Champions League 2026-27
The league-phase draw was made on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, and it produced Arsenal against Real Madrid, Barcelona against PSG and Manchester City against both. Holders PSG also face Manchester City, Atletico Madrid drew Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester United, and Azerbaijani debutants Sabah got Barcelona, Arsenal, Dortmund, Manchester United, Napoli and Villarreal. The league phase opened on September 8 to 10 and runs in eight matchdays to January 27, 2027, and the final is at Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano on June 5, 2027. Sources: UEFA, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera.
The context
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League is the competition’s 72nd edition and the third run under the 36-team league-phase format that replaced the old group stage. Qualifying kicks off on July 7, 2026, the league-phase draw takes place on August 27, and the main phase begins on September 8, 2026, running into the new year before the knockout rounds.
The format keeps all 36 clubs in one league table, each playing eight games against eight different opponents. The top eight advance straight to the round of 16, teams finishing 9th to 24th contest a knockout play-off for the remaining spots, and the bottom 12 go out. It rewards consistency across a longer opening phase before the drama of the spring knockouts.
Qualifying ran from July 7 through the play-offs of August 18-19 and 25-26, with the seven survivors joining the 29 automatic qualifiers. The league-phase draw followed on August 27 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, setting each club’s eight opponents before the September 8 kickoff.
The road ends at Atlético Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano on June 5, 2027. Paris Saint-Germain arrive as back-to-back champions after winning 2024-25 and 2025-26, chasing a third consecutive crown that only Real Madrid (2016-2018) have achieved in the Champions League era. With Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Arsenal and others in the mix, the new season is wide open, and the draw and first results will quickly reshape the favorites.
The draw is done. Made on August 27 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, it delivered a league phase heavier at the top than any group stage would have allowed. Arsenal host Real Madrid. Barcelona host Manchester City and travel to PSG. Manchester City host PSG, so the holders and the two Spanish and English heavyweights are tangled together in the same eight-game run. Atlético Madrid come out worst by reputation, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United at home and Liverpool away, while Inter face Real Madrid and Liverpool. Sabah of Azerbaijan, in the league phase for the first time, drew Barcelona, Arsenal, Dortmund, Manchester United, Napoli and Villarreal. UEFA published the full calendar with kick-off times over the following weekend, and the first matchday is September 8 to 10. Sources: UEFA, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, Al Jazeera.
Matchday 1 is played, and it was unusually one-sided. Sixteen of the eighteen games produced a winner, with only Fenerbahce against Roma and PSV against Shakhtar Donetsk ending level. Paris Saint-Germain opened their title defence by putting six past Slovan Bratislava, Bayern Munich hit Bodo/Glimt for five with Musiala, Kane, Davies and Olise all scoring, and Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1. Real Madrid edged Inter 2-1, Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, Arsenal won 1-0 at Napoli and Manchester City won 2-0 at Porto.
The result of the round came from the smallest club in it. Como, in the Champions League for the first time, beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia through Baturina, Douvikas, Diao and a late Perrone goal. Manchester United, back after two years away, beat Sabah 4-0 on their return. Matchday 2 follows on October 13 and 14, with matchday 3 only a week behind it on October 20 and 21. The league phase then runs to a simultaneous final matchday on January 27, 2027. Sources: UEFA, Sky Sports.