The UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League is back, with the group stage draw set to take place at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, August 29. The 2024-25 season will drop its traditional format and adopt a 36-team single group format. Although the format makes the tournament longer, it also allows more teams to participate and more thrilling action to take centre stage.
The anticipation is palpable as fans eagerly await to see how their favourite clubs will fare in this revamped format. With top teams from across Europe, including Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, the competition is expected to be fiercer than ever, and the draw for the 2024-25 season is anticipated to be the most interesting Champions League draw of all time.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: New format
The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League is introducing a major change to its format. Instead of the traditional group stage, the competition will now have a single league phase with 36 teams. Each team will play eight matches against different opponents, with four games at home and four away.
The top eight teams from the league phase will advance directly to the round of 16, while the teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will enter a knockout play-off round to compete for the remaining spots in the round of 16. The competition will then follow the same format, with the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals being two-legged home-and-away ties, while the final will be a single-leg match at a neutral venue.
Complete list of qualified teams for UEFA Champions League 2024-25
|
League |
Teams |
|
La Liga |
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Girona |
|
Bundesliga |
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart |
|
Serie A |
Atalanta, Bologna, Inter Milan, Juventus, Milan |
|
Premier League |
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City |
|
Ligue 1 |
Brest, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain |
|
Eredivisie |
Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven |
|
Primeira Liga |
Benfica, Sporting CP |
|
Jupiler Pro League |
Club Brugge |
|
Scottish Premiership |
Celtic |
Full schedule of group stage matches of UEFA Champions League 2024-25
|
Matchday |
Dates |
|
Matchday 1 |
September 17 – 19 |
|
Matchday 2 |
October 1 – 2 |
|
Matchday 3 |
October 22 – 23 |
|
Matchday 4 |
November 5 – 6 |
|
Matchday 5 |
November 26 – 27 |
|
Matchday 6 |
December 10 – 11 |
|
Matchday 7 |
January 21 – 22 |
|
Matchday 8 |
29-Jan |
When is the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 group stage draw?
The group stage draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, 2024.
Where will the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 group stage draw take place?
The group stage draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 is set to take place at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
What time is the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 group stage draw in India?
The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 group stage draw will start at 9:30 PM IST in India.
First Published: Aug 23 2024 | 10:28 PM IST
