As part of a seemingly never ending Champions League schedule, the start of the 2023/24 qualifiers will begin just 17 days after the 2022/23 final in June.
The 2023 final in Istanbul crowned a new European champion on June 10 as Manchester City beat Inter Milan, but the battle to secure a spot in next season's competition will start almost immediately, at the preliminary qualifier round stage.
Far from the glamour of a Wembley final in 2024, the UEFA co-efficient machine will whir back into action, from the start of June, with five rounds of qualifiers to get through before the group stages.
The superpowers of European football will be confident of securing a place in the group stages with the lesser lights facing a complex route to the final 32.
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Champions League qualification 2023/24
The 2023/24 Champions League will be the final campaign before UEFA's impending changes which will increase the number of group stage teams from 32 to 36, amongst a host of other changes.
There will be slight increase in the number of member association domestic champions competing from the start of 2023/24, rising from 29 to 31, with an ongoing ban still in place for Russian teams.
The Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Serie A in Italy and the German Bundesliga will all once again receive four automatic spots in the group stages, with France and Portugal's domestic league allocated three each.
Below is the breakdown of each qualification round for the 2023/24 Champions League:
Preliminary Qualifying Round
- Draw Date: June 13, 2023
- Round Date: June 27-30, 2023
This round includes four domestic champions from the lowest ranked applicable UEFA co-efficient members, with 2023/24's entrants from Iceland (Breiðablik), San Marino (Tre Penne), Andorra (Atletic Club d'Escaldes) and Montenegro (Fudbalski Podgorica), with only one team progressing to the next stage.
First Qualifying Round
- Draw Date: June 20, 2023
- Round Date: July 11-19, 2023
The one preliminary qualifier will join 29 teams at the First Qualifying Round, including domestic champions from Turkey, Cyprus and Sweden.
The two-legged first qualifying round ties will take place on 11/12 and 18/19 July.
*Fixtures confirmed on June 20, 2023
- BK Hacken vs The New Saints
- Ballkani vs Ludogorets Razgrad
- Shamrock Rovers vs Preliminary Round winner
- Zalgiris vs Struga
- KI vs Ferencvaros
- Olimpija Ljubljana vs Valmeira
- HJK vs Larne
- Lincoln Red Imps vs Qarabag
- Raków Częstochowa vs Flora
- Slovan Bratislava vs Swift Hesperange
- Farul Constanța vs Sheriff Tiraspol
- Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Haifa
- Uratu vs Zrinjski Mostar
- Partizani vs BATE Borisov
- Astana vs Dinamo Tbilisi
Second Qualifying Round
- Draw Date: June 21, 2023
- Round Date: July 25-Aug 2, 2023
The qualification pictures begin to change from this stage with the introduction of Champions Paths and League Paths, which places teams on different routes based on how they qualified though their domestic leagues/cups.
*Teams qualified as of June 20, 2023
- Molde
- Dinamo Zagreb
- FC Copenhagen
- Galatasaray
- Aris Limassol
- Genk
- Dnipro
- Servette
- Panathinaikos
Third Qualifying Round
- Draw Date: July 24, 2023
- Round Date: Aug 8-15, 2023
This stage continues to follow the Champions Paths and League Paths format, with the winners of the Swiss and Greek league entering the competition, alongside the runner up in the Scottish Premiership
*Teams qualified as of June 20, 2023
- Rangers
- Braga
- PSV Eindhoven
- Marseille
- Sturm Graz
- TSC
- Sparta Prague
- AEK Athens
Playoff Round
- Draw Date: Aug 7, 2023
- Round Date: Aug 22-30, 2023
The playoff stage is the final hurdle before the group stages and the level of competition steps up with the champions of Ukraine and Belgium amongst those who will enter the fray.
*Teams qualified as of June 8, 2023
- Young Boys
- Antwerp
Group Stages
- Draw Date: Aug 31, 2023
- Round Start: Sep 19, 2023
26 teams will automatically qualify for the group stages, including four each from England, Spain, Germany and Italy, with the final six spots confirmed after the playoffs are completed.
- England: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United
- Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla
- Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin
- Italy: Napoli, Lazio, FC Inter, AC Milan
- France: Paris Saint-Germain, Lens
- Scotland: Celtic
- Portugal: Benfica, Porto
- Netherlands: Feyenoord
- Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
- Austria: RB Salzburg
- Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk