UEFA Champions League 2026-27 league-phase draw completed in Monaco

Key facts

Draw completed August 27, 2026 in Monaco for the new league-phase format
Defending champions PSG face Manchester City and Barcelona in the league phase
Arsenal (2025-26 Premier League champions) drawn to host Real Madrid at Emirates Stadium
Manchester United returning to Champions League after two-year absence; face Bayern Munich at home
First league-phase matches scheduled for September 8, 2026; final round on January 27, 2027; final on June 5, 2027 at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium

Draw overview and format

The UEFA Champions League completed its league-phase draw on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Monaco. This season marks a shift in the competition’s format, moving from the traditional group stage to a single league phase where all teams play eight opponents drawn from four separate pots. The first league-phase matches will take place on September 8, 2026, with the final round scheduled for January 27, 2027. The championship final is set for June 5, 2027, at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

Premier League clubs and their opponents

Arsenal, defending Premier League champions, drew one of the most demanding sets of opponents among the elite seeds. They will host Real Madrid at Emirates Stadium and travel to Bayern Munich, among eight total fixtures. The complete Arsenal slate includes home matches against Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Napoli, Sabah, and Slavia Prague (away), plus Real Betis away.

Manchester City will welcome PSG to Etihad Stadium and travel to Barcelona, where they will reunite with Spanish midfielder Rodri, who transferred to Barcelona for £65 million in the summer. City’s other opponents include Sporting, Porto, Napoli (home), RB Leipzig, AEK Athens, and Lens.

Aston Villa, returning after a season away following their Europa League triumph, will host PSG and Borussia Dortmund, while traveling to Barcelona and Galatasaray. They also face Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking, and Slavia Prague.

Liverpool’s draw includes hosting Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, and Lens while visiting Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, and LASK.

Manchester United, returning to the competition after a two-year hiatus, will play Bayern Munich at Old Trafford and face Atletico Madrid away, Roma at home, Sporting away, RB Leipzig at home, Villarreal away, plus Sabah at home and Como away.

Elite competition matchups

Defending back-to-back Champions League winners PSG will face Barcelona and Manchester City, both fellow Pot 1 seeds, creating a notable concentration of elite teams in their draw. PSG defeated Arsenal on penalties in the 2025-26 final in Budapest and are seeking to join an exclusive group of three-time consecutive winners. According to sources, Ajax and Bayern Munich achieved this feat in the 1970s, while Real Madrid accomplished it twice.

Real Madrid, managed by Jose Mourinho, will travel to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal and include PSV, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK, and AEK Athens among their fixtures.

Notable storylines and player reunions

Manchester City’s away trip to Barcelona carries added intrigue given Rodri’s summer transfer from City to the Spanish club. Additionally, City will host Napoli, featuring former City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who joined the Italian side in the transfer window.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s side lost to PSG in both the semifinal and final stages over the past two seasons, according to available reports.

Other notable opponents and competition context

Multiple Premier League sides will face Azerbaijan’s Sabah, founded in 2017. Sabah’s coach, Valdas Dambrauskas, has a distinctive background: he won money on the Lithuanian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” which he used to fund coaching studies in England, according to Reuters.

Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, reached the Champions League semifinals in each of the last three seasons and made significant summer transfer moves to strengthen their squad. Manchester United’s appointment of new management comes as they prepare for their first Champions League campaign in two years.

Schedule and next steps

The complete fixture schedule is set to be released on Saturday, August 30, 2026. League-phase matches run from September 8, 2026, through January 27, 2027, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stages.

Sources

Featured photo by Alexander David on Unsplash