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Paris Saint-Germain are gunning for a third consecutive Champions League crown in 2026–27, having become just the second team since the competition’s rebrand to retain the trophy.
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Luis Enrique’s Parisians edged Arsenal on penalties in last season’s showpiece event in Budapest, having thrashed Inter Milan 5–0 in the 2025 culmination.
Thirty-five teams will set out in a bid to disrupt PSG’s sudden hegemony, and there’s bound to be fierce competition for the crown. Qualifying is already underway, and it won’t be long until we’re discussing the Champions League’s opening matchday in September.
Here is everything you need to know about the draw for the 2026–27 league phase.
When Is the League Phase Draw for the 2026–27 Champions League?
The 2026–27 Champions League league phase draw will take place on Thursday, August 27, at 5 p.m. BST (12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT, 6 p.m. CEST).
The draw will be held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and has previously been live streamed on UEFA’s official website and YouTube channel.
Which Clubs Have Qualified for the 2026–27 League Phase?
Many of the 36 teams participating in the league phase booked their respective places at the end of the 2025–26 season via domestic league position.
However, the final six spots will be determined through the playoffs, which take place in August.
England is once again the most represented nation, with six Premier League clubs qualifying for the league phase. Spain has five, while Germany, Italy and France all boast four each.
Manchester United, Europa League winners Aston Villa, Roma, Real Betis, Lille and Shakhtar Donetsk are among the teams returning to the esteemed competition after a spell away, while burgeoning Italian club Como are competing in the Champions League for the very first time.
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Confirmed 2026–27 League Phase Qualifiers
- Liverpool (England)
- Arsenal (England)
- Manchester City (England)
- Chelsea (England)
- Manchester United (England)
- Aston Villa (England)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Atlético Madrid (Spain)
- Real Betis (Spain)
- Villarreal (Spain)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- RB Leipzig (Germany)
- Stuttgart (Germany)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Napoli (Italy)
- Inter (Italy)
- Roma (Italy)
- Como (Italy)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Lens (France)
- Lille (France)
- PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Feyenoord (Netherlands)
- Sporting CP (Portugal)
- Galatasaray (Türkiye)
- Slavia Prague (Czechia)
- Porto (Portugal)
- Club Brugge (Belgium)
- Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
How Does the League Phase Work?
Each team will play eight matches throughout the league phase, with all 36 participating clubs placed in four separate pots. All teams will play two matches against two different clubs from each of the pots, with one of those games staged at home and the other away.
After all league phase matches are played, the top eight teams automatically qualify for the last 16 of the competition, with the teams placed from ninth to 24th then competing in a two-legged play-off round to join them.
From the knockout playoff round onwards, it’s a standard knockout competition.
When Does the 2026–27 League Phase Begin?
The league phase starts a week earlier than last year, with Matchday 1 running from Sept. 8–10. There‘s a month between Matchdays 1 and 2, partly because of an extended international break, with more consistent scheduling arriving thereafter.
The league phase runs for eight gameweeks, concluding with two rounds of matches in the new year. Matchday 8 will be staged on Jan. 27, 2027.
| League Phase Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | Sept. 8–10, 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | Oct. 13–14, 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | Oct. 20–21, 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | Oct. 3–4, 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | Nov. 24–25, 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | Dec. 8–9, 2026 |
| Matchday 7 | Jan. 19–20, 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | Jan. 27, 2027 |
When Is the 2026–27 Champions League Final?
The Estadio Metropolitano will host its second Champions League final on June 5, 2027.
Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played out a drab affair when they met in the Spanish capital in 2019, concluding what had been one of the most memorable Champions League campaigns in the competition’s history.
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This story was originally published July 25, 2026 at 4:30 AM.