The league section draw for the 2026/27 Champions League will happen on Thursday in Monaco from 5pm (UK time) and right here is every part you might want to know earlier than it will get began.
How does the league section draw work?
A complete of 36 groups will enter the competitors at this stage after 29 certified on the finish of final season. The remaining seven locations are decided by the qualifiers.
Within the new format, which is getting into its third season since being carried out, groups now play fixtures in opposition to eight completely different groups – two groups from Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Half of the eight league-phase matches are at house, with the opposite half away.
The draw is completed by a supercomputer, which robotically selects the eight opponents by one contact of a button.
Who’s in every pot?
Whereas 4 locations through qualifiers are but to be decided, 32 groups have been confirmed.
The pots are allotted primarily based on UEFA’s membership coefficient rankings, which displays ends in European competitions throughout a five-year interval ending in 2025/26.
Again-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain are in Pot 1 together with Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United and Europa League winners Aston Villa, two golf equipment making their return to Europe’s elite competitors, have been positioned in Pot 2.
Pot 1
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PSG
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Bayern Munich
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Actual Madrid
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Liverpool
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Inter Milan
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Manchester Metropolis
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Arsenal
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Barcelona
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Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
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Aston Villa
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Manchester United
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Borussia Dortmund
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Roma
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Sporting
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Porto
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Membership Brugge
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PSV Eindhoven
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Actual Betis
Pot 3
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Feyenoord
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Lille
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Napoli
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RB Leipzig
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Villarreal
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Shakhtar Donetsk
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Galatasaray
Pot 3 or 4 – to be determined
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Bodo/Glimt
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LASK Linz
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Sabah
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Slavia Prague
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Stuttgart
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Como
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Lens
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Winner of Fenerbahce vs Lyon
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Winner of Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking
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Winner of Slovan Bratislava vs Celje
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Winner of Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens
Why Liverpool will keep away from enjoying Actual Madrid at house
Liverpool can’t be paired at house to Actual Madrid in Thursday’s Champions League draw as a consequence of new guidelines within the competitors.
New UEFA laws state {that a} group can’t play the identical particular person league section fixture for 3 seasons in a row.
Liverpool have performed Actual Madrid at Anfield in every of the final two league section campaigns. The Reds gained 2-0 in November 2024 earlier than beating Los Blancos 1-0 12 months later.
Liverpool can, nonetheless, be drawn in opposition to Actual Madrid away on Thursday.
In Thursday’s draw, every Champions League group will likely be paired with two groups from Pots 1 to 4 to make up their eight European league section matches. 4 are performed at house and 4 are performed away.
Liverpool additionally can’t be drawn in opposition to English groups within the league section and in addition to Actual Madrid, there are two Premier League groups in Pot 1 – Arsenal and Man Metropolis.
Meaning Liverpool will certainly play one in all Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid at Anfield on this season’s league section.
The identical applies for Arsenal, who’ve confronted Inter Milan away on the San Siro for every of the final two league section campaigns.
The Gunners misplaced 1-0 to Inter in November 2024, earlier than beating the Nerazzurri 3-1 in January of this 12 months.
It means Arsenal will certainly be drawn in opposition to one in all Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid away from house in Thursday’s draw.
And identical to Liverpool with Actual Madrid, they can be drawn in opposition to Inter at house.
Who qualifies for the knockout rounds?
The highest eight sides within the league will qualify robotically for the spherical of 16, whereas groups ending twenty fifth or decrease are eradicated and don’t drop into the Europa League.
The groups ending in ninth to Twenty fourth place compete in a two-legged knockout-phase play-off. Groups ending between ninth and sixteenth are seeded, which means they are going to face a group in Seventeenth-Twenty fourth with the return leg at house.
The eight golf equipment who win their knockout-phase play-off every meet one of many seeded top-eight finishers within the league-phase desk for a spot within the quarter-finals.
Champions League league-phase match dates and schedule
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
Champions League knockout-phase match dates and schedule
The draw for the two-legged knockout-phase play-offs is but to be decided.
Knockout section play-offs: February 16/17 and 23/24
Spherical of 16: March 9/10 and 16/17
Quarter-finals: April 6/7 and 13/14
Semi-finals: April 27/28 and Could 4/5
Last: June 5
When and the place is the ultimate?
The ultimate will happen on the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on June 5 2027.
