The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase draw will take place on Thursday as 36 clubs prepare to discover their opponents in the first stage of Europe’s premier club competition.
The draw, scheduled for 5pm BST (5pm Nigerian time) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, will determine the fixtures each team will play as they begin their quest for the Champions League title.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will be among the teams in the draw as they seek an unprecedented third consecutive title, while the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will be hoping to challenge the French champions.
How many teams are in the draw?
A total of 36 clubs will participate in the league phase.
Twenty-nine teams had already secured their places automatically, while the remaining seven booked their tickets through the qualifying rounds, which concluded on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The participating clubs include representatives from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Czechia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
How will the teams be divided?
The 36 clubs will be placed into four pots of nine teams based on their UEFA club coefficients, which measure their performances in European competitions over the previous five seasons.
PSG, as the reigning Champions League holders, will automatically occupy a place in Pot 1.
The other teams will be distributed among the remaining pots according to their UEFA rankings.
How will the draw work?
The draw will begin with the nine teams in Pot 1.
Each club will be drawn against two opponents from each of the four pots, meaning every team will eventually have eight different opponents.
The eight matches will consist of four home games and four away games.
After the Pot 1 teams are assigned their opponents, the draw will proceed through Pots 2, 3 and 4 until every club has its complete league-phase fixture list.
Because of the format, the draw is expected to be closely watched by clubs and supporters, with the strength of each team’s opponents potentially having a major impact on its route to the knockout stages.
Is there country protection?
Yes, clubs cannot be drawn against another team from the same country during the league phase.
For example, an English club such as Arsenal cannot be paired with fellow Premier League sides Manchester City, Manchester United or Liverpool.
The draw system will therefore ensure that each club’s eight opponents comply with UEFA’s competition rules.
What happens after the draw?
Unlike the old group-stage format, all 36 teams will compete in a single league table.
Each club will play eight matches, with their results determining their position in the table.
The top eight teams at the end of the league phase will qualify directly for the round of 16.
Teams finishing ninth to 24th will enter the knockout phase play-offs, with the winners advancing to the round of 16.
However, clubs finishing 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition.
Why is the draw important?
The league-phase draw could have a significant influence on the campaign of every club involved.
Although the four-pot system is designed to provide a relatively balanced fixture list, teams could still receive significantly different schedules depending on the opponents they draw.
A favourable set of fixtures could help a club secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification for the round of 16, while a difficult draw could force a team into the knockout play-offs or even result in early elimination.
When will the matches be played?
The league phase will begin in September, with the matchdays scheduled as follows:
Matchday 1: September 8–10
Matchday 2: October 13–14
Matchday 3: October 20–21
Matchday 4: November 3–4
Matchday 5: November 24–25
Matchday 6: December 8–9
Matchday 7: January 19–20
Matchday 8: January 27
The knockout phase play-offs will be played in February, followed by the round of 16 in March.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for April, while the semi-finals will take place across April and May.
The 2026/27 Champions League final is scheduled for June 5, 2027, in Madrid.
The league-phase draw will therefore provide the first major indication of the challenges awaiting Europe’s biggest clubs as they begin their journey towards the Champions League final.
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