Out of all the leagues all over the world, the UEFA Champions League has the most weight. Every year the best teams from all over Europe participate to compete in this single league working hard to be crowned as the champions of Europe. The UCL trophy is an achievement of a lifetime for a club, and many big teams such as PSG and Tottenham are still waiting to get their hands on it.
Fans are excited for the new UCL season to begin but sadly it won’t be the same. The two G.O.A.Ts, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have left Europe and will not be seen in the Champions League anymore. Though Ronaldo was also absent from the Champions League last year, it will be the first time fans will witness the league without Lionel Messi since his debut.
When does the UEFA Champions League group stage kick-off? Explained
The UEFA Champions League qualifiers started on 27 June 2023 and it will come to a halt on 30 August 2023. The group stage draw will consist of 32 teams (26 automatic qualifiers + 6 play-off round winners). Teams will be sorted into 8 groups with each group containing 4 teams. After this, the top two teams from every group will move forward to the round of 16.
The UEFA Champions League group stage draw will take place on 31 August 2023 at 6:00 PM (CET). The draw will once again take place at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco after being away for three years. Fans can watch the draw live on UEFA.com. The Champions League group stage matches’ dates are as follows:
Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023
No Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2023–24 UCL group stage
Though the Champions League will begin shortly the king of the league Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing. Ronaldo is undoubtedly the best player the UCL has seen having almost every record of the league to his name. The Portuguese have the most goals, most assists, most freekicks scored, most penalties scored, and most hattricks when it comes to the UEFA Champions League.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner isn’t the only big player we won’t see. After his contract termination at PSG, Lionel Messi left Europe to join the American club Inter Miami. The fact that Argentine will not participate in the Champions League this season is heartbreaking for many fans. Ronaldo and Messi bidding farewell to the UEFA Champions League is the end of an era. This is the first time the two goliaths of football will not be a part of the league since 2003.
Although this is the end of Ronaldo’s and Messi’s UCL journey, new talents like Vinicius Jr., Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe will step into the field. Fans are excited to see how these youngsters perform and who will be crowned as the ultimate champion this season.
What are your predictions for this season’s UCL? Make sure to let us know in the comments.
