The six-time winners have been drawn against the champions of Spain and Germany in the new-look format. Speaking about the draw, Slot said it is a challenging but exciting one.

He emphasized the need for preparation and focus on all opponents, not just Real Madrid. PSV and Bayer Leverkusen were specifically mentioned for their quality.

Arsenal’s opponents include Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco, and Girona. UEFA has revamped the Champions League format to eliminate dead rubbers and create more significant matches early on.

City’s fixtures include Inter Milan, Paris Saint Germain, Juventus, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava. Celtic will face Aston Villa, Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Club Bruges, Atalanta, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb, and Slovan Bratislava.

Ronaldo received a UEFA achievement award for being the competition’s top scorer with 140 goals in 183 appearances. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin praised Ronaldo’s goalscoring achievements and sustained excellence.