# 2024–25 EHF Champions League

The 2024–25 EHF Champions League is the 65th edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament, running from 11 September 2024 to 15 June 2025.
Barcelona are the defending champions.

## Format

The tournament will run using the same format as the previous three seasons. The competition begins with a group stage featuring sixteen teams divided into two groups. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures, fourteen in total for each team. In Groups A and B, the top two teams automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoff round.
The knockout stage includes four rounds: the playoffs, quarter-finals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches (third-placed in group A plays sixth-placed group B; fourth-placed group A plays fifth-placed group B, etc.). The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.
In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final are played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.

## Rankings

Ten of the sixteen teams competing in the group stage will be determined through the EHF association ranking for the 2024–25 season, based on the results of the three previous seasons. The remaining six places will be awarded as wildcards.
* Associations ranked 1–9 have their league champion qualify for the Group Stage and can apply their league runner-up for a wildcard.
* The best-ranked association in the EHF European League can have its league champion and runner-up qualify for the Group Stage, but cannot apply for a wildcard.
* Associations ranked outside the top nine can only have their league champion apply for a wildcard.
| Rank | Association | Average points | Teams |
| 1 | Spain | 217,00 | 1 |
| 2 | Germany | 170.00 | 2 |
| 3 | Poland | 156.67 | 2 |
| 4 | France | 140.33 | 2 |
| 5 | Denmark | 137.00 | 2 |
| 6 | Hungary | 124.33 | 2 |
| 7 | Belarus | 69.50 | 0 |
| 8 | Portugal | 61.67 | 1 |
| Rank | Association | Average points | Teams |
| 9 | Norway | 57.00 | 1 |
| 10 | Ukraine | 57.00 | 0 |
| 11 | Romania | 56.50 | 1 |
| 12 | Slovenia | 52.00 | 0 |
| 13 | North Macedonia | 50.33 | 1 |
| 14 | Croatia | 44.00 | 1 |
| 15 | 36 associations | 0.00 | 0 |

## Teams

The first nine teams were revealed on 7 June 2024. The teams who applied for a wildcard were announced on 13 June 2024. On 21 June, the final list was announced.
| Aalborg Håndbold (1st) | Paris Saint-Germain (1st) | Barcelona (1st) | SC Magdeburg (1st) |
| Füchse Berlin (2nd) | Telekom Veszprém (1st) | Kolstad Håndball (1st) | Orlen Wisła Płock (1st) |
| Sporting CP (1st) | RK Zagreb (1st)$^{WC}$ | HBC Nantes (2nd)$^{WC}$ | SC Pick Szeged (2nd)$^{WC}$ |
| RK Eurofarm Pelister (1st)$^{WC}$ | Industria Kielce (2nd)$^{WC}$ | CS Dinamo București (1st)$^{WC}$ | Fredericia HK (2nd)$^{WC}$ |
Rejected upgrades
| CD Bidasoa Irun (2nd) | Elverum Håndball (2nd) | FC Porto (2nd) |
| Kadetten Schaffhausen (1st) | HT Tatran Prešov (1st) |

## Draw

The draw was held on 27 June 2024.

## Group stage

The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight. Teams from the same national association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:
* Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
* Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
* Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved;
* Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
* Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;
* Drawing of Lots
A total of 11 national associations will be represented in the group stage, with the only difference being that Romania replace Slovenia. Fredericia HK return for the first time in 40 years. Sporting CP come back after five years.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | VES | SPO | BER | PAR | BUC | PLO | PEL | FRE |
| 1 | Telekom Veszprém | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 468 | 408 | +60 | 24 | Quarterfinals | — | 33–32 | 32–33 | 41–28 | 36–24 | 30–26 | 33–26 | 34–32 |
| 2 | Sporting CP | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 454 | 399 | +55 | 18 | Quarterfinals | 39–30 | — | 35–33 | 39–28 | 34–25 | 34–29 | 30–24 | 32–29 |
| 3 | Füchse Berlin | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 469 | 440 | +29 | 18 | Playoffs | 31–32 | 33–32 | — | 38–40 | 38–29 | 25–24 | 39–29 | 36–29 |
| 4 | Paris Saint-Germain | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 462 | 456 | +6 | 18 | Playoffs | 33–37 | 30–28 | 34–37 | — | 35–32 | 28–31 | 31–29 | 38–30 |
| 5 | CS Dinamo București | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 426 | 439 | −13 | 12 | Playoffs | 26–33 | 33–29 | 38–31 | 33–40 | — | 26–27 | 34–25 | 37–28 |
| 6 | Orlen Wisła Płock | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 370 | 366 | +4 | 11 | Playoffs | 24–27 | 29–29 | 32–27 | 23–24 | 26–28 | — | 26–18 | 30–21 |
| 7 | RK Eurofarm Pelister | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 346 | 406 | −60 | 8 | | 23–30 | 24–24 | 22–30 | 26–35 | 25–24 | 21–18 | — | 29–29 |
| 8 | Fredericia HK | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 395 | 476 | −81 | 3 | | 31–40 | 19–37 | 32–38 | 32–38 | 32–37 | 28–25 | 23–25 | — |
* 1 2 3 Sporting 4 Pts, +10 GD; Berlin 4 Pts, 0 GD; Paris 4 Pts, −10 GD.

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BAR | AAL | NAN | MAG | SZE | KIE | KOL | ZAG |
| 1 | Barça | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 454 | 409 | +45 | 22 | Quarterfinals | — | 35–27 | 36–30 | 32–26 | 31–30 | 30–28 | 36–27 | 38–30 |
| 2 | Aalborg Håndbold | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 434 | 421 | +13 | 18 | Quarterfinals | 36–35 | — | 38–31 | 33–33 | 29–28 | 34–26 | 30–28 | 33–30 |
| 3 | HBC Nantes | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 426 | 407 | +19 | 17 | Playoffs | 31–31 | 29–29 | — | 29–28 | 32–29 | 23–20 | 44–27 | 32–29 |
| 4 | SC Magdeburg | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 404 | 389 | +15 | 13 | Playoffs | 28–23 | 32–31 | 28–32 | — | 31–24 | 26–27 | 33–25 | 36–24 |
| 5 | OTP Bank - Pick Szeged | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 421 | 422 | −1 | 13 | Playoffs | 29–29 | 30–32 | 33–32 | 31–29 | — | 28–27 | 27–29 | 26–27 |
| 6 | Industria Kielce | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 389 | 411 | −22 | 11 | Playoffs | 28–32 | 28–35 | 28–28 | 25–29 | 31–35 | — | 31–30 | 30–23 |
| 7 | Kolstad Håndball | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 400 | 434 | −34 | 11 | | 30–35 | 25–24 | 29–28 | 31–27 | 33–36 | 32–33 | — | 29–25 |
| 8 | RK Zagreb | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 373 | 408 | −35 | 7 | | 29–31 | 31–23 | 22–25 | 22–18 | 30–35 | 26–27 | 25–25 | — |
* 1 2 Magdeburg 2 Pts, +5 GD; Szeged 2 Pts, −5 GD.
* 1 2 Kielce 4 Pts; Kolstad 0 Pts.

## Knockout stage
### Playoffs

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Industria Kielce | M1 | Füchse Berlin | 26–27 Mar | 2–3 Apr |
| Orlen Wisła Płock | M2 | HBC Nantes | 26–27 Mar | 2–3 Apr |
| OTP Bank - Pick Szeged | M3 | Paris Saint-Germain | 26–27 Mar | 2–3 Apr |
| CS Dinamo București | M4 | SC Magdeburg | 26–27 Mar | 2–3 Apr |

### Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| M4 | – | Telekom Veszprém | 23–24 Apr | 30 Apr – 1 May |
| M3 | – | Barça | 23–24 Apr | 30 Apr – 1 May |
| M2 | – | Sporting CP | 23–24 Apr | 30 Apr – 1 May |
| M1 | – | Aalborg Håndbold | 23–24 Apr | 30 Apr – 1 May |

### Final four

The final four will be held at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany on 14 and 15 June 2025.

#### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 14 June | 14 June |
| | | 15 June | 15 June |
| 14 June | 14 June | | |
| | | Third place | Third place |
| | | 15 June | 15 June |

#### Final

| 15 June 2025 | WSF1 | v | WSF2 | Lanxess Arena, Cologne |

## Top goalscorers

    As of 6 March 2025
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Mario Šoštarič | OTP Bank - Pick Szeged | 102 |
| 2 | Mathias Gidsel | Füchse Berlin | 91 |
| 3 | Martim Costa | Sporting CP | 89 |
| 4 | Kamil Syprzak | Paris Saint-Germain | 88 |
| 5 | Filip Kuzmanovski | RK Eurofarm Pelister | 87 |
| 6 | Lasse Andersson | Füchse Berlin | 78 |
| 7 | Simon Jeppsson | Kolstad Håndball | 77 |
| 8 | Nedim Remili | Telekom Veszprém | 71 |
| 8 | Orri Freyr Þorkelsson | Sporting CP | 71 |
| 10 | Francisco Costa | Sporting CP | 70 |