Champions League Draw 2026/2027: Biggest Games and Toughest League Phase Schedules
Updated August 27, 2026
Updated August 27, 2026
The 2026/27 Champions League league-phase draw is complete, with all 36 clubs now knowing the eight opponents they will face. Below, you can find the standout matchups, the draws handed to the five Premier League clubs and the key dates to follow throughout the league phase.
There was no shortage of heavyweight pairings in Monaco. Arsenal will meet both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Manchester City have been paired with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, while Liverpool will face Atlético Madrid and Inter.
The league-phase format means Europe's biggest clubs can meet immediately, regardless of which pot they entered the draw from.
Among the standout fixtures are:
For Arsenal in particular, the draw could hardly have produced a more difficult pair of Pot 1 opponents. The Gunners host Real Madrid and travel to Bayern Munich, while Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are also waiting further down their schedule.
Five Premier League clubs will compete in the league phase this season.
Home: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Sabah
Away: Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, Slavia Prague
Arsenal arguably received the toughest English draw. Real Madrid and Bayern are the headline names, but Dortmund and Napoli make the overall schedule particularly demanding.
Home: Atlético Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, Lens
Away: Inter, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe, LASK
Liverpool avoided PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern and Barcelona. Atlético and Inter are difficult assignments, while trips to Fenerbahçe and Club Brugge should not be underestimated, but this looks like one of the more manageable English draws on first inspection.
Home: PSG, Sporting CP, Napoli, AEK Athens
Away: Barcelona, Porto, RB Leipzig, Lens
City may have received the most entertaining draw of the Premier League clubs. PSG and Barcelona provide two marquee fixtures, while Napoli and Leipzig add further difficulty.
Home: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, and Viking.
Away: Barcelona, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, and Slavia Prague.
Villa have been handed one of the most intriguing schedules of the entire draw. PSG, Barcelona and Dortmund provide the heavyweight names, while Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray offer two potentially difficult fixtures against Turkish opposition.
Home: Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig, Sabah
Away: Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal, and Como.
United return to the Champions League after missing last season's competition and will immediately be tested. Bayern visit Old Trafford, while United travel to Atlético Madrid. Roma, Leipzig and Villarreal ensure there is little room for complacency elsewhere.
Arsenal stand out as the biggest losers among the English clubs.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Napoli would make a formidable set of four opponents on their own. Lille and Real Betis add further competitive fixtures, leaving the Premier League champions with very few obvious opportunities to ease through their schedule.
Manchester City are not far behind. Facing PSG, Barcelona, Napoli and Leipzig gives City one of the highest-quality collections of opponents in the competition.
At the other end, Liverpool appear to have received the kindest draw of the five English clubs, although "easy" would be an exaggeration. Atlético, Inter and Porto all carry significant European pedigree, and an away game against Fenerbahçe could be one of the more hostile trips in the league phase.
Paris Saint-Germain enter the competition looking for a historic third consecutive Champions League title.
PSG defeated Arsenal on penalties in the 2026 final after a 1-1 draw, successfully defending the title they first won in 2025.
Their league-phase opponents include Barcelona, Manchester City, Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como.
That gives the holders an immediate series of high-profile tests, including meetings with both Barcelona and Manchester City.
The Champions League continues with its 36-team league format.
Every team plays eight matches against eight different opponents, with four games at home and four away. Clubs receive two opponents from each of the four seeding pots and cannot face another club from their own domestic league during the league phase.
Once all eight rounds are complete:
That makes finishing inside the top eight particularly valuable, as those clubs avoid an additional two-legged playoff in February.
UEFA has confirmed the league-phase windows, although the exact fixture dates and kick-off times for each individual matchup will be released separately.
Matchday | Dates |
|---|---|
Matchday 1 | September 8–10, 2026 |
Matchday 2 | October 13–14 |
Matchday 3 | October 20–21 |
Matchday 4 | November 3–4 |
Matchday 5 | November 24–25 |
Matchday 6 | December 8–9 |
Matchday 7 | January 19–20, 2027 |
Matchday 8 | January 27 |
The knockout phase play-offs take place in February, followed by the Round of 16 in March and the quarter-finals and semi-finals in April and May.
The 2027 Champions League final will be played at Atlético Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano on June 5.
Home: Barcelona, Roma, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava
Away: Manchester City, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Como
Home: Arsenal, Real Betis, Bodø/Glimt, Slavia Prague
Away: Atlético Madrid, Manchester United, Lille, Viking
Home: Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig, LASK
Away: Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens
Home: Atlético Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, Lens
Away: Inter, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe, LASK
Home: Liverpool, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart
Away: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord, Slovan Bratislava
Home: PSG, Sporting CP, Napoli, AEK Athens
Away: Barcelona, Porto, RB Leipzig, Lens
Home: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Sabah
Away: Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, Slavia Prague
Home: Manchester City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Como
Away: PSG, Sporting CP, Galatasaray, Sabah
Home: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe, Viking
Away: Liverpool, PSV, Bodø/Glimt, Stuttgart
Home: Inter, Real Betis, Villarreal, AEK Athens
Away: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bodø/Glimt, Sabah
Home: Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Lille, Slovan Bratislava
Away: PSG, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens
Home: Barcelona, Manchester United, Galatasaray, LASK
Away: Manchester City, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lens
Home: PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, Viking
Away: Barcelona, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Slavia Prague
Home: Manchester City, PSV, Napoli, Slavia Prague
Away: Liverpool, Real Betis, Feyenoord, LASK
Home: Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig, Sabah
Away: Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal, Como
Home: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bodø/Glimt, Lens
Away: Inter, PSV, Napoli, Stuttgart
Home: Arsenal, Porto, Feyenoord, Como
Away: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Slovan Bratislava
Home: Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart
Away: Real Madrid, Porto, RB Leipzig, Viking
Home: Inter, Porto, RB Leipzig, Como
Away: Barcelona, Real Betis, Galatasaray, Viking
Home: Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava
Away: Arsenal, Roma, Bodø/Glimt, Stuttgart
Home: Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, LASK
Away: Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, Napoli, Lens
Home: Arsenal, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, Viking
Away: Manchester City, Porto, Villarreal, Sabah
Home: Manchester City, PSV, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lens
Away: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Feyenoord, Como
Home: PSG, Manchester United, Napoli, Sabah
Away: Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, Slavia Prague
Home: Liverpool, Roma, Villarreal, Slavia Prague
Away: Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK
Home: Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens
Away: Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig, Slovan Bratislava
Home: Barcelona, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Stuttgart
Away: PSG, Sporting CP, Lille, AEK Athens
Home: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Lens
Away: Bayern Munich, Porto, Fenerbahçe, Sabah
Home: Inter, Real Betis, Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart
Away: PSG, Roma, Lille, LASK
Home: Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge, Lille, Viking
Away: Inter, PSV, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava
Home: Real Madrid, Roma, Galatasaray, LASK
Away: Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Como
Home: Liverpool, Porto, Fenerbahçe, Slovan Bratislava
Away: Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Bodø/Glimt, AEK Athens
Home: PSG, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens
Away: Barcelona, Real Betis, Feyenoord, Lens
Home: Manchester City, Sporting CP, Bodø/Glimt, Como
Away: Liverpool, Club Brugge, RB Leipzig, Slavia Prague
Home: Bayern Munich, PSV, Feyenoord, Sabah
Away: Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa, Napoli, Stuttgart
Home: Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Slavia Prague
Away: Arsenal, Manchester United, Villarreal, Viking
The opponents are confirmed, but the exact order of the eight league-phase games is still to come.
UEFA says the complete Champions League fixture list, including match dates and kick-off times, will be communicated no later than Saturday, August 29.
For now, Arsenal appear to have been dealt the toughest hand among the English contingent, Liverpool may be happiest with their route and Manchester City have been given a schedule packed with heavyweight clashes.
The first Champions League matches of the season begin on September 8.
