What time does the Champions League draw start and where can I watch?

The draw airs on UEFA.com and UEFA’s YouTube channel and is carried by regional broadcasters; arrive 20–30 minutes early for the build-up and official pot release.

How are the pots determined?

Pot 1 contains the title-holder and champions of the top associations, while Pots 2–4 are filled based on UEFA club coefficients; same-country teams cannot be drawn together and some political restrictions apply.

Which teams should I watch out for in the draw?

Watch the usual heavyweights in Pots 1–3 — Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG, Liverpool and Inter — and note Pot 4 dark horses who can create a ‘group of death’ by pairing with two strong sides.

The Guru: How to Watch Thursday’s Champions League Draw — and Which Titans Sit in Each Pot

Thursday’s Champions League draw is the theatre of Europe’s club game; watch it live on UEFA.com, UEFA’s YouTube channel and your regional broadcast partner, with live clips across social platforms. Tune in 30 minutes early for the presentations and the official pot announcement, and have a notebook ready — every handshake matters.

There are four pots: Pot 1 holds the title-holder and the domestic champions of the top associations, while Pots 2–4 are filled by UEFA club coefficient rankings. The draw follows strict rules — teams from the same nation cannot be paired, and UEFA enforces political separations where necessary. That structure shapes how easy or brutal a group can become before a ball is even picked.

Who’s where matters. Pot 1 will include the holders and the biggest domestic champions — expect Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and the strongest national champions; Pot 2 and Pot 3 contain the heavyweights sitting on high coefficients like Liverpool, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus; Pot 4 will have lower-ranked qualifiers and dangerous dark horses that can ruin a campaign.

My read: watch for at least one “group of death” stitched together from Pot 1, Pot 2 and a loaded Pot 3 — those late Pot 3 draws decide the tournament. My recommendation: follow the live draw, then re-run group projections immediately — squads like Manchester City and Real Madrid remain favorites, but a single Pot 3 insertion can flip the balance. Bet on strategic depth over star names; the Guru expects two surprise quarter-finalists and at least one seismic upset in the groups.