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. This article walks you through everything you need to know before the ceremony begins, from the number of clubs involved to the mechanics of the draw and the schedule of matches that follow. A total of thirty‑six clubs will be present at this stage of the competition.
Twenty‑nine of those have already secured their places by virtue of their performances in the previous season, while the remaining seven spots will be filled by teams emerging from the qualifying rounds. Once the qualifiers are concluded, the full roster of thirty‑six will be allocated into four pots based on UEFA’s club coefficient rankings, which take into account each club’s results in European tournaments over the five‑year period ending with the 2025/26 season. The Champions League is now in its third year under the new league‑phase format.
Under this system, each club will face eight different opponents – two clubs drawn from each of the four pots. The fixtures are split evenly, with four matches played at the club’s home stadium and the other four away. This arrangement guarantees a balanced mix of home‑and‑away encounters and ensures that clubs meet a diverse set of opponents across Europe.
The actual draw is performed by a sophisticated computer algorithm. Once the pots have been set, a single press of a button triggers the super‑computer to automatically select the eight opponents for each team, adhering to a series of constraints designed to preserve fairness and variety.
These constraints include preventing clubs from meeting the same opponent for three consecutive league‑phase seasons and limiting the number of domestic match‑ups in the same phase. While the four qualifying spots are still pending, the remaining thirty‑two clubs have already been confirmed. The top pot – Pot 1 – contains the reigning champions Paris Saint‑Germain along with other European heavyweights such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Pot 2 features Manchester United and the Europa League winners Aston Villa, both of which are returning to the Champions League after a brief absence. UEFA’s new regulations also impose specific pairing restrictions.
For example, Liverpool cannot be drawn to host Real Madrid in this Thursday’s draw because the competition now forbids a club from playing the same league‑phase opponent at home for three straight seasons. Liverpool have faced Real Madrid at Anfield in the two most recent campaigns – a 2‑0 victory in November 2024 and a 1‑0 win a year later – so a home fixture against the Spanish giants would breach the rule. However, an away match against Real Madrid remains permissible. Similarly, Liverpool cannot be paired with any other English side during the league phase.
Given that Arsenal and Manchester City occupy Pot 1, Liverpool’s possible home opponents are limited to the remaining clubs in that pot: Paris Saint‑Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. One of those matches will inevitably take place at Anfield this season.
Arsenal faces a comparable situation. The Gunners have met Inter Milan at the San Siro in each of the last two league‑phase campaigns – a 1‑0 defeat in November 2024 followed by a 3‑1 victory in January 2025. Because of the three‑year repeat rule, Arsenal must now play one of the other Pot 1 clubs away from home: Paris Saint‑Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid.
They could still be drawn to host Inter Milan, as that would not violate the regulation. After the league phase concludes, the competition moves into a knockout structure. The eight highest‑ranked teams in the league‑phase table automatically progress to the round of 16. Teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated outright and do not drop into the Europa League.
The clubs placed ninth through 24th enter a two‑legged knockout‑phase play‑off. Within this bracket, the ninth‑through‑sixteenth‑placed teams are seeded, meaning they will face an unseeded opponent (positions 17‑24) with the second leg played at home. The eight winners of the play‑offs join the eight seeded clubs in the round of 16, and the tournament proceeds through quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final. The match calendar is 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 draw for the two‑legged play‑offs has yet to be announced.
The knockout‑phase schedule is set as follows: - 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 held at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on 5 June 2027. Fans worldwide will gather to witness the culmination of a season filled with thrilling encounters, tactical battles, and unforgettable moments. In addition to the on‑field action, UEFA is running a promotional "Super 6" competition, offering participants a chance to win a £1 million prize. Entry is free, and the contest runs alongside the Champions League schedule, giving fans another reason to stay engaged throughout the campaign.