The Champions League kicked off its new format with a revolutionary draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco this Thursday, 29 August. The 36 teams competing in the 2024/25 edition now know who their first eight opponents in the competition will be. Only the schedule remains to be confirmed.

The ball will start rolling on 17 September, debuting this new format, which gives the Champions League a radical makeover after 20 years without changes. Following the draw, everything is set for the competition to begin, but it’s important to be clear on the key dates of a calendar that has also undergone changes.

Gianluigi Buffon, UEFA Deputy General Secretary Giorgio Marchetti and Cristiano Ronaldo during the ceremony. GETTY IMAGES

From group stage to 'Mini-League'

The first thing to note is that the group stage is no more. The classic format has been replaced by a 'league' where each team will play eight matches, four at home and four away, against eight different opponents. This phase will last longer than the group stage used to, now concluding at the end of January.

A Play-off before the round of 16

Another new feature in this revamped Champions League is that after the league phase, teams won’t go straight into the Round of 16, or at least not all of them. The top eight teams will progress directly to the Round of 16, but those finishing between 9th and 24th place will have to compete in a play-off to determine which eight teams will join those already qualified. This round will take place in February.

Knockout rounds, as usual

What remains unchanged in the new Champions League are the knockout rounds from the Round of 16 onwards. These will continue as two-legged ties leading up to the final, which this year will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The dates will be closer together, with everything being resolved between early March and the end of May.

When the full schedule will be announced

Following Thursday’s draw in Monaco, fans are now eager to learn their team’s schedule. UEFA has announced that there will be a short wait, as the dates and times for each team's eight league phase matches will not be revealed until this Saturday, 31 August.

The 36 teams now know their league phase opponents:

FC Barcelona's opponents: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Benfica, Young Boys, Red Star, Brest, and Monaco.
Real Madrid's opponents: Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Milan, Atalanta, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart, and Brest.
Girona's opponents: Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal, Milan, Feyenoord, PSV, Bratislava, and Sturm Graz.
Atlético Madrid's opponents: Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain, Leverkusen, Benfica, Lille, Salzburg, Bratislava, and Sparta Prague.
Manchester City's opponents: Inter, Paris Saint-Germain, Club Brugge, Juventus, Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Sparta Prague, and Bratislava.
Paris Saint-Germain's opponents: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal, PSV, Salzburg, Girona, and Stuttgart.
Liverpool's opponents: Real Madrid, Leipzig, Leverkusen, Milan, Lille, PSV, Bologna, and Girona.
Borussia Dortmund's opponents: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Shakhtar, Club Brugge, Celtic, Dinamo, Sturm Graz, and Bologna.
Leipzig's opponents: Liverpool, Inter Milan, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Celtic, Aston Villa, and Sturm Graz.
Bayern Munich's opponents: Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Benfica, Shakhtar, Dinamo, Feyenoord, Bratislava, and Aston Villa.
Inter Milan's opponents: Leipzig, Manchester City, Arsenal, Leverkusen, Red Star, Young Boys, Monaco, and Sparta Prague.
Shakhtar's opponents: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Arsenal, Young Boys, PSV, Brest, and Bologna.
Juventus's opponents: Manchester City, Leipzig, Benfica, Club Brugge, PSV, Lille, Stuttgart, and Aston Villa.
Milan's opponents: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Leverkusen, Red Star, Dinamo, Girona, and Bratislava.
Benfica's opponents: FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, Feyenoord, Red Star, Bologna, and Monaco.
Arsenal's opponents: Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Shakhtar, Atalanta, Dinamo, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco, and Girona.
Bayer Leverkusen's opponents: Inter, Liverpool, Milan, Atlético Madrid, Salzburg, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague, and Brest.
Club Brugge's opponents: Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Juventus, Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Celtic, Aston Villa, and Sturm Graz.
Atalanta's opponents: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Shakhtar, Celtic, Young Boys, Sturm Graz, and Stuttgart.
Stuttgart's opponents: PSG, Real Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Young Boys, Red Star, Sparta Prague, and Bratislava.
Sporting Lisbon's opponents: Manchester City, Leipzig, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Lille, PSV, Bologna, and Sturm Graz.
Celtic's opponents: Leipzig, Dortmund, Club Brugge, Atalanta, Young Boys, Dinamo, Bratislava, and Aston Villa.
Salzburg's opponents: PSG, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen, Dinamo, Feyenoord, Brest, and Sparta Prague.
Red Star's opponents: FC Barcelona, Inter, Benfica, Milan, PSV, Young Boys, Stuttgart, and Monaco.
Dinamo's opponents: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern, Milan, Arsenal, Celtic, Salzburg, Monaco, and Bratislava.
Feyenoord's opponents: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Leverkusen, Benfica, Salzburg, Lille, Sparta Prague, and Girona.
PSV's opponents: Liverpool, PSG, Shakhtar, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon, Red Star, Girona, and Brest.
Lille's opponents: Real Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Sturm Graz, and Bologna.
Young Boys' opponents: Inter, FC Barcelona, Atalanta, Shakhtar, Red Star, Celtic, Aston Villa, and Stuttgart.
Sturm Graz's opponents: Leipzig, Dortmund, Club Brugge, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Lille, Girona, and Brest.
Monaco's opponents: FC Barcelona, Inter, Benfica, Arsenal, Red Star, Dinamo, Aston Villa, and Bologna.
Sparta Prague's opponents: Inter, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen, Salzburg, Feyenoord, Brest, and Stuttgart.
Bratislava's opponents: Manchester City, Bayern, Milan, Atlético, Dinamo, Celtic, Stuttgart, and Girona.
Aston Villa's opponents: Bayern, Leipzig, Juventus, Club Brugge, Celtic, Young Boys, Bologna, and Monaco.
Brest's opponents: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Leverkusen, Shakhtar, PSV, Salzburg, Sturm Graz, and Sparta Prague.
Bologna's opponents: Dortmund, Liverpool, Shakhtar, Benfica, Lille, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco, and Aston Villa.