The battle to reach the 2023/24 Champions League Round of 16 knockout stages was tense ahead of the end of 2023.
The competition will effectively be split in half from the start of 2024, with 16 teams eliminated at the group stages in December, and the other 16 progressing to the next phase from February onwards.
Defending champions Manchester City became one of the first teams to book their spot in the Round of 16, but the race to avoid dropping into the Europa League, or out of European competition altogether, went right to the final round of matches.
Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United have been knocked out of European competition this season after finishing bottom of Group A.
The Sporting News looks at which teams have already been eliminated from this season’s Champions League and how the Europa League ‘back up’ option works.
MORE: UEFA Champions League group stage standings, results, schedule, and fixtures for 2023/24
Teams out of the UEFA Champions League: Every team eliminated
As teams reached their goal of securing a place in the knockout stages, other sides were eliminated from the competition during the final round of group matches in December.
Those who finished top two in their group move on to the knockout stage. The bottom two teams were eliminated from the Champions League, with third-place finishers dropping to the Europa League playoff knockout round and those in fourth eliminated from Europe entirely.
Here are the teams to have been knocked out of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League.
| Team | Date Eliminated | Group | European Fate |
| Red Star Belgrade (SER) | Nov. 8 | Group G | Eliminated |
| Young Boys (SWI) | Nov. 8 | Group G | Europa League |
| Royal Antwerp (BEL) | Nov. 8 | Group H | Eliminated |
| Union Berlin (GER) | Nov. 9 | Group C | Eliminated |
| Braga (POR) | Dec. 12 | Group C | Europa League |
| Benfica (POR) | Nov. 9 | Group D | Europa League |
| RB Salzburg (AUS) | Nov. 9 | Group D | Eliminated |
| Feyenoord (NED) | Nov. 28 | Group E | Europa League |
| Celtic (SCO) | Nov. 28 | Group E | Eliminated |
| Lens (FRA) | Nov. 29 | Group B | Europa League |
| Sevilla (SPA) | Nov. 29 | Group B | Eliminated |
| Galatasaray (TUR) | Dec. 12 | Group A | Europa League |
| Man United (ENG) | Dec. 12 | Group A | Eliminated |
| Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) | Dec. 13 | Group H | Europa League |
| Milan (ITA) | Dec. 13 | Group F | Europa League |
| Newcastle United (ENG) | Dec. 13 | Group F | Eliminated |
How does Champions League Round of 16 qualification work?
Qualification for the Champions League Round of 16 follows a relatively simple mini-league format based on final results from group games. All eight groups (A-H) include four teams, with the top two qualifying for the next phase, and the bottom two eliminated.
Tiebreakers are used when two teams are tied on overall points, with head-to-head points in the games played between them used first, followed by head-to-head goal difference and head-to-head goals scored.
Here is the full list of UEFA Champions League group stage tiebreakers follow below as per the official tournament regulations:
- Points obtained in group matches played among teams in question
- Superior goal difference from group matches played among teams in question
- Goals scored in group matches played among teams in question
- Criteria 1-3 reapplied exclusively to the matches between the remaining teams
- Superior goal difference in all group matches
- Goals scored in all group matches
- Away goals scored in all group matches
- Wins in all group matches
- Away wins in all group matches
- Disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards
- UEFA club coefficient
When the groups are finally settled in December, the team finishing in fourth place will be eliminated from all European competitions for that season, with the third place side offered a route into the UEFA Europa League.
The Europa League group stages follows the same format as the Champions League, with group winners qualifying directly for the Round of 16 in that competition, and teams finishing in second facing a playoff against second place Champions League finishers, to reach the Round of 16.
Europa League second place teams are seeded for the Round of 16 playoff draw and Champions League third place teams are not.
UEFA Champions League schedule 2023-24
- Group stage: Sept 19-Dec 13, 2023
- Round of 16: Feb 13-March 13, 2024
- Quarterfinals: April 9-17, 2024
- Semifinals: April 30-May 8, 2024
- Final: June 1, 2024
The 2022/23 Champions League was amended to fit in the 2022 World Cup, but the 2023/24 tournament follows a more traditional format, with group stage matches stretching into December
There will then be a standard three-month break before the knockout stages begin in mid-February.
The 2023/24 Champions League final will be held on June 1, at Wembley Stadium, as a slightly earlier clash, due to the incoming Euro 2024 tournament.
How to watch Champions League around the world
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| Hong Kong | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| India | Sony TEN | JioTV, Sony LIV |
| Malaysia | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, sooka |
| New Zealand | — | Spark Sport |
| Singapore | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, StarHub TV+ |
| UK | TNT Sports | discovery+ |
| USA | CBS, CBSSN, Univision, TUDN, UniMas |
Fubo, Paramount+, ViX or ViX+ |
USA: Matches are available to stream on Paramount+ (English) and ViX (Spanish) for subscribers, and when matches are televised on CBS or Univision channels, those are also streamed on Fubo.
Canada: Every Champions League game streams live on DAZN.
UK: Matches are broadcast on TNT Sports and streamed on discovery+.