Champions League 2023/24: Fixtures, prize money, and how to watch games in the UAE

All you need to know about the group stage of European football's premier club competition

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final at Atatuerk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, 2023. Getty

It only feels like a few weeks ago that Ilkay Gundogan was lifting the Champions League trophy for Manchester City and yet here we are, back again with European football's premier club competition about to kick into gear.

This will be the 69th season of the tournament formerly known as the European Cup but the 32nd year in its current Champions League format.

It will be the final one with the current format of 32 teams participating in group-stage section before its expansion next season.

Here is everything you need to know.

What is it?

The Uefa Champions League is the annual competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations – Uefa – and contested by top-division European clubs.

The group stage is contested by 32 teams consisting of eight groups of four who play each other in a round-robin format and look to qualify for the two-legged knockout phase.

When is it?

The first round of matches kick off on September 19 with the final games taking place on December 13. The knockout stages begin on February 13, 2024, while the final, being held at London's Wembley Stadium, is scheduled for June 1.

Who is playing?

GROUP A Galatasaray, FC Copenhagen, Bayern Munich, Manchester United.

GROUP B Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Sevilla, Lens.

GROUP C Real Madrid, Union Berlin, Sporting Braga, Napoli.

GROUP D Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan.

GROUP E Feyenoord, Celtic, Lazio, Atletico Madrid.

GROUP F AC Milan, Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund.

GROUP G Young Boys, RB Leipzig, Manchester City, Red Star Belgrade.

GROUP H Barcelona, Royal Antwerp, Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Porto.

Who qualifies for knockout stage?

There will be 16 teams who qualify for the round of 16: the eight group winners and eight runners-up. The eight teams who finish third in the table drop down to the Europa League, while the bottom eight sides see their European adventure come to an end this season.

How much is the prize money?

Reaching the group stage €15.64 million

Group stage wins €2.8 million each

Group stage draws €960,000

Round of 16 €9.6 million

Quarter-finalists €10.6 million

Semi-finalists €12.5 million

Runners-up €15.5 million

Champions €20 million

Who are the current title holders?

English side Manchester City are the reigning champions after they defeated Italian club Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul thanks to Rodri's second-half goal.

Where can you watch the games?

The Champions League is being broadcast in the UAE and throughout the Mena region on beIN Sports.

Fixture list

GROUP A

Wednesday, September 20

Galatasaray v FC Copenhagen (8:45pm) / Bayern Munich v Manchester United (11pm)

Tuesday, October 3

FC Copenhagen v Bayern Munich (11pm) / Manchester United v Galatasaray (11pm)

Tuesday, October 24

Galatasaray v Bayern Munich (8:45pm) / Manchester United v FC Copenhagen (11pm)

Wednesday, November 8

Bayern Munich v Galatasaray (midnight) / FC Copenhagen v Manchester United (midnight)

Wednesday, November 29

Galatasaray v Manchester United (9.45pm) / Bayern Munich v FC Copenhagen (midnight)

Tuesday, December 12

FC Copenhagen v Galatasaray (midnight) / Manchester United v Bayern Munich (midnight)

GROUP B

Wednesday, September 20

Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven (11pm) / Sevilla v Lens (11pm)

Tuesday, October 3

Lens v Arsenal (11pm) / PSV Eindhoven v Sevilla (11pm)

Tuesday, October 24

Lens v PSV Eindhoven (11pm) / Sevilla v Arsenal (11pm)

Wednesday, November 8

Arsenal v Sevilla (midnight) / PSV Eindhoven v Lens (midnight)

Wednesday, November 29

Sevilla v PSV Eindhoven (9.45pm) / Arsenal v Lens (midnight)

Tuesday, December 12

Lens v Sevilla (9.45pm) / PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal (9.45pm)

GROUP C

Wednesday, September 20

Real Madrid v Union Berlin (8:45pm) / Sporting Braga v Napoli (11pm)

Tuesday, October 3

Union Berlin v Sporting Braga (8:45pm) / Napoli v Real Madrid (11pm)

Tuesday, October 24

Union Berlin v Napoli (11pm) / Sporting Braga v Real Madrid (11pm)

Wednesday, November 8

Napoli v Union Berlin (9.45pm) / Real Madrid v Sporting Braga (midnight)

Wednesday, November 29

Real Madrid v Napoli (midnight) / Sporting Braga v Union Berlin (midnight)

Tuesday, December 12

Union Berlin v Real Madrid (midnight) / Napoli v Sporting Braga (midnight)

GROUP D

Wednesday, September 20

Benfica v Red Bull Salzburg (11pm) / Real Sociedad v Inter Milan (11pm)

Tuesday, October 3

Red Bull Salzburg v Real Sociedad (8.45pm) / Inter Milan v Benfica (11pm)

Tuesday, October 24

Inter Milan v Red Bull Salzburg (8.45pm) / Benfica v Real Sociedad (11pm)

Wednesday, November 8

Real Sociedad v Benfica (9.45pm) / Red Bull Salzburg Inter Milan (midnight)

Wednesday, November 29

Benfica v Inter Milan (midnight) / Real Sociedad v Red Bull Salzburg (midnight)

Tuesday, December 12

Red Bull Salzburg v Benfica (midnight) / Inter Milan v Real Sociedad (midnight)

GROUP E

Tuesday, September 19

Feyenoord v Celtic (11pm) / Lazio v Atletico Madrid (11pm)

Wednesday, October 4

Atletico Madrid v Feyenoord (8.45pm) / Celtic v Lazio (11pm)

Wednesday, October 25

Feyenoord v Lazio (8.45pm) / Celtic v Atletico Madrid (11pm)

Tuesday, November 7

Atletico Madrid v Celtic (midnight) / Lazio v Feyenoord (midnight)

Tuesday, November 28

Lazio v Celtic (9.45pm) / Feyenoord v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Wednesday, December 13

Atletico Madrid v Lazio (11pm) / Celtic v Feyenoord (midnight)

GROUP F

Tuesday, September 19

AC Milan v Newcastle United (8.45pm) / Paris Saint-Germain v Borussia Dortmund (11pm)

Wednesday, October 4

Borussia Dortmund v AC Milan (11pm) / Newcastle United v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)

Wednesday, October 25

Newcastle United v Borussia Dortmund (11pm) / Paris Saint-Germain v AC Milan (11pm)

Tuesday, November 7

Borussia Dortmund v Newcastle United (9.45pm) / AC Milan v Paris Saint-Germain (midnight)

Tuesday, November 28

AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund (midnight) / Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle United (midnight)

Wednesday, December 13

Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint-Germain (midnight) / Newcastle United v AC Milan (midnight)

GROUP G

Tuesday, September 19

Young Boys v RB Leipzig (8.45pm) / Manchester City v Red Star Belgrade (11pm)

Wednesday, October 4

Red Star Belgrade v Young Boys (11pm) / RB Leipzig v Manchester City (11pm)

Wednesday, October 25

RB Leipzig v Red Star Belgrade (11pm) / Young Boys v Manchester City (11pm)

Tuesday, November 7

Red Star Belgrade v RB Leipzig (11pm) / Manchester City v Young Boys (11pm)

Tuesday, November 28

Manchester City v RB Leipzig (11pm) / Young Boys v Red Star Belgrade (11pm)

Wednesday, December 13

Red Star Belgrade v Manchester City (9.45pm) v RB Leipzig v Young Boys (9.45pm)

GROUP H

Tuesday, September 19

Barcelona v Royal Antwerp (11pm) / Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Porto (11pm)

Wednesday, October 4

Royal Antwerp v Shakhtar Donetsk (8.45pm) / FC Porto v Barcelona (11pm)

Wednesday, October 25

Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk (8.45pm) / Royal Antwerp v FC Porto (11pm)

Tuesday, November 7

Shakhtar Donetsk v Barcelona (9.45pm) / FC Porto v Royal Antwerp (midnight)

Tuesday, November 28

Shakhtar Donetsk v Royal Antwerp (9.45pm) / Barcelona v FC Porto (midnight)

Wednesday, December 13

FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk (midnight) / Royal Antwerp v Barcelona (midnight)