How to Play UCL Fantasy 2025/26 – Complete Beginner’s Guide

How to Play UCL Fantasy 2025/26 is something every new manager will want to understand ahead of the upcoming Champions League season. The game brings a unique twist compared to Fantasy Premier League, with different chips, unlimited transfers between matchdays, and a scoring system tailored to Europe’s biggest competition.

In this guide, we’ll explain the rules step by step, cover how points are scored, and highlight the key features that make UCL Fantasy 2025/26 both challenging and exciting.

The Champions League Format

The Champions League in 2025/26 keeps the same structure as last season. Each club will play eight fixtures in the league phase.

The top eight teams progress directly to the round of 16.
Teams finishing 9th to 24th face a two-legged play-off, with the winners joining them in the last 16.

Before the play-offs and again before the round of 16, managers will get unlimited free transfers, meaning you don’t need to plan too far ahead for those transition stages.

Building Your Squad

Team Name

When creating your squad, you’ll need to give your team a name. This can be edited anytime before the next matchday begins.

Squad Composition

You must select 15 players in total:

2 goalkeepers
5 defenders
5 midfielders
3 forwards

Budget

Your starting budget is €100m, which increases to €105m once the league phase ends.

Player Limits Per Club

There are restrictions on how many players you can choose from one team, increasing as the tournament progresses:

Stage	Max. Players per Club
League phase	3
Knockout play-offs	4
Round of 16	4
Quarter-finals	5
Semi-finals	6
Final	8

If a player transfers to another UCL club and that puts you over the limit, you’ll need to fix it when you next make transfers. Knocked-out players can remain in your squad, but they’ll no longer score points.

Joining Late

You can enter the game at any point.

Create a team between matchdays, and you’ll begin scoring from the next one.
Join after matches have started, and you’ll earn points from the following day’s fixtures.

Managing Your Team

Each matchday, you’ll pick 11 starters from your 15-man squad. Points are awarded to the players who finish the matchday in your XI, not the ones who started in your line-up.

On most matchdays, you can make manual substitutions as games progress. The only exceptions are Matchday 8 (all games simultaneous) and the final (Matchday 17).

To avoid missing deadlines, remember:

Deadlines = kick-off of the first game in the matchday.
Enable UEFA Gaming app notifications.

If one of your starting players doesn’t feature, auto-subs may kick in (unless you’ve made manual changes that week).

Formations

You can use any valid system, as long as you field:

1 goalkeeper
At least 3 defenders
At least 2 midfielders
At least 1 forward

Captains

Your captain’s score is doubled each matchday. You can switch captains to a later-playing squad member if your original pick underperforms — but once you change, you can’t switch back.

Tip: Choose an early-day captain so you have flexibility to switch if needed.

Substitutions

Between matchdays, unlimited changes can be made within your 15-man squad.

During a matchday:

After one day’s fixtures and before the next begin, you can sub out up to 4 players for unused subs who are yet to play.
You can also switch your captain to another eligible player.

Remember:

Once you confirm a sub or captain change, it cannot be undone.
Changes can’t involve players who’ve already played that matchday.
If you don’t make any changes, auto-subs may apply (following your bench priority).

Tip: Spread your players across different matchdays to maximise your ability to make tactical subs.

Transfers

Transfers let you adapt as the tournament develops.

Before Matchday 1: unlimited changes.
Between phases (league > play-offs, play-offs > round of 16): unlimited again.
Each matchday: a set number of free transfers (varies by stage).
Additional transfers = -4 points each.

Unused free transfers:

In the league phase, you can carry over just one.
In the knockouts, no transfers carry over.

Free Transfers by Stage

League phase: 2 per matchday
Knockout play-offs (2nd leg): 2
Round of 16 (2nd leg): 3
Quarter-finals: 5 then 3
Semi-finals: 5 then 3
Final: 5

Price Changes

Player prices remain fixed until Matchday 2. From Matchday 3, they rise or fall depending on recent performance.

Deadlines

Line-ups lock at kick-off of the first game in each matchday. If you save after that time, your changes won’t apply.

Tip: Wait for official line-ups for the first matches — that way you’ll know some guaranteed starters.

Chips

You’ll have two chips available, each usable once:

Wildcard: Unlimited transfers with the normal budget. The new squad remains after the matchday ends.
Limitless: Unlimited transfers with no budget cap, but only for one matchday. Afterward, your squad reverts.

Both can be used any time except Matchday 1, Matchday 9, and Matchday 11 (which already allow unlimited transfers).

Scoring System

Players earn points based on their real-life performances:

All Players

Appearance: 1
60+ minutes: 1
Assist: 3
Goal from outside the box: 1
Winning penalty: 2
Conceding penalty: -1
Missing penalty: -2
Player of the Match: 3
Yellow card: -1
Red card: -3
Own goal: -2
Every 3 balls recovered: 1

Goalkeepers

Goal scored: 6
Penalty save: 5
Clean sheet: 4
Every 3 saves: 1
Every 2 goals conceded: -1

Defenders

Goal: 6
Clean sheet: 4
Every 2 goals conceded: -1

Midfielders

Goal: 5
Clean sheet: 1

Forwards

Goal: 4

Additional notes:

Clean sheets only count if a player plays 60+ minutes.
Assists follow strict definitions (final pass, rebound, or own goal created).
Extra time counts for points, but penalty shoot-outs don’t.

That’s the full breakdown of How to Play UCL Fantasy 2025/26. With a good squad balance, smart captaincy, and clever use of chips, you’ll be ready to compete against the best in Europe this season.