The full Champions League draw
Cristiano Ronaldo and the computer he activated during the Champions League draw on Thursday have been heavy-handed with the four French clubs involved this season. Discover all the opponents of PSG, Monaco, Brest and Lille for this 2024-2025 edition of the C1.
Everything you need to know about the draw
A new format for the Champions League!
This year, the reform of the Champions League wanted by UEFA comes into force. In this new format, there will no longer be 32 teams divided into eight groups but 36 classified in a single pool. Each club will face eight opponents, two from each of the four pots.
At the end of this first phase, the top eight will qualify directly for the round of 16 of the competition. The next sixteen will face off in the play-offs while the last twelve will be definitively eliminated and will therefore no longer be transferred to the Europa League.
Four French clubs in the running, a first!
The new Champions League format benefits France, which this year and for the first time in its history will line up four teams in the first phase. French champion PSG will be accompanied by its runner-up, Monaco, Brest, who finished third in Ligue 1, and also Lille.
A LOSC that got its ticket on Wednesday evening, at the expense of Slavia Prague. Winners of their first leg play-off (2-0), the Dogues lost in the return leg but managed to keep their advantage in the Czech Republic (1-2). The northern club took advantage of this to climb into pot 3 of this “new look” C1.
Who for PSG, Monaco, Brest and Lille?
The four hats are known
The Champions League play-offs delivered their verdict on Wednesday evening, lifting the veil on the four pots of the draw. While Lille will therefore be in pot 3, PSG are in pot 1 alongside the biggest European heavyweights. Monaco and Brest must expect the worst in pot 4.
- Hat 1: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, FC Barcelona.
- Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta Bergamo, Juventus Turin, Benfica Lisbon, Arsenal, Club Bruges, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan.
- Hat 3: Feyenoord Rotterdam, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic Glasgow, Lille, Young Boys Bern, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star Belgrade.
- Pot 4: Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, VFB Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Slovan Bratislava.
The Champions League calendar
- League phase: from September 17, 2024 to January 29, 2025
- Play-offs: February 11 and 12 then February 18 and 19
- Round of 16: March 4 and 5 then March 11 and 12
- Quarter-finals: April 8 and 9 then April 15 and 16
- Semi-finals: April 29 and 30 then May 6 and 7
- Final: May 31 (Allianz Arena, Munich)
A fully automated draw
Unlike previous years, the draw for this new Champions League will be carried out by a computer. Doing it manually would have been too long and far too complicated. So UEFA called on the company AE Live to automate it, while still respecting a few criteria.
Rule #1: No club will be able to face a team from its own league. Rule #2: A club will not be able to challenge more than two teams from the same league. PSG, for example, will not be able to meet Monaco, Brest or Lille, nor face three Spanish, English, German or Italian opponents.
On which channel and at what time can I watch the draw?
The Champions League draw will take place this Thursday, August 29 in Monaco, starting at 6 p.m. It should last between 30 and 40 minutes. It will be broadcast live on Canal+ and the L’Equipe channel, as well as on the UEFA website. The editorial staff of Sports.fr will also offer you a live commentary of the event.
