UEFA Champions League Returns

The UEFA Champions League is gearing up for its return after a summer dominated by the 2026 World Cup. The league phase draw is set to take place, leading to the start of the competition’s initial stage on Tuesday, September 8.

Last season’s final saw Paris Saint-Germain secure their second consecutive title, defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a draw in Budapest. The current tournament will see 36 qualified teams aspire to reach the final, scheduled for June at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid. The league-phase draw will outline the path to success for these teams.

When and Where is the Draw?

This year’s draw for the league phase occurs today, Thursday, August 27, starting from 5 pm BST (12 pm ET) at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. It follows the last qualifying matches concluded recently.

The draws for the Europa League and Conference League will happen on Friday, August 28, beginning at 12 pm BST. Fans can watch the draw live on UEFA’s website, UEFA.com. In the UK, it is also available on TNT Sports 1 and the TNT Sports YouTube channel.

The Mechanics of the Draw

The 36 teams are sorted into four pots of nine, based on UEFA club coefficient rankings from the past five years. Pot 1 holds the highest-ranking teams, while Pot 4 contains the lowest. Clubs from the same country will not face each other in this stage.

Teams from Pot 1 will be drawn, typically by renowned football personalities. UEFA’s system assigns opponents to each team, comprising two from each pot. Therefore, teams will play eight games total, split evenly between home and away.

Allocation of Teams into Pots

• Pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid.
• Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV.
• Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce.
• Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens, Sabah, Viking, Slovan Bratislava, AEK Athens.

Fixture Announcements

According to UEFA, match details will be released by Saturday, August 29. The league phase will initiate on Tuesday, September 8 and culminate on Wednesday, January 27, with simultaneous matches involving all 36 teams.

Potential Match-Ups

Teams may face any two from each opposite pot, except for clubs from their own country. A new restriction this season prevents identical fixtures from repeating for three consecutive years. Arsenal and Liverpool are affected by this rule.

Arsenal cannot face Inter away three times consecutively, so they will meet one of PSG, Bayern, Madrid, Barca, or Atletico outside England. Yet, Inter may still visit Arsenal’s home ground. Similarly, Liverpool cannot host Madrid for the third season, suggesting their Pot 1 opponent at home could be PSG, Bayern, Barca, Atletico, or Inter.