Europe’s top clubs and debutants will discover their Champions League opponents when the league-phase draw takes place Thursday in Monaco.
The ceremony, set for 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), brings together defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, record 15-time winners Real Madrid, English champions Liverpool, as well as first-timers Pafos of Cyprus and Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan. Norway’s Bodo/Glimt will also feature, with their Arctic Circle venue promising some of the coldest matches in competition history.
Notably, former champions AC Milan and Manchester United missed out this season.
This is the second year under the new league-phase format with 36 teams, each facing eight different opponents. The seeding system ensures teams draw two rivals from each of four pots, determined by UEFA rankings over five seasons.
The competition kicks off Sept. 16, with the league phase concluding Jan. 28. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, while those ranked ninth to 24th will contest knockout playoffs in February. The bottom 12 will exit the tournament.