Jul 8

Jul 8 UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Kicks Off Today with 14 Qualifying Fixtures

Just over a month after Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the grand finale of the 2024/25 season, the UEFA Champions League returns with a fresh chapter — and it begins today, July 8.

The journey to crown Europe’s next kings officially begins with the first round of qualifying, as 14 exciting matchups take center stage between today and Wednesday.

🔁 The revamped format will see 36 teams in the League Phase — 29 already qualified, while seven coveted spots remain up for grabs through the rigorous summer qualifying rounds.

🗓️ Today's Fixtures (July 8 - First Qualifying Round):

KuPS vs. Milsami (16:00 BST)
Iberia 1999 vs. Malmo FF (17:00 BST)
Noah vs. Budućnost Podgorica (17:00 BST)
Levadia vs. Rigas FS (17:30 BST)
Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Kairat Almaty (18:00 BST)
FC Drita vs. FC 03 Differdange (19:00 BST)
The New Saints vs. Shkendija (19:00 BST)
Vikingur vs. Lincoln Red Imps (19:00 BST)
KF Egnatia vs. Breidablik (20:00 BST)
Virtus vs. Zrinjski Mostar (20:00 BST)

The road to Europe’s most elite tournament is once again wide open — and the drama starts now.

💬 Opinion: Where Underdogs Become Legends

While most fans are still recovering from the spectacle of last season’s PSG domination, for smaller European clubs, this is the moment of reckoning. These qualifiers may not have the glitz of knockout stage clashes, but they are where stories are born — where clubs from Armenia, Kosovo, and Iceland dream beyond borders.

In a football world increasingly dominated by the elite, the qualifying rounds remind us that passion, grit, and belief still matter.

📌 What’s New?

This year, UEFA is fully rolling out the new Champions League format, which means:

36 clubs in the League Phase, not 32.
More games in a single-league style table before knockout stages.
Performance-based entry spots, benefitting clubs like Newcastle and Villarreal, who ride on last season’s overall national success.

But for now, 53 teams from across Europe — excluding Liechtenstein and Russia — will fight for just seven golden tickets.

🎯 Final Thought:

For clubs like The New Saints, Vikingur, and Breidablik, these matches aren’t just qualifiers — they’re lifelines to bigger dreams, bigger paychecks, and global recognition. Every goal, every pass, every save counts more than ever.

As football returns to its grassroots grind, the UEFA Champions League reminds us why it’s still the greatest club competition in the world.