The 2023–24 UEFA Champions League season will be the 68th since its inception and the 31st since it was rebranded.
The current format will be the last to be implemented in Europe’s best competition, as the organizers have set up a certain ‘Swiss’ format to replace the usual Round Robin, which will kick off next season.
This week, football fans will be treated to fixtures among clubs that haven’t taken part in years. The likes of Newcastle, Royal Antwerp, Real Sociedad, and SC Braga will make a return to European football after a long time and will face elite clubs in their respective groups.
However, here are some things to know ahead of the campaign.
Messi and Ronaldo’s absence
The 2023–2024 campaign will be the first campaign in 18 years to be played without Messi or Ronaldo. Considered the GOATs’ of the game, both players have had healthy competition in the biggest stage(s) of the competition and won’t be present this time since 2004. Messi and Ronaldo are currently inspiring their teams to victories at Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, respectively.
Spanish dominance
The UEFA Champions League trophy has been a ‘Spanish thing’ since its inception. Real Madrid and Barcelona have won the coveted trophy 18 times, with Madrid winning 13 and Barcelona winning 5 times, respectively. However, there are only 15 in England: Liverpool with 6, Manchester United with 3, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with 2, and Manchester City and Aston Villa with one each.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s safe record
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most goals in the history of the UEFA Champions League with 140 goals, and it does look safe. Of the current players participating this season, only Roberto Lewandowski comes close with 91 goals.
Champions League wins
Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Sergio Ramos, Nacho Fernadez, and Daniel Carvajal are the only players in the competition to have won the Champions League five times.
Thomas Muller’s cap
This season’s UCL will see Bayern Munchen’s Thomas Muller as the only active player with the most UCL appearances. This is possible because of the absence of Ronaldo, Casillas, Messi, Benzema, and Xavi. The German also has other active players behind him, such as Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos.
Real Madrid’s longevity
Real Madrid’s qualification for the 2023/2024 UCL campaign elongates their supreme influence at the peak of the most-capped team in the history of the campaign. This is their 42nd appearance and is followed by the likes of Benfica (40), Ajax (36), Dynamo Kiev (35), Juventus (32), Bayern Munchen (35), Anderlecht (30), Celtic (29), Olympiacos and Crvena (27), Barcelona, and Galatasaray (26).
