While it's only been just over a month since the 2019/20 Champions League final was played, the teams are already being drawn into their groups for the 2020/21 tournament. Don't miss a moment of the 2020/21 Champions League draw with our live stream guide.
Bayern Munich will find out who they will begin their Champions League title defense against during the draw. Last season's Europa League winners Sevilla are also in the hat alongside Premier League champions Liverpool, Serie A winners Juventus, La Liga titleholders Real Madrid, French giants PSG, and many more of Europe's top sides.
Given the later-than-usual start date for the tournament, the fixture list will be a little more compact this year. The first group stage games get underway on October 20/21.
Champions League draw: When and where?
The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League group stage draw begins at 5pm CET today, October 1. It takes place in Geneva, Switzerland.
That makes it a 4pm BST start for those watching from the UK and an 11am ET / 8am PT start for U.S. folks tuning in.
How does the Champions League group stage draw work?
The 32 teams who have qualified for this year's tournament will be drawn into eight groups of four teams. Prior to the draw, all of the teams are split into four seeding pots and each group will feature one team from each pot.
Pot 1 consists of the Champions League holders, the Europa League winners, and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations of those that did not win one of the 2019/20 UEFA competitions. The remaining pots are sorted by club coefficient rankings.
Importantly, no team can play another from their own country in the group stage.
When are the Champions League group stage games?
This year, the UEFA Champions League kicks off around a month later than usual with games being slated for October 20/21, October 27/28, November 3/4, November 24/25, December 1/2, and December 8/9.
How to watch the Champions League draw from anywhere
We have all the details on how you can watch the Champions League group stage draw in the U.S. and UK further down in this guide. However, if you want to watch local coverage of the Champions League draw when you're away from home, then you'll likely run into problems as your domestic coverage online from abroad will be geo-blocked.
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How to watch the Champions League draw in the UK
Since UEFA Champions League games are shown exclusively on BT Sport in the UK, it's hardly surprising that BT Sport is also the best place to go to watch the group stage draw live. Coverage starts at 3:45pm on BT Sport 1 or via the BT Sport app. If you're not yet signed up with BT Sport, you can get a monthly pass for just £25 that gives you access to BT's Europa League, Champions League, and Premier League football, Women's Super League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and more.
Alternatively, you can stream the group stage draw live at UEFA's website.
Sign up for a BT Sport Monthly Pass
How to watch the Champions League draw in the U.S.
CBS All Access is now the home of UEFA competitions in the U.S., including the Champions League and the Europa League. You can follow along with the group stage draw at CBS Sports HQ or catch the draw live at UEFA's website.
CBS All Access is the best place to watch Champions League football this season. Sign up now and enjoy a 7-day free trial.
