Barcelona heads 32-team draw for Champions League groups

FC Barcelona's Luis Suarez of Uruguay, center with shirt number 9, celebrates his goal with team members after scoring against Athletic Bilbao soccer team during their Spanish La Liga soccer match, at San Mames stadium in Bilbao, northern Spain, Aug 23, 2015. [Photo/IC]

GENEVA - The Champions League season takes shape Thursday when UEFA draws 32 elite teams into groups in Monaco.

The most coveted prize in club football promises the world's best players performing at arguably their highest level.

Barcelona and Lionel Messi start as favorites to become the first team to retain the title since the old European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.

Real Madrid hopes Cristiano Ronaldo can help the club to a record-extending 11th title, and his old club Manchester United returns after a one-year absence.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after missing a penalty during their Spanish first division soccer match against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames stadium in Bilbao, northern Spain, August 23, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Here are some things to know about the 2015-16 Champions League group-stage draw:

New seeds

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid to kick it off on Sept 15? Or Barcelona vs. Man United?

It could happen because UEFA scrapped the seeding system which meant the top eight teams ranked by past Champions League performance avoided each other.

Top-seeded status now goes to the title holder and national champions of top-ranked leagues.

That has dropped Madrid, Man United and Arsenal into Pot 2. Madrid cannot be in Barcelona's group because teams from the same country are kept apart until the quarterfinals.

The new elite includes Paris Saint-Germain, Zenit St. Petersburg and PSV Eindhoven, which would have been in Pot 3 under the old system.

Seedings:

Pot 1: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Benfica, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Zenit St. Petersburg, PSV Eindhoven.

Pot 2: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Porto, Arsenal, Manchester United, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City.

Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla, Lyon, Dynamo Kiev, Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow, Galatasaray, Roma.

Pot 4: BATE Borisov, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Wolfsburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gent, Malmo, Astana.