The draw that determines the league‑phase fixtures for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is slated for Thursday, taking place in Monaco at 17:00 UK time. Below is a comprehensive guide to what will happen, who is involved, and how the new format operates. ### Participants and Qualification A total of thirty‑six clubs will be present in the league phase.
Twenty‑nine of those earned their spots by finishing in the qualifying positions in their domestic competitions at the close of the previous season. The remaining seven places will be filled by teams that progress through the qualifying rounds, which are still to be concluded. ### Structure of the New League‑Phase Format The competition is now in its third year under the revamped structure introduced three seasons ago.
Instead of the traditional home‑and‑away ties against a single opponent, each club will face eight different opponents. These opponents are drawn from four distinct pots (Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4), with each club receiving two opponents from each pot. Consequently, every team will play four matches at home and four away, spreading the action across the season. ### How the Draw Works The entire draw is performed by a sophisticated computer system that selects the eight opponents for each club with a single press of a button.
This eliminates human error and speeds up the process. While the four places that will be decided through the qualifiers are still pending, the identities of the thirty‑two clubs that have already qualified are known.
### Pot Allocation and Seeding Clubs are allocated to pots based on UEFA’s club coefficient rankings. These coefficients are calculated from each team’s performance in European competitions over the five‑year period ending with the 2025/26 season.
The top‑ranked clubs sit in Pot 1, followed by the next set of teams in Pot 2, and so on. #### Pot 1 Back‑to‑back champions Paris Saint‑Germain join the elite company of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Pot 1.
#### Pot 2 Manchester United and the Europa League winners Aston Villa—both returning to the Champions League after a hiatus—have been placed in Pot 2. ### Restrictions and Special Rules UEFA has introduced several constraints to ensure variety and fairness: * A club cannot be drawn to play the same league‑phase opponent for three consecutive seasons. * Liverpool, for example, cannot be paired at home with Real Madrid this Thursday because they have already faced each other at Anfield in the two previous campaigns (a 2‑0 win in November 2024 and a 1‑0 victory a year later).
However, an away fixture against Real Madrid remains permissible. * Liverpool also cannot be drawn against any other English side during the league phase, which means their remaining home opponents will be drawn from the non‑English clubs in Pot 1 – namely Paris Saint‑Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. * The same logic applies to Arsenal, who have met Inter Milan away at the San Siro in the last two league‑phase campaigns (a 1‑0 loss in November 2024 and a 3‑1 win in January 2025). Arsenal will therefore be paired with one of the other Pot 1 clubs (PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico) for an away match, while an at‑home game against Inter remains possible.
### Match Calendar The eight league‑phase matchdays are scheduled as follows: - Matchday 1: 8‑10 September - Matchday 2: 13‑14 October - Matchday 3: 20‑21 October - Matchday 4: 3‑4 November - Matchday 5: 24‑25 November - Matchday 6: 8‑9 December - Matchday 7: 19‑20 January - Matchday 8: 27 January ### Progression to the Knock‑out Phase After the league phase, the competition splits into a knockout format: * The top eight finishers in the league‑phase table automatically advance to the round of 16. * Teams placed 25th or lower are eliminated from European competition altogether; they do not drop into the Europa League.
* Clubs finishing 9th‑24th enter a two‑legged play‑off. Those ranked 9th‑16th are seeded and will face a team from the 17th‑24th bracket, with the second leg hosted by the seeded side. * The eight winners of these play‑offs join the eight seeded clubs in the round of 16, proceeding then to quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final. ### Knock‑out Phase Schedule - Play‑off legs: 16‑17 February and 23‑24 February - Round of 16: 9‑10 March and 16‑17 March - Quarter‑finals: 6‑7 April and 13‑14 April - Semi‑finals: 27‑28 April and 4‑5 May - Final: 5 June 2027 The climax of the tournament will be staged at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.
### Additional Notes * The draw for the two‑legged play‑off round has yet to be announced. * Fans can engage with UEFA’s official platforms for live updates, including transfer news, match highlights, and interactive features such as the "Super 6" competition, which offers a chance to win £1 million. In summary, Thursday’s draw will set the stage for a season of diverse match‑ups, with each club navigating a blend of home and away fixtures against a broad spectrum of European opposition.
The new format aims to increase excitement, fairness, and exposure for clubs across the continent, while the carefully crafted scheduling and seeding rules ensure that traditional rivalries are balanced with fresh challenges.