The Champions League draw is set to take place on Thursday evening in Monaco, a city that has become the epicenter of a brewing governance storm within European football. The ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. local time, will bring together the continent's 55 football federations at a moment when the sport's leadership is under intense scrutiny.
A draw overshadowed by crisis
This year's edition features a revamped format with 36 clubs divided into eight seeding pots. Each team will face eight opponents — four at home and four away — with the draw designed to avoid domestic clashes. Traditional powerhouses such as Paris Saint‑Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester City are among the heavyweights, while debutants from Italy, Austria, Norway and Azerbaijan join the fray.
The proceedings will be overseen by Aleksander Ceferin, the UEFA president, who has called the meeting the first in‑person gathering of the 55 member federations since the controversy erupted. Ceferin's presence underscores the urgency of addressing the governance issues that have plagued the organization.
At the heart of the dispute is Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president whose proposal to sell stakes in World Cup profits to investors was rejected. Infantino is not expected to attend the Monaco session and faces a lack of confidence from UEFA ahead of his March reelection. Meanwhile, Nasser al‑Khelaïfi, the president of Paris Saint‑Germain, has been mentioned as a potential successor, though he has not publicly expressed interest.
Financial stakes and competitive implications
The tournament's prize pool approaches €2.5 billion (about $2.9 billion), a figure that highlights the financial stakes for clubs and federations alike. The top eight teams in the league phase will advance directly to the round of 16, while positions nine through twenty‑four will contest knockout playoffs in February. Teams ranked twenty‑five through thirty‑six will be eliminated, ensuring that every participating club receives a share of the substantial distribution.
Beyond the monetary rewards, the draw will determine the competitive pathways for clubs across Europe, setting the stage for a season that could redefine the balance of power in continental competition. As the draw unfolds, attention will remain fixed on how UEFA navigates the governance challenges that have emerged just weeks before the tournament's kickoff.