With the qualifying rounds for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League nearly complete, the league phase is just around the corner. Paris Saint-Germain will begin their quest for a stunning three-peat, while Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are among the teams aiming to dethrone the French champions.
But before Europe’s top club competition can begin its first main round, a draw must take place to determine the matchups for the entire phase.
Who is taking part in this draw, and how will it all go down? Here’s everything you need to know about the first big event on the Champions League calendar.
When is the draw for the league phase?
The draw for the league phase will take place Thursday, Aug. 27, at noon ET (5 p.m. BST) at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
Which clubs are in the draw?
There will be 36 teams taking part. We know the identities of 29 of those teams: those who qualified automatically, listed below.
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Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool
Internazionale, Napoli, AS Roma, Como
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart
Paris Saint-Germain, Lens, Lille
PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
Porto, Sporting CP
Club Brugge
Slavia Prague
Galatasaray
Shakhtar Donetsk
The remaining seven teams were determined via the qualifying rounds, which concluded Tuesday and Wednesday.
For the draw, the teams are divided into four pots based on their UEFA club coefficients (a measure of their performance in European competitions over the past five seasons). PSG, as last season’s winners, automatically earned a place in Pot 1.
Once the qualifying rounds complete on Wednesday night, we’ll add a graphic showing all 36 teams divided into their respective pots.
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How does the draw work?
The draw will begin with the Pot 1 teams. One by one, the teams will be drawn against two opponents in each of the four pots, for a total of eight opponents — four at home and four away.
The draw proceeds to the next pots in order, filling out the teams’ schedules, until all fixtures for the league phase have been created.
How does the league phase work?
All clubs are placed into one big league table. The clubs will play their eight fixtures created by Thursday’s draw, and their performance determines whether they advance to the next rounds.
As a refresher:
• Teams in positions 25 to 36 are eliminated in January, at the end of the league phase.
• The 16 teams in positions nine through to 24 play in the knockout phase playoffs in February to earn a place in the round of 16
• The top eight go straight through to the round of 16, played in March
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Why does the draw matter?
A favorable draw can make for a smooth path to the knockout rounds for a top team, and it can give an underdog reason to hope.
The division of teams into pots ensures that their fixture lists are relatively balanced, but there are clubs in each pot that pose a relatively greater challenge — on paper, at least. In Pot 3, teams could be hoping to avoid Napoli and Villarreal, while in Pot 4, Champions League debutants Como are capable of springing a surprise or two.
Some well-known clubs have surprisingly missed the knockout rounds in the first few years of the new Champions League format. RB Leipzig, Napoli, Ajax and Villarreal have made early exits, while clubs such as Manchester City, Inter Milan and Juventus have gone out in the knockout phase playoffs, which they had to participate in only because of their finishing place in the league table.
In other words, this early draw still has the potential to make or break a team’s Champions League campaign.
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Is there any country protection?
Yes — clubs cannot be matched up with any teams from the same country. For example, Arsenal cannot face Manchester City and Liverpool, and so must be drawn to face two of the other teams from Pot 1.
How do I watch the draw?
You can watch the draw through a free UEFA stream located here.
What are the important Champions League dates this season?
Sept. 8-10
Oct. 13-14
Oct. 20-21
Nov. 3-4
Nov. 24-25
Dec. 8-9
Jan. 19-20
Jan. 27
Feb. 16-17, Feb. 23-24
March 9-10, March 16-17
April 6-7, April 13-14
April 27-28, May 4-5
June 5 (Madrid)
