The UEFA Champions League trophy
The UEFA Champions League trophy
Newcastle United are back in the Champions League next season. How good does that sound? After an incredible campaign, which saw Eddie Howe's side end their trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup in March, the Magpies will again look forward to competing at Europe's elite table next term.
However, it will be a very different Champions League from that which United experienced two years ago. In the 2023-24 season, United were drawn into the 'group of death' along with Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, but this time it will take a different format, with eight games and one big league table.
Memories of that famous 4-1 win over PSG are still fresh in the mind, and United will again get the chance to battle it out with some of the very best - but are also guaranteed to face two sides from the lower end of the rankings. Here's how things changed for the current season and what Newcastle can expect.
New Champions League 'league' format
This season saw UEFA change how the competition is played, wiith a move away of the eight groups or four teams. Now, 36 sides qualify for the group stage, with one big league table, known as the Champions League league phase. Teams will play eight matches, four home and four away. Newcastle will face two teams from each UEFA 'pot' based on each club's current rankings. United will be in Pot 4, but cannot face any other Premier League sides in the league stage.
Once all the league matches have been played, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stages. The sides in ninth to 24h place will compete in a two-legged play-off, with the winners going through to the last 16. Sides from ninth to 16 will be seeded for the play-offs. Sides finishing in 25th position and below will be eliminated, with no Europa League qualification.
From then on, it follows a tradtional straight knock-out format, with all games bar the final being played over two legs.
Who else has qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League?
Newcastle will join the likes of Liverpool. Bayern Munich and PSG in next season's Champions League will the picture starting to shape up. Here are some of the sides who have already booked their place in the 2025-26 competition, via their league place.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Napoli, Inter, Atalanta, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bibao, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Monaco, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Slavia Prague, Olympiakos, Sporting Lisbon, Galatasaray.
The Premier League wlll have five teams, as will Spain's La Liga, due to their UEFA coefficient rankings. Either Manchester United or Tottenham have qualified by virtue of winning the Europa League, while there are seven places up for grabs via a knock-out qualification process.
How much will Newcastle get from playing in the 2025-26 Champions League?
The new format has seen sides collect even more money for competing in the Champions League. The total prize pot this season is £2.06bn with each club guaranteed £15.7m regardless of what happens. Each win the league stage adds a further £1.8m while a draw brings £590,00.
There is then extra prize money per round, with teams making the round of 16 awarded £9.4, £10.7m for the quarter-finals, £12.9m for the semi-finals, the runner-up receives £15.9m and the winner will land £21.5m. The totals for next season's competition have yet to be confirmed but will be in the same region.
When are the 2025-26 Champions League games played?
The calendar has not yet been confirmed for the coming season, but it is worth noting that league stage takes place between September and January, meaning eight extra games for United to deal with in the first half of the campaign.