2026/27 Champions League Draw Scheduled for Thursday in Monaco

In this format, which has been in effect for the third consecutive season, each team will play against eight different opponents, drawn from Pots 1, 2, 3, and 4. Half of these matches will be played at home and the other half away, with the draw being executed by a supercomputer that randomly selects opponents.

While four qualifying spots are yet to be confirmed, 32 teams have already secured their places in the competition. The allocation of teams to pots is based on UEFA's club coefficient rankings, which account for results in European competitions over a five-year period ending in 2025/26.

Pot 1 includes defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, 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 Champions League, are in Pot 2.

Liverpool cannot host Real Madrid in the league phase due to UEFA regulations that prohibit teams from facing the same opponent at home for three consecutive seasons. Thus, they will either play away against Real Madrid or face one of the other top teams from Pot 1. Arsenal also faces similar restrictions and will be paired with teams from Pot 1 during the draw.

To advance to the knockout stages, the top eight teams in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16, while those finishing in positions 25 and lower will be eliminated from the tournament. Teams placed ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off.

The schedule for the Champions League matches is as follows: Matchday 1 is set for September 8-10, Matchday 2 for October 13/14, and so on, concluding with Matchday 8 on January 27. The knockout matches will take place in February, with the final slated for June 5, 2027, at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.