The group stage draw for the 2023-2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League takes place on Friday, October 20, with the ceremony anticipated as a highlight of the season.
Defending champions Barcelona, along with direct participants Lyon, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea, will join the draw for the 12 remaining group-stage winners, a decision arising from matches completed on Wednesday, October 18.
In the Spanish contingent, Barcelona has secured its place in the competition and Real Madrid aims to solidify its qualification in its earlier tie against Valerenga. Levante, however, did not advance to the Champions League after a Round 1 exit to Twente, with a 2-0 victory followed by a 2-3 loss in the aggregate or decisive leg.
Women’s Champions League group stage draw 2023-2024: format, seedings, and qualified clubs
The draw for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League for the 2023-2024 season will occur on Friday, October 20, in Nyon, beginning around 1:00 PM local time.
Sixteen clubs participate in the group stage, divided into four pots of four teams each. The first pot includes Barcelona as the seeded team and the national champions from France, Germany, and Spain, the top federations by entry ranking. Since Barcelona is also the Spanish champion, the fourth federation on the list—England—provides its champion, which means Chelsea joins Barcelona in the seed pot alongside Lyon and Bayern Munich. The remaining teams come from the results of Round 2.
The other three pots contain the twelve Round 2 qualifiers, organized by club coefficient rankings established at the start of the season. Each group will consist of four teams, one from each pot, arranged according to tie status. Teams from the same federation may not be drawn into the same group. Additional restrictions and a complete procedural outline will be confirmed before the draw ceremony.
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.
The outlook for the 2023-2024 Women’s Champions League groups
Group A is expected to be confirmed in the final draw, followed by Group B, Group C, and Group D, with all specifics to be finalized on the day of the ceremony.
Qualified teams
The 16 clubs set to compete in the 2023-2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League are listed below, representing the defending champion and a mix of league champions and Round 2 winners:
- Current champion Barcelona
- Three champions from the top federations: Lyon, Bayern Munich, Chelsea
- Seven Round 2 winners from the Champions Route (to be confirmed)
- Five Round 2 winners from the League Route (to be confirmed)
Seed pillars
The four seed clubs for the draw are as follows:
- Lyon
- Chelsea
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
Note: The above information reflects the planned format and participating teams for the season, with exact group allocations and matchups confirmed at the official draw.