Following the expansion of the Champions League for the 2024-25 season onwards, there are now 189 matches taking place in the competition proper, with 36 teams spread among 16 different nations across Europe. Whether you’re watching your own team home or away or taking in a game as a neutral during a continental trip, there’s a great many fixtures to choose from before you even consider ticket prices, club memberships, or travel! This guide is here to make that process more straightforward so you can spend less time planning and more time doing what matters – enjoying European nights under the lights.
- Choosing Which Match to Attend
- When Do Champions League Tickets Go on Sale?
- Where to Buy Champions League Tickets
- Types of Champions League Tickets Available
- Champions League Ticket Prices
- Ticket Delivery
- Planning Parking & Travel for a Champions League Match
- Booking Accommodation for a Champions League Match
- Top Tips for Buying Champions League Tickets
Choosing Which Match to Attend
If your team is fortunate enough to have qualified for Europe’s premier club football competition, then naturally you’ll be inclined to watch them duke it out with the continent’s biggest and best. Every team will play 8 matches in the league phase – 4 at home and 4 away – so there’s plenty of choice even before the competition heads into the knockout phase. You can find our Champions League Schedule Guide here for more inspiration.
Alternatively, you might be a neutral who wants to take in the best teams and players in the world going head-to-head, or you may simply fancy combining a planned or spontaneous European city break with some top-class football. Given the array of destinations involved in the Champions League, travel distance will be a key point of consideration for many fans when opting for a match to attend.
If you’re new to the sport or completely neutral, there are a number of excellent choices when it comes to teams you may wish to consider; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Arsenal, and Liverpool are just some of the giants of the European game who regularly qualify.
Here’s the fixture list for this season’s Champions League campaign.
When Do Champions League Tickets Go on Sale?
The draw for the Champions League league phase takes place at the end of August each season, with tickets for the initial rounds of games typically going on sale shortly after. However, the timeline of when tickets go on sale will vary not only by club but also by country, with every team having its own system when it comes to ticket sales. Some will make all of their league phase tickets available all at once, while others will do so in the days or weeks leading up to each game.
Some clubs – often those in the Premier League – will require fans purchase memberships or enter ballots to be able to purchase tickets, while others will make tickets available on general sale. As the pinnacle of European football, Champions League matches often sell out, so securing your tickets as early as possible is advisable, especially if you’re incorporating the game into a trip or city break. You can save matches to your interests at Koobit to be notified when sales open.
Where to Buy Champions League Tickets
Primary Sellers
Wherever you’re thinking of attending a game, the vast majority of football clubs around Europe handle ticket sales in-house and act as their own primary ticket seller and supplier. Some clubs do make use of third-party platforms; Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, for example, sell tickets via Ticketmaster UK’s eTicketing platform. Either way, you’ll find the official links to the relevant ticket pages at Koobit. Meanwhile, if you’re hoping to attend a match in Turkey such as Galatasaray, Besiktas, or Fenerbahce, you’ll need to apply for a Passolig ID card and then purchase your tickets in the days leading up to the match you plan on attending via the Passo app.
Purchasing on the gate will typically be highly unlikely, particularly when it comes to larger European sides who are Champions League regulars, and many clubs – especially those in the Premier League – require membership to be able to purchase tickets.
Resellers
Resale tickets are readily available for many Champions League matches, with some clubs across the United Kingdom and on the continent using P1 Travel as an authorised reseller.
Laws on reselling tickets vary from country to country; for example, the unauthorised sale of football tickets is not permitted by law for sellers based in the UK, but many of the major ticket resale websites are based outside of UK jurisdiction. Nonetheless, football clubs advise against purchasing from unauthorised sellers and warn that fans may be refused entry. Ticket reselling laws in France can also be stringent, but Paris Saint-Germain make use of Viagogo as an authorised reseller.
Because many Champions League football matches are sold out to members before reaching a public sale, some fans may choose to use resale websites. If you decide to purchase resale tickets, check the reseller guarantees a full refund if you are not permitted entry.
Resellers of Champions League tickets include:
Types of Champions League Tickets Available
Every football stadium is different, and every club has its own system for handling tickets. Some might separate their tickets by stand, others by tier – sometimes both, in larger venues. Others may use pricing categories that can cover different areas of the stadium entirely. Ultimately, however, the choices for fans at any football match boil down to the following options.
End (Behind the Goal)
Usually, the most affordable seats at any ground are those behind the goals at either end of the pitch. They provide a close-up view of the goal-mouth action at your end of the stadium, but naturally the opposite end will be more distant and your view won’t be as clear, particularly if you’re sat directly behind the goal itself and it slightly obscures your view.
At many stadiums, a club’s most passionate fans will often congregate in one particular end, and these ends – such as Anfield’s Kop End, AC Milan’s Curva Sud/Secondo Blu, and Manchester United’s Stretford End – have become iconic over the decades thanks to their incredible atmosphere. As such, these tickets can be desirable for fans willing to chant and sing throughout the match and get a taste of that experience.
Corner
Located around each corner of the pitch, these are usually the next most affordable seats available at a match. Although they have a similar issue to seats behind the goals in that you’ll be further from the action at the other end of the pitch, corner seats usually offer a more comprehensive view that won’t be restricted by the goal. Some stadiums have entirely separate stands rather than filled-in corners or a bowl shape design; in these cases, the seats at the ends of the sideline stands may be classed as corner seats.
Sideline
Generally considered the most desirable tickets available at a football match are tickets along the sidelines. They give the most balanced view of the action, particularly those closest to the halfway line, although they’ll also typically be the most expensive standard tickets available.
Hospitality
Clubs generally offer multiple hospitality options for fans seeking a more premium matchday experience. Some tickets or packages may be a “soft” option comprised of a premium seat and bar or lounge access, while others will be all-inclusive with pre-match meals in one of the grounds’ restaurants or even a private box.
With a significant array of options available from across the hospitality spectrum, tickets and packages might cost only slightly more than a standard seat or could run into the thousands. Hospitality rarely requires a membership to purchase, however, so it can be one method of securing your place at a must-see match, albeit a potentially expensive one.
Champions League Ticket Prices
As the world’s premier club football competition featuring the most elite players and teams on the planet, the Champions League can be an expensive competition to attend. Season ticket holders may have European matches factored into the cost of their ticket, but fans attending on a single-match basis can usually expect to pay a premium price compared with domestic league fixtures.
Pricing will usually vary depending on the opponent and the stage of the campaign, however; it will typically be much more expensive to watch your team face a European giant like Real Madrid in the knockout phase than it would be to see them face Slovan Bratislava in the league phase, for example. Likewise, ticket prices will differ significantly between clubs across different leagues and nations around Europe. Watching a Premier League side such as Arsenal or Liverpool at home will be much pricier than Club Brugge or Young Boys.
In terms of away tickets, UEFA lowered the cap on away tickets for the 2024-25 season to EUR €60 (GBP £50), and it will lower again to €50 (£42) in 2025-26.
Ticket Prices by Ticket Type
Seating behind the goal will typically be the cheapest available at most grounds, but there’s an enormous amount of variation in pricing between clubs and countries; seating in this area could easily range from around €15 (£12) to €50 (£42). Corner seats will likely be more expensive, ranging from around €25 (£21) to €75 (£62), while sideline seats could range from €40 (£33) to €125 (£104) or more.
Ticket Prices by Country
Ticket prices can vary significantly between countries, particularly if you’re watching teams from UEFA’s top 5 leagues – the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), Italy (Serie A), and Ligue 1 (France). Even within those leagues, it will vary from team to team, but generally they will be more expensive to attend than matches in Belgium, Serbia, or Croatia.
Finding Cheap Tickets
Flexibility is the key to keeping ticket costs as low as possible when it comes to the UEFA Champions League. If you can be flexible regarding which teams you see and where you sit within the stadium, you’ll often spend less – as discussed above, sitting behind the goal or in the corners will usually be more affordable than sitting on the sidelines, as will watching games that don’t involve Europe’s biggest giants.
Many clubs also offer concessionary prices for juniors, young adults, seniors, and disabled fans, so be sure to take advantage of those if you or anyone in your party is eligible.
Koobit compares official ticket prices and a range of secondary sellers from across the marketplace to help you make the most informed purchasing decision.
Ticket Delivery
Tickets are increasingly becoming digital-only, so you’ll rarely find paper tickets these days wherever you attend a match. Each club has its own system when it comes to ticket distribution and timings. Some might only send out your E-ticket in the days immediately before a game, while for others the tickets may be delivered within minutes of confirming your purchase. Make sure to check when you buy them to avoid any surprises.
Planning Parking & Travel for a Champions League Match
If you’re just attending a home match involving your local team, then the travel process will be largely the same as any other domestic match; the only additional consideration will be the game taking place on a weekday evening, so you may need to factor in more time in getting to the game or public transport timings if the match does not finish until around 22:00.
If you’re travelling abroad for a game, take extra care to research public transport or parking options ahead of time to ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible.
As always, planning and double-checking your route in advance can help you navigate any complications on the day such as cancellations, road works or closures, or strikes that could impact you. Parking and public transport information for venues around Europe can be found at Koobit by clicking an event’s Travel & Parking tab.
Booking Accommodation for a Champions League Match
Most Champions League matches take place in major cities and towns across Europe, so finding accommodation is unlikely to be too difficult wherever you’re attending a game. Prices can vary significantly, and you may even choose which game to attend depending on where you can find cheap flights or accommodation. Cities such as Lisbon, Prague, and Istanbul can make for some great cheap city break locations, and local teams will often be involved in the Champions League.
Accommodation and tourism information for each city can be found on Koobit by clicking the event’s Accommodation and Destination tabs, which also includes a map of places to stay and book near to the venue.
Top Tips for Buying Champions League Tickets
- Plan ahead and secure your tickets as soon as possible, particularly if you’re travelling to another country for the game
- Ticket prices can vary enormously between clubs and countries, so stay flexible to save money
- Check which clubs require membership in order to purchase tickets
- If you’re purchasing via a reseller, double-check if they guarantee a full refund if you are not permitted entry
- When planning for your travel to the game itself, take into consideration that it’s a weekday evening, so traffic and public transport will likely be busier than usual