Two qualifying rounds comprised the first stage of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, the 44th season of Europe's premier club football competition and the seventh since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The stage determined which 16 teams joined the eight automatic qualifiers in the group stage. 32 teams entered at the first qualifying round, with a further 16 teams receiving a bye to the second qualifying round. Among the teams in the first qualifying round was Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, who went on to reach the semi-finals of the competition proper, while both finalists – Manchester United of England and Bayern Munich of Germany – entered the competition in the second qualifying round, having finished as runners-up in their domestic leagues the previous season.