Champions League 2026/27 league-phase draw set for August 27

The Champions League 2026/27 league-phase draw will bring together 36 qualified clubs in Monaco on Thursday, August 27. The ceremony is scheduled for 20:00 East Africa Time, with each team set to receive eight opponents for the opening phase.

The clubs will be placed into four pots based on their UEFA club coefficients. The draw will begin with Pot One and continue through the remaining groups. Each side will be assigned two opponents from every pot, including its own, and will play one of those matches at home and the other away.

Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are among the leading names in Pot One. PSG are preparing to defend their Champions League title, while Real Madrid enter the draw as the competition’s record winners.

The league phase replaces a traditional group-stage arrangement in the draw process, with every club completing eight fixtures before the competition moves into the knockout rounds. The format means teams will face a wider range of opponents during the opening stage, although the allocation remains subject to country-based restrictions.

No club can be paired with another team from the same country in the league phase. A side also cannot meet more than two clubs from any one other country across its eight matches. UEFA’s automated system will assess the possible combinations and continue assigning fixtures until a complete schedule for all 36 teams satisfies the restrictions.