UEFA Women's Champions League: What to know, how to watch, contenders, newcomers and more — SkimNews
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- FC Barcelona enters as defending champion seeking a fifth title after reaching six straight finals and seven overall, but will navigate the campaign without longtime star Alexia Putellas, who left for London City Lionesses after 14 seasons in Spain.
- Manchester City makes its league-phase debut as Barclays WSL champions, anchored by reigning WSL Golden Boot winner Bunny Shaw and offseason addition Beth Mead, alongside Lionesses Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood.
- Inter Milan and Austria Wien make their first-ever UWCL appearances — Austria Wien qualifying by ending St. Polten's 10-year domestic title run and completing a league-and-cup double, while Inter advanced via a penalty-shootout comeback against Wolfsburg in the third qualifying round.
- OL Lyonnes, runners-up in two of the last three finals, added former Barcelona forward Salma Paralluelo and feature Ballon d'Or nominee Melchie Dumornay as they push to reclaim a title they once dominated.
- Arsenal, champions of Europe two seasons ago, lost veterans Katie McCabe and Beth Mead but added Georgia Stanway and Spanish defender Ona Batlle, and will host OL Lyonnes in November before an away fixture at Barcelona.
- The top four teams in the single-table standings advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams finishing fifth through 12th enter a knockout playoff round for the remaining spots, with the final set for Warsaw, Poland.
- CBS Sports platforms will stream all 183 matches this season — the most ever in the competition's expanded format — with CBS Sports Network airing one match per matchweek and select fixtures on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Why it matters: The second year of the single-league format puts every heavyweight on a collision course early, with Arsenal drawing both Barcelona and OL Lyonnes in league play and City entering as a legitimate title threat on its debut — meaning six matches could realistically eliminate a contender before the knockout rounds. For Inter Milan and Austria Wien, simply surviving the six-game gauntlet against European royalty represents a commercial and competitive breakthrough for their women's programs.
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