The 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League tournament has kicked off with a thrilling draw that has fans excited for the upcoming matches. Italy’s former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was on hand to showcase the draw, which saw defending champions Real Madrid facing off against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund in the league stage. The new format of the Champions League has all 36 clubs pooled together into one league, with each team playing eight games against eight different opponents.
Real Madrid, who recently signed French superstar Kylian Mbappe, will also take on AC Milan and Atalanta in the upcoming matches. Liverpool, back in the Champions League after a one-season absence, will face off against Milan, Girona, and Bayer Leverkusen coached by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. Manchester City, the 2023 champions, will play against Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus, as well as Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava.
Some standout head-to-head matchups to look forward to include Bayern Munich facing off against PSG and Barcelona, as well as Arsenal taking on Inter and Paris. The number of clubs in the Champions League has increased from 32 to 36, with the participants split into four seeded pots of nine for the draw. Each team will play two opponents from each pot, one at home and one away, with the first matches set to take place in mid-September.
The new league phase will feature two additional matchdays in January, with the top eight clubs in the standings advancing directly to the last 16. Those ranked between ninth and 24th place will compete in a playoff round to determine the remaining eight teams in the last 16. The bottom 12 clubs will be eliminated from the tournament altogether, with no clubs dropping down to the Europa League as in previous years.
In addition to the Champions League, the Europa League and the third-tier Conference League will also feature 36 clubs in their respective competitions. The draws for these tournaments will take place on Friday, with the Conference League having only six matchdays in the league phase. Football fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the start of the new Champions League season, with exciting matchups and intense competition on the horizon.
