When is the Champions League draw? Stream, start time, confirmed seeding pots, new format & how to watch live

The Champions League has been shaken up for the 2024-25 season, with extra teams and a whole new format being introduced by UEFA.

Real Madrid are the defending champions and the Spanish giants can expect plenty of competition from Europe's elite, including behemoths such as Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and more.

So, with the qualifying phase ending, when is the draw for the league phase of the 2024-25 Champions League? GOAL brings you all you need to know.

When is the Champions League draw?

The draw for the league phase of the 2024-25 Champions League will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, August 29, 2024. UEFA has confirmed a 5pm BST (12 noon ET) start time.

As the excitement builds up for the Champions League draw, fans are eager to find out which teams will face off in this prestigious tournament. Apart from the live stream information and seeding format, it's crucial for enthusiasts to consider how these matchups could influence their betting strategies. For those looking to place their bets, exploring Goal's betting section can provide valuable insights and tips to make informed decisions. So, while you're catching the draw live, don't miss the chance to strategize your next win.

How to watch the Champions League draw: Stream & TV channels

LIVE: Follow the Champions League draw on GOAL

The draw can be streamed live online for free on UEFA's official website, uefa.com, and it will also be broadcast on several of UEFA's broadcasting partner networks.

In the United States, Champions League games will be available to watch and stream live on Paramount, with Paramount+ being the go-to channel.

In the United Kingdom, Champions League matches are broadcast live on the TNT Sports network.

Remember, you will also be able to follow all the news and reactions to the draw on GOAL.

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Champions League draw seeding & how it works

You can see the full confirmed seeding pots below.

The new format of the Champions League in 2024-25 will see the introduction of a league phase instead of a group stage, with 36 teams - an increase of four from the previous group stage format - entering the league.

However, unlike a normal league, where every team plays each other at home and away, teams in the Champions League 'league phase' will play just eight different teams, with four games at home and four games away.

This is where the seeding pots come into play - each team will be drawn against two teams from each pot, playing one team from each pot at home and one team from each pot away.

So, as an example, Real Madrid could conceivably be drawn against Manchester City, Bayern Munich (Pot One), Juventus, Arsenal (Pot Two), Feyenoord, Celtic (Pot Three), Monaco and Bologna (Pot Four).

The top eight teams in the league advance to the Champions League last 16, whereas the teams that finish from 9th to 24th will be drawn against each other in a knockout play-off round for the right to advance to the last 16. The bottom 12 teams are eliminated from all competitions, with no transfers to the Europa League.

When does the League phase of the Champions League start?

The League phase of the 2024-25 Champions League will begin on September 17, 2024 and there will be a total of eight matchdays, concluding on January 29, 2025.