The group stage draw for the UEFA Champions League 2022–23 will occur on August 25 in Istanbul, Turkey. Starting at 18:00 CET, it will be streamed live online.
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How the Champions League group stage draw works
The draw features 32 teams: 26 teams given direct entry to the group stage and the six winners of the play-off ties.
The teams will be seeded into four pots. Pot 1 will be made up of the holders, UEFA Europa League winners, and champions of the six highest-ranked nations who did not qualify through one of the 2021/22 titles; Pots 2–4 will be determined by club coefficient rankings.
Clubs in associations with two representatives will be paired to split their matches between Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Two pairs will be created for associations with four representatives. These pairings will be determined by TV audiences.
No squad is allowed to play a team from their own league. Any further limitations will be disclosed before the draw.
What happens next?
Fixtures will be announced following the draw for a group stage, which will be held over an eight-week period this autumn in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Each group’s top two teams progress to the round of 16.
The third-placed teams in each group drop to the UEFA Europa League knockout stage, where they will compete for a place in the final 16 against the UEFA Europa League group runners-up.
What are the Champions League group stage dates?
- Matchday 1: 6/7 September
- Matchday 2: 13/14 September
- Matchday 3: 4/5 October
- Matchday 4: 11/12 October
- Matchday 5: 25/26 October
- Matchday 6: 1/2 November
- Round of 16 draw: 7 November
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UEFA Champions League draw pots are READY
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ESPN’s Dale Johnson claims that with three teams each from England and Spain in Pot 2, country protection in the group stage draw increases the likelihood of the following outcomes by 60%:
- Man City draw one of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid or Sevilla
- Real Madrid draw one of Liverpool, Chelsea or Tottenham
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