When is the Champions League draw? Date, time and which teams are in the 2023-24 group stage
Defending champions Manchester City will be joined by Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Celtic in the Champions League group stages.
Rangers could yet join the British quintet, with the Scottish runners-up hoping to reach the groups via the qualifying process.
This will be the final Champions League as we know it in its current guise, with the 2024-25 edition to include 36 teams and use the “Swiss model” for the group-stage format, where each club will play 10 games – five at home, five away.
But talk of the restructure can wait. Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming season’s Champions League group-stage draw.
When is the Champions League draw?
The draw for the Champions League group stages will take place on 31 August.
There will be eight groups of four, with the 32 teams divided into four pots.
Qualifying is ongoing, but 26 teams automatically qualified for the Champions League – leaving only six spots remaining.
Champions League 2023-24 pots
Pots 3 and 4 are still to be decided based on which six teams qualify for the Champions League, but we do know the make-up of the first two pots. Treble winners and holders Manchester City are among the teams in Pot 1, also featuring Europa League winners Sevilla and the champions of Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Manchester United and Arsenal are both in Pot 2, where they are joined by Real Madrid and last year’s losing finalists Inter.
Newcastle United and Celtic could be in Pot 3 or 4.
Pot 1
- Manchester City
- Sevilla
- Barcelona
- Napoli
- Bayern Munich
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Benfica
- Feyenoord
Pot 2
- Real Madrid
- Manchester United
- Inter Milan
- Borussia Dortmund
- Atletico Madrid
- RB Leipzig
- Porto
- Arsenal
Pot 3
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Red Bull Salzburg
- AC Milan
- Lazio
- Red Star Belgrade
Pot 3 or 4
- Newcastle United
- Celtic
- Real Sociedad
Pot 4
Champions League 2023-24 group stage schedule
Matchday 1: 19/20 September
Matchday 2: 3/4 October
Matchday 3: 24/25 October
Matchday 4: 7/8 November
Matchday 5: 28/29 November
Matchday 6: 12/13 December
When are the other Champions League draws?
Before the group-stage draw, the draw for the qualifying play-off round will take place on 7 August.
Rangers face Servette of Switzerland or Belgian side Genk in the third round of qualifying in their bid to make the group stages.
Once the group stage is complete, the knockout stages will feature the following draw dates:
Round of 16: 18 December
Quarter-finals and semi-finals: 15 March 2024
Champions League 2023-24 knockout stage dates
Round of 16: 13/14/20/21 February and 5/6/12/13 March 2024
Quarter-finals: 9/10 and 16/17 April
Semi-finals: 30 April/1 May and 7/8 May
Final: 1 June
Where is the Champions League final in 2024?
The Champions League final will be held at London’s Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2024.
This will be a record eighth time Wembley has played host, and the third within the Champions League era. In 2011, Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1, and two years later Bayern Munich beat German counterparts Borussia Dortmund 2-1.
