Champions League Draw: When Will The UCL 2024-25 Season Draws Take Place? What Are The Changes?

The 70th season of Europe's elite club competition and the 33rd since it was renamed the UEFA Champions League is all set to start with the league phase under the new format.

While the tournament kicked off on 9 July 2024 with qualifying rounds, the tournament proper will only kick off in September 2024, and run until the final on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

From this edition, UEFA has made a big change is to the group stage, which will now become a single 36-team league stage in which each side faces eight different teams (four at home, four away).

The top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.

While the format is new for the league phase, which replaces the traditional group stage, the draw will take place for every round right from the qualifying rounds till the knockout stages. Here is all you need to know about the Champions League Draw:

When are the 2024/25 Champions League draws?

As mentioned earlier, draws were held right from the first qualifying round in June. The draw process will next be held for the new format's league phase that will see 36 teams being drawn against 8 different opponents.

UCL 2024-25 Draw Dates

• UCL 2024/25 League phase Draw: 29 August 2024
• UCL 2024/25 Knockout round play-offs: 31 January 2025
• UCL 2024/25 Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final: 21 February 2025

How does the UCL 2024/25 draw work?

The knockout round draws will continue in the old format for two-legged ties. But the league phase draw will pit each of the 36 teams against eight other teams with single leg ties being played in the eight matchweeks from September 2024 to January 25.

All the 36 teams will be placed in pots - four pots of nine teams each. Each team will be drawn against two different teams from each pot, playing one team at home and one away.

The League Phase draw like the earlier group stage will have the usual restrictions in which no two clubs from the same country or association will face each other in the first round - league phase.

However, a team from one country can face two teams from the same association. For example, Real Madrid can't meet Barcelona in the league phase, but can face Manchester City and Arsenal in the league phase.

These restrictions will be done away from the knockout phase, allowing two teams from the same country to face off from the knockout qualifying play-off till the title clash.

How to follow the UCL 2024/25 Draw? Where to watch the Champions League draw?

All the round draws for the Champions League can be tracked through the official UEFA website, which will also live stream the event on the given dates for the draw. In India, the UCL Draw live streaming will be available on Sony LIV and Sony Sports Network - Sony Sports TEN 2 Channels.