UEFA has announced a major change to the format of the Champions League knockout phase for the 2025/26 season. The traditional method of determining which team plays the second leg of the knockout rounds at home by a draw will be eliminated. Instead, home advantage in the second leg will be awarded based on the teams' rankings in the league phase of the competition. This means that the higher-ranked team from the group stage will host the second leg. Additionally, if a team eliminates a seeded opponent, it will inherit that opponent's home advantage in subsequent rounds. This adjustment aims to address previous perceived injustices, such as those affecting Barcelona under the former format. The new system grants increasing home advantages to teams finishing higher in the league phase: the top eight will host the second leg in the round of 16, the top four will have home advantage in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals, and the top two will enjoy home games in the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals. The change has been described as revolutionary and controversial, reflecting UEFA's efforts to reward performance in the league phase and modify the knockout stage dynamics.