The Champions League is a showcase of the best clubs in world soccer. It lets UEFA steer billions of euros (dollars) in prize money, sponsor deals and broadcasting revenue to clubs who spend the highest salaries and transfer fees in the game. It also lets UEFA attract new fans from around the globe and give a boost to the global soccer economy.

But the tournament has been criticized for its repetitiveness and for not featuring enough dramatic matches. The current format has 32 teams divided into eight groups of four who play each other twice home and away in a double round-robin. The winner and runner-up in each group advance to the knockout round of 16. It is then whittled down through two-legged quarterfinals and semifinals until the last two teams meet in a one-game final.

From next season, the tournament will feature 36 teams. Four more will qualify for the league phase which replaces the current Champions League group stage. They will join the 32 teams that already qualify through their UEFA coefficient ranking and domestic league champions.

In the league phase, teams will earn points for wins, ties and goals scored. Teams will be ranked in order of performance, with the top eight qualifying for the knockout rounds. Those finishing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off to fill the other eight spots in the round of 16. The league phase rankings will also influence seeding for the knockout rounds, with the top eight teams guaranteed their first-leg home draw. Previously, there was an open draw in the knockout round of 16, and Arsenal’s loss to PSG this season could have been different had the Gunners been seeded third rather than fifth.