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the pairings will be determined by means of a draw.