The stage is set for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League as Europe’s biggest clubs prepare to discover their opponents for the league phase of the competition.
The league phase draw is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Monaco, with 36 teams set to discover the eight opponents they will face in the opening phase of Europe’s premier club competition. UEFA has confirmed that the draw will begin at 6pm Central European Time, which is 5pm in the United Kingdom.
The draw comes after the completion of the Champions League qualifying and play off rounds, which determine the final places in the 36 team league phase. Twenty nine clubs qualified automatically from their domestic league positions and European performances, while the remaining seven places were decided through the qualifying process.
The competition continues to use the league phase format introduced in recent seasons, replacing the traditional group stage. Instead of being placed in groups of four, all 36 clubs will be placed into one league table.
Each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents. Every club will face two opponents from each of the four pots, with four matches played at home and four away. The fixtures will be determined through a combination of the draw process and UEFA’s automated system.
The new format adds an extra layer of excitement because teams cannot predict their complete schedule until the draw is completed. Clubs will be hoping for favourable opponents while avoiding some of Europe’s strongest sides during the opening phase.
Among the teams expected to attract significant attention are defending champions Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Premier League will be strongly represented in this season’s competition, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa all set to participate. Manchester United’s return to the Champions League is particularly notable after the club missed out on the competition in recent seasons.
The first pot contains several of Europe’s heavyweight clubs, including Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Pot Two features another collection of major European sides, including Aston Villa, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven and Real Betis.
The composition of the remaining pots will include clubs from across Europe’s major leagues and teams that have progressed through the qualifying rounds. The draw is designed to ensure that each club receives a balanced selection of opponents from the four pots.
For supporters, the draw is more than simply a scheduling exercise. It will reveal several of the headline European fixtures that could dominate the football calendar over the coming months.
Fans will also be watching closely to see which clubs receive the most difficult schedules and which teams benefit from a favourable route through the league phase. With several traditional European giants involved, potentially exciting matchups could emerge from the draw.
The league phase is scheduled to begin in September, with the opening round of matches set for September 8 to 10. The final is scheduled for June 5, 2027, at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain.
The top eight teams in the league table after the eight matches will qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter a knockout play off, while clubs finishing outside the top 24 will see their European campaign come to an end.
The draw will therefore provide the first major indication of the challenges facing each contender on the road to the final.
With PSG entering the campaign as defending champions and the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal among the leading contenders, another fascinating Champions League season is about to begin.
Football supporters around the world will now wait to see which clubs are paired together and which blockbuster fixtures will emerge when the draw takes place in Monaco.
