The most prestigious cup competition in soccer, the UEFA Champions League, will return in all its unadulterated glory in the Fall. Last season, English giants Manchester City claimed the “Big Ears”, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final in Istanbul. They are seen as the heavy favorites to go the distance once again, and to do so, they must first overcome their opponents in the group stage.
City and 31 other top European teams will meet their opponents in the upcoming UEFA Champions League 2023-24 group stage draw in Monaco. Read on to learn all about the venue of the draw, teams competing in this year’s tournament, and where you can watch the draw live in the United States.
Where will the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 Draw take place?
With the qualifiers wrapped up, the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 draw will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday (August 31). UEFA will be using this venue to conduct the Champions League draw for the first time in three years. The draw ceremony will commence at 12 noon ET (5 PM BST | 9:30 PM IST).
Which teams have qualified for the UEFA Champions League 2023-24?
A total of 32 teams will participate in this season’s UEFA Champions League. Out of 32 teams, 26 have qualified automatically by securing appropriate finishes in league and cup competitions. The remaining six have joined after overcoming qualifier hurdles. Spain has the most number of teams (5) in this year’s competition.
Refer to the table below to meet the 32 teams, divided into four pots of eight.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City (England) | Real Madrid (Spain) | Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) | Real Sociedad (Spain) |
| Sevilla (Spain) | Manchester United (England) | Salzburg (Austria) | Galatasaray (Turkey) |
| Barcelona (Spain) | Inter Milan (Italy) | AC Milan (Italy) | Celtic (Scotland) |
| Napoli (Italy) | Borussia Dortmund (Germany) | Braga (Portugal) | Newcastle United (England) |
| Bayern Munich (Germany) | Atletico Madrid (Spain) | Lazio (Italy) | Union Berlin (Germany) |
| Paris Saint-Germain (France) | RB Leipzig (Germany) | Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) | Lens (France) |
| Benfica (Portugal) | Porto (Portugal) | PSV (Netherlands) | Antwerp (Belgium) |
| Feyenoord (Netherlands) | Arsenal (England) | Copenhagen (Denmark) | Young Boys (Switzerland) |
How to watch the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 draw in US?
UEFA will stream the Champions League draw live on its official website. Click here to go straight to the draw page and watch the ceremony for free. Viewers in the United States can also tune into Paramount+ to watch the draw live on Thursday.
When will the Champions League 2023-24 group stage commence?
The Champions League group stage will begin on September 19th and run until December 13th. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Round-of-16, which generally kicks off in February. Refer to the table to learn the dates of each group-stage Matchday.
| Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | September 19th & 20th |
| Matchday 2 | October 3rd & 4th |
| Matchday 3 | October 24th & 25th |
| Matchday 4 | November 7th & 8th |
| Matchday 5 | November 28th & 29th |
| Matchday 6 | December 12th & 13th |
