UEFA 2022-23 Champions League group stage draw: how to watch on TV, stream online
All the details about how to follow the draw proceedings on Thursday from Istanbul as the 32 participating sides are set to learn of their group stage pairings.
All eyes will be focused on Istanbul on Thursday evening as the Turkish city hosts the group stage draw for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League as the 32 participating sides will learn of their rivals.
The gala event will also witness the presentation of the UEFA awards for Player and Coach of the Year (men’s and women’s categories), while legendary former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi will pick up the UEFA President’s Award.
2022-23 Champions League group stage matchday schedule
The staging of the World Cup in Qatar this November has forced UEFA to condense the staging of the six matchdays that comprise the group stage with the first round of games getting underway on 6 September. The draw for the Round of 16 will be staged at the UEFA Nyon offices on 7 November.
- 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
UCL Pots
The draw itself will feature 32 teams: 26 teams given direct entry to the group stage and the six winners of the play-off ties. These teams will be split into four seeding pots. Pot 1 will consist of the holders who are Real Madrid the UEFA Europa League winners (Eintracht Frankfurt) and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations who did not qualify via one of the 2021/22 titles; Pots 2 to 4 will be determined by the club coefficient rankings.
In the case of associations with two representatives, clubs will be paired in order to split their matches between Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In the case of associations with four representatives, two pairings will be made. These pairings are to be based on TV audiences.
What time does the Champions League group stage draw start at?
The 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage draw will get underway at 7pm local time (CEST 6pm) in Istanbul on Thursday 25 August 2022. In the United States, that’s 3pm EDT/ 12 noon PDT.
Find out what time the UCL group stage draw gets underway wherever you are in the world.
How can I watch the Champions League group stage draw?
United States: UEFA TV, CBS
United Kingdom: UEFA TV, BT Sport
ROW: UEFA TV
Is the Champions League group stage draw online?
The UEFA Champions League draw will be streamed via the UEFA TV application and the ideal situation is to follow the feed in conjunction with the AS USA feed.
Champions League group stage draw: AS USA live coverage
You’ll also be able to follow the action from Istanbul right here on AS USA as we’ll be will be providing live-text commentary and analysis as the balls are plucked from the bowls, with build-up beginning about two hours before the event kicks off.