New Champions League ball revealed

The 33rd edition of the UEFA Champions League is set to be very different to anything that has gone before.

Fans of European football had become well accustomed to the previous format, which featured eight groups of four teams, with half of them progressing to the round of 16.

However, the 'group stage' is no more. It has been replaced by the 'league phase', where all 36 entrants will compete in one giant league table, despite only facing eight opponents each.

The top eight teams will then progress to the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will go into a playoff round.

While the new format is more complicated than ever, fans may be relieved to learn that the new men's Champions League match ball, revealed by adidas on Wednesday, is 'all about iconic simplicity'.

The ball will cost fans either £130 or £35 via adidas.co.uk, depending on whether they want the 'Pro' version or a regular replica.

For the first time since 2019, the new official UCL ball features a tip-to-tip star panel design, as does the new ball for the Women's Champions League.

An adidas statement explained on Wednesday: 'Returning to a more classic look, but with updated technology, both balls will once again feature tip-to-tip stars, instead of the offset pattern that has featured on UCL and UWCL Official Match Balls since 2019.

'The look of the new UCL ball is all about iconic simplicity, with the famous stars, synonymous with tournament, presented in black against white hexagons. The classic design is accented with subtle turbo red and solar yellow detailing to give the ball a modern touch, as a new generation of ballers compete for Europe's biggest club prize.'

While the new men's ball is mainly white with black stars, the women's ball is much more colourful.

The statement added: 'The new UWCL Official Match Ball features the same alignment of stars and hexagons as the men's ball, but with its own unique graphics update. Three bands flow along the surface in vibrant turbo red and aurora black, representing the shape of the arms of the coveted trophy - the first time it's been represented on the ball for the UEFA Women's Champions League. The adidas logo pops in solar yellow to complete the new, eye-catching look.

'In addition to the new graphic design, the ball features a range of adidas performance technology, engineered for improved precision and swerve. The innovative PRISMA surface has been updated for 2024/25 with a brand-new debossing pattern, which has been rigorously tested in wind tunnels and on pitch.

'The outer texture coating – consistent across all adidas UEFA Champions League Official Match Balls – offers secure grip and complete control, while the thermally bonded seamless construction is built for ultimate performance. A groundbreaking CTR-CORE within the ball is tuned for accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention. The core consists of two components a zero-waste bladder containing renewable, natural rubber and the carcass made from a double patched PES fabric giving the bladder its strength and shape

'As well as using recycled polyester and water-based ink, the new Official Match Balls are made from more bio-based substances than any previous UEFA Champions League Official Match Ball. Each layer of the ball has been adjusted to include materials such as corn fibres, sugar cane, wood pulp and rubber, without impacting its performance.'

The draw for the league phase fixtures in this season's UCL will take place on Thursday at 5pm. 

Both the men's and women's balls are listed on adidas.co.uk as 'League Phase' balls, suggesting that a different version may be used once the UCL and UWCL enter their knockout rounds early next year.