11:26

Today, the draw for the UEFA Champions League's group stage, which will feature 36 teams for the first time, has taken place.

Axar.az reports that the event, held in Monaco, France, began at 20:00 Baku time.

A hybrid drawing method was used for the first time in history for this new format. Clubs were drawn manually, and then a computer took over to select 8 opponents for each team. This method was chosen to ensure the draw did not take too long.

The draw was conducted by legendary footballers Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Each of the 36 teams will face 8 different opponents, with 4 matches at home and 4 away. The group stage will start on September 15 and conclude on January 25, 2025. Teams finishing in positions 1-8 will advance to the Round of 16, while those in positions 9-24 will play in two-legged playoffs to qualify for the Round of 16. Teams finishing in positions 24-36 will end their European competition campaign.

The exact schedule of the matches will be announced on August 31.