UEFA.com works better on other browsers
For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge.
Favourite team

2016/17 Champions League: all you need to know

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Who will be in it? When are the draws and matches? Where is the final?

Gareth Bale will have dreams of a hometown final
Gareth Bale will have dreams of a hometown final ©Getty Images

The 2016/17 UEFA Champions League kicks off on 28 June 2016 and comes to a conclusion when the final takes place at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff on 3 June 2017.

Which teams will be in it?
Twenty-two teams qualify automatically:

  • UEFA Champions League holders*
  • Top three in Spain, England and Germany
  • Top two in Italy, Portugal and France
  • Champions of Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Turkey

*If the holders finished their domestic campaign in a league position that means they would have qualified for the group stage via that method anyway, then the UEFA Europa League winners take a group stage slot.

The remaining ten teams are determined through qualifying.

  • Five come from the League Route that involves the top 15 national associations according to the UEFA coefficient rankings.
  • The other half are decided by the Champions Route, encompassing the champions of all nations ranked below the top 12 (for the top 12, qualification is automatic).

Check out the access list for more information.

When do matches take place?

2016/17 UEFA Champions League match calendar
StageDates
First qualifying round, first leg28–29/06/16
First qualifying round, second leg05–06/07/16
Second qualifying round, first leg12–13/07/16
Second qualifying round, second leg19–20/07/16
Third qualifying round, first leg26–27/07/16
Third qualifying round, second leg02–03/08/16
Play-off round, first leg16–17/08/16
Play-off round, second leg23–24/08/16
Group stage, matchday one13–14/09/16
Group stage, matchday two27–28/09/16
Group stage, matchday three18–19/10/16
Group stage, matchday four01–02/11/16
Group stage, matchday five22–23/11/16
Group stage, matchday six06–07/12/16
Round of 16, first leg14–15/02/17 and 21–22/02/17
Round of 16, second leg07–08/03/17 and 14–15/03/17
Quarter-finals, first leg11–12/04/17
Quarter-finals, second leg18–19/04/17
Semi-finals, first leg02–03/05/17
Semi-finals, second leg09–10/05/17
Final (National Stadium of Wales, Cardiff)03/06/17

Provisional draw dates
25/08/2016: group stage
12/12/2016: round of 16
17/03/2017: quarter-finals
21/04/2017: semi-finals

Final destination: Cardiff
The venue for the 2017 UEFA Champions League final, scheduled for Saturday 3 June, is the 74,500-seater Millennium Stadium. It was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee on 30 June 2015.

©Getty Images
© 1998-2024 UEFA. All rights reserved. Last updated: Tuesday, June 7, 2016