CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Champions League 2023/24: when does the round of 16 start?
The groups are done and dusted, so thoughts turn to the knockout stage, where eight ties will decide the quarter-finalists in UEFA’s showpiece club competition.
There were certainly some surprises across the group stage of the 2023/24 Champions League, while the ease of progression for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich raised no eyebrows at all. And with the top two in each of the groups locked in, and a tense draw to pair the 16 teams together for the double-header knockout, we now look ahead to when the games will take place. Get your pens and calendars (or digital equivalents) at the ready.
Dates for Champions League round of 16 games
The next stage of the competition does not begin until well into 2024, when the Champions League returns with the first legs of the round of 16 scheduled for 13/14 and 20/21 February. The return legs will be played on 5/6 and 12/13 March.
On the back of the draw, the clubs and UEFA will determine how best these dates fall, taking into consideration, for example, clubs from the same city not playing on the same night at home.
When are the quarter-finals and semi-finals?
On Friday 15 March 2024, the draw for both the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held, with the games scheduled across April and May.
The quarter-final first and second legs will be played on 9/10 and 16/17 April 2024, with the semi-finals on 30 April/1 May and 7/8 May 2024.
When is the 2023/24 Champions League final?
There will be no more need for a draw as the semi-final results set the path for the showpiece final on 1 June 2024 at Wembley Stadium in north London.