- 2026/27 Champions League Draw: Pots, Format, Match Dates and Final Venue
- Thirty six clubs will compete under the league phase format.
- Champions League final will take place in Madrid June 2027.
Europe’s biggest clubs will discover their opponents for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase on Thursday, August 27, when the draw takes place in Monaco.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that a total of 36 clubs will compete in the league phase under the competition’s current format, with each team scheduled to play eight matches against different opponents.
Unlike the former group stage system, the Champions League now features a single league table involving all 36 teams.
Each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with four games at home and four away.
Teams will be drawn against two clubs from each of the four pots.
A computerised system will then determine the fixtures while ensuring that UEFA’s draw regulations are followed.
Twenty nine clubs qualified automatically based on their performances last season, while the remaining places are being decided through the qualifying rounds.
Champions League Pot 1
Defending champions Paris Saint Germain headline Pot 1 alongside some of the biggest clubs in European football.
The nine teams currently listed in the pot are:
- Paris Saint Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Champions League Pot 2
Pot 2 also features several clubs with strong European pedigree, including Manchester United and Europa League champions Aston Villa.
The teams are:
- Aston Villa
- Manchester United
- Borussia Dortmund
- Roma
- Sporting
- Porto
- Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven
- Real Betis
Champions League Pot 3
Among the confirmed teams in Pot 3 are:
- Feyenoord
- Lille
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
Some clubs will only discover whether they are placed in Pot 3 or Pot 4 after the remaining qualifying ties are completed.
Those teams include Bodo/Glimt, LASK Linz, Sabah, Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, Como and Lens.
The winners of Fenerbahce versus Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb versus Viking, Slovan Bratislava versus Celje and Levski Sofia versus AEK Athens will also determine some of the remaining positions.
Champions League League Phase Format
At the end of the league phase, the top eight clubs in the table will qualify automatically for the Champions League round of 16.
Teams finishing between ninth and 24th will have another opportunity to progress through a two legged knockout play off.
However, clubs that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from European competition.
The teams ranked ninth to 16th will be seeded in the play offs and will face teams that finish between 17th and 24th.
The seeded teams will play the second legs at home.
The eight winners from the play offs will then join the top eight teams in the round of 16.
Champions League League Phase Match Dates
The eight matchdays have been scheduled as follows:
| Matchday | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | September 8 to 10 |
| Matchday 2 | October 13 to 14 |
| Matchday 3 | October 20 to 21 |
| Matchday 4 | November 3 to 4 |
| Matchday 5 | November 24 to 25 |
| Matchday 6 | December 8 to 9 |
| Matchday 7 | January 19 to 20 |
| Matchday 8 | January 27 |
Champions League Knockout Stage Dates
The knockout phase will begin in February, with the competition scheduled to culminate in the final in June 2027.
The scheduled dates are:
| Stage | Date |
| Knockout play offs | February 16 to 17 and 23 to 24 |
| Round of 16 | March 9 to 10 and 16 to 17 |
| Quarter finals | April 6 to 7 and 13 to 14 |
| Semi finals | April 27 to 28 and May 4 to 5 |
| Final | June 5 |
The 2026/27 Champions League final will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on June 5, 2027.
The home ground of Atletico Madrid has a capacity of approximately 70,000 spectators.
The stadium will host the Champions League final for the second time, having previously staged the 2019 final, when Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur to lift the trophy.
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