The league‑phase draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is scheduled for Thursday in Monaco, kicking off at 5:00 p.m. UK time. Below is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know before the ceremony begins. A total of 36 clubs will be present at this stage.
Twenty‑nine of those have already secured their spots by the close of the previous season, while the remaining seven places will be filled by teams emerging from the qualifying rounds. The competition is now in its third year under the new format, which sees each club facing eight different opponents – two teams drawn from each of Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4. Half of those eight matches are played at the club’s home stadium, the other half away. The draw itself is carried out by a sophisticated computer system.
With a single press of a button the algorithm automatically pairs each team with its eight opponents, ensuring all the stipulated constraints are respected. While the four qualifying‑round slots are still pending, the 32 clubs that have already qualified are confirmed.
The allocation of clubs to pots is based on UEFA’s club coefficient rankings, a metric that aggregates each team’s performance in European competitions over the five‑year period ending with the 2025/26 season. Among the headline‑making clubs, the defending champions Paris Saint‑Germain sit in Pot 1 alongside Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United and Europa League winners Aston Villa – both returning to the elite competition – have been placed in Pot 2. The remaining pots are filled according to the coefficient list. UEFA’s new regulations also introduce a restriction that prevents a club from meeting the same league‑phase opponent for three consecutive seasons. Because Liverpool have faced Real Madrid at Anfield in the last two campaigns (a 2‑0 victory in November 2024 and a 1‑0 win a year later), they cannot be drawn to host Real Madrid again this Thursday.
However, an away fixture against the Spanish giants remains permissible. In the same vein, Liverpool are barred from being paired with any other English side during the league phase. Since Pot 1 contains two other Premier League teams – Arsenal and Manchester City – Liverpool will inevitably be matched with one of the non‑English clubs in that pot, namely Paris Saint‑Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid, when they play at Anfield. Arsenal face a similar situation.
They have met Inter Milan at the San Siro in each of the previous two league‑phase campaigns (a 1‑0 loss in November 2024 followed by a 3‑1 win in January 2025). Consequently, Arsenal cannot be drawn to travel to Inter again this season, but they may host the Italian side.
Their away fixtures will therefore come from the remaining Pot 1 clubs – Paris Saint‑Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. The top eight finishers in the league‑phase table will automatically progress to the round of 16. Teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated outright and do not drop into the Europa League. Those placed from ninth to 24th will enter a two‑legged knockout‑phase play‑off.
Within this group, clubs ranked ninth to 16th are seeded and will face an unseeded opponent (ranked 17th‑24th) with the second leg at home. The eight winners of the play‑offs will then be drawn against the eight seeded clubs, forming the round of 16.
From there the competition proceeds through quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final. Key dates for the league‑phase fixtures are 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 The schedule for the two‑legged play‑offs has yet to be announced. The knockout‑phase timeline is set as: - Play‑offs: 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 The grand finale will be staged at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on 5 June 2027. Fans can also try their luck in the “Super 6” promotion, which offers a chance to win £1 million – entry is free of charge.
In summary, the Thursday draw will determine each club’s eight league‑phase opponents, respecting the new computer‑driven constraints, the pot allocations based on club coefficients, and the rule that prevents repeat match‑ups across three seasons. The outcome will shape a season of European football that promises high‑stakes clashes, diverse venues, and the ever‑present pursuit of the coveted Champions League trophy.