Seeds confirmed for 2022-23 Champions League group stage draw

Seeding for the 2022-23 Champions League group stage draw was confirmed after Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph Saturday.

Real Madrid were already guaranteed one of the eight top-seeded places in next season’s tournament by winning La Liga.

As a result of the Spanish club’s victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final, the vacant top-seeded spot reserved for the Champions League winner has gone to Ajax – the winner of UEFA’s seventh-ranked league, the Eredivisie, according to Dale Johnson of ESPN.

Pot 1: Real Madrid (Spain), Manchester City (England), AC Milan (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany/Europa League winners), FC Porto (Portugal), Ajax (Netherlands)

The eight clubs in Pot 2 are also confirmed, with three representatives from Spain and England, respectively. It includes four previous Champions League-winning clubs in Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

While Pot 1 is comprised of teams crowned champions in their respective leagues last season, as well as the winners of the Champions League and Europa League, Pots 2-4 are determined by UEFA’s five-year coefficient of performances in European competition.

Pot 2: Barcelona (Spain), Sevilla (Spain), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy), Liverpool (England), Chelsea (England), Tottenham Hotspur (England), RB Leipzig (Germany)

Every spot in Pot 3 is spoken for except one, as Benfica must go through the Champions League qualifying stage before their berth is confirmed. If the Portuguese club fails, either Rangers, Marseille, or Dinamo Zagreb could elevate from Pot 4 to Pot 3.

Pot 3: Inter Milan (Italy), Napoli (Italy), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Sporting CP (Portugal), Benfica (pending qualification)

Only Scottish champions Celtic and Belgian league winners Club Brugge are confirmed for Pot 4, with the remaining six spots to be determined after Champions League qualifying.

The draw for the Champions League group stage is set to take place on Aug. 25 before the 2022-23 tournament kicks off in September.