Why are there no Champions League games today, Tuesday, January 27?
A change to UEFA’s Champions League format has pushed all the drama into one decisive night later this week.
For over a generation, UEFA Champions League games have been played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Europe. However, the recent revamp of the competition has occasionally broken from that tradition, including the all-important Matchday 8, which takes place solely on Wednesday, January 28.
There is a whole lot at stake in the final games of this year’s league phase.
The top half 🔎#UCL pic.twitter.com/gVDEW7If4D
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 27, 2026
Work to do for Real Madrid, Barcelona, City, and others
Ahead of Matchday 8, only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have secured direct qualification for the round of 16. Real Madrid and Liverpool are close, but Barcelona and Manchester City are among the teams outside the top eight who must make up ground in the final round of the league phase.
Why are there no Champions League games today?
It is precisely because there is so much to play for that UEFA has scheduled all 18 Matchday 8 games to kick off at the same time: 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 28.
Unlike in the previous Champions League format, every game now impacts the same league table, affecting all 36 teams in the competition.
2025/26 Champions League Matchday 8 games
18 games kicking off simultaneously on Wednesday 🤯#UCL pic.twitter.com/NwkUz8XDgQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 26, 2026
How qualification works in the new Champions League format
This season marks the second year of the Champions League’s revamped league phase, which replaced the traditional group stage with a Swiss-style system.
Each team plays eight matches instead of six, facing eight different opponents. Once all games are completed, the 36 clubs are ranked together in a single league table.
The top eight teams advance directly to the two-leg round of 16, scheduled for March 10-11 and March 17-18. The draw for the round of 16 will take place on February 27.
Teams finishing from ninth through 24th place move on to the knockout phase playoffs, an extra two-leg round introduced under the new format. Those matches will be played February 17-18 and February 24-25 and will determine the final eight spots in the round of 16.
Clubs finishing between ninth and 16th will be seeded for the playoffs and will host the first leg at home, giving them a potential edge as the Champions League moves closer to its business end.
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