Champions League 2026-27
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League is the 72nd edition and third under the 36-team league-phase format. Qualifying starts July 7, 2026, the league phase begins September 8, and the final is at Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano on June 5, 2027. PSG are the defending champions.
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 is already in full swing: the rounds began on July 7 and run through the play-offs of August 18-19 and 25-26, with the seven survivors joining the 29 automatic qualifiers. The league-phase draw follows on August 27 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, 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.