UEFA Champions League Draw: Everything Need to Know
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September will see the return of the Champions League in its most recent iteration. The Champions League will be contested in a whole new format this year, one that should be more thrilling overall. The Champions League draw will happen at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo, on Thursday, August 29.
With the 2024–2025 season, there will be major changes to the UEFA Champions League. The competition will now be more exciting and competitive thanks to a number of modifications included in the new structure. Here is all the information you want for the Thursday draw and competition.
New Format
Group Stage Changes
A “Swiss-style” league phase has taken the place of the conventional group stage structure. 36 teams compete in a single league phase, as opposed to the customary four groups of four teams. Rather than the six matches in the previous group stage, each side plays eight matches against different opponents (four at home and four away).
Qualifying and Seeding
Although the seeding procedure has been modified to take into account the new structure, teams are still chosen based on their standing in their home leagues and their performance in the qualification stages. The teams with the highest UEFA coefficients and the top teams in their respective domestic leagues are seeded accordingly.
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Advancement to Knockout Rounds
The top eight clubs advance automatically to the Round of 16 following the league phase. To guarantee their berths in the knockout stages, teams seeded 9th through 24th go into a playoff round. The twelve clubs who finish worst in the league stage are out of the European tournaments and do not advance.
Stages of Knockout
The knockout stages, which still comprise the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semi-finals, and Final, are identical to the previous structure. Teams move on to these customary knockout stages if they make it past the league phase (top eight and playoff winners).
Match Scheduling
Compared to the previous structure, the new format has a longer competitive calendar with matches spaced out more equally throughout the season.
Streaming Details
On August 29, at 6 p.m. local time, the UEFA Champions League 2024–25 draw will take held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Monte Carlo.
Live coverage of the Champions League draw will be available on Sony Sports and the SonyLiv platform.
