The draw for the league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase is fast approaching, with qualifying rounds nearly complete. Paris Saint-Germain will aim for a historic treble, while Arsenal, FC Barcelona, and Bayern Munich seek to dethrone the French champions. Before the start of this major competition, a draw will determine the fixtures for the league phase. Here’s everything you need to know about this key event in the European football calendar.

When and where the draw takes place

The draw for the league phase will be held this Thursday, August 27, at 12:00 PM (Eastern Time, 5:00 PM in Paris) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Thirty-six clubs will participate, including twenty-nine already qualified through automatic qualification. The remaining seven spots were filled during the preliminary rounds, finalized on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. Teams are divided into four pots based on their UEFA coefficients, calculated from their European performances over the past five seasons. PSG, as the previous season’s winners, automatically top Pot 1.

How the draw works

The draw begins with Pot 1. Each team drawn will face two opponents from each of the four pots, totaling eight matches: four at home and four away. The process continues with the remaining pots until all league phase fixtures are determined. Teams are then placed in a single league table. Their eight matches, set by the draw, will shape their path based on results. Clubs ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated in January, while those between 9th and 24th will compete in playoffs in February to reach the Round of 16. The top eight teams advance directly to the next stage.

Why this draw is decisive

A favorable draw can facilitate the progress of the favorites towards the knockout stages, while a tough group can give hope to underdogs. The pot allocation aims to balance the schedules, but some clubs remain formidable challenges. In Pot 3, teams like Napoli and Villarreal could be cause for concern, while in Pot 4, clubs like Como FC, debuting in the Champions League, could spring a surprise. This new format has already seen reputable clubs exit the competition early, such as RB Leipzig, Napoli, Ajax, or Villarreal. Others, like Manchester City, Inter Milan, or Juventus, were eliminated in the Champions Path playoffs due to insufficient league phase rankings. A protection rule prevents clubs from the same country from facing each other in this phase. For example, Arsenal cannot face Manchester City or Liverpool and must therefore be drawn against two other teams from Pot 1. Key dates for the season include the league phase matches, from September 8-10 for the first matchday, up to January 27 for the eighth and final matchday. The Champions Path playoffs are scheduled for February 16-17 and 23-24, followed by the Round of 16 on March 9-10 and 16-17. The quarter-finals will take place on April 6-7 and 13-14, the semi-finals on April 27-28 and May 4-5, before the final in Madrid on June 5.