The Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw takes place on Thursday, 27 August, with all 36 clubs now confirmed for the new European season. Each team will discover eight different opponents — two from each of the four draw pots — with four matches at home and four away.
For South African football fans, the Champions League draw starts at 18:00 SAST. The draw takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco and will determine the league-phase opponents for clubs including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City, Inter and Manchester United.
The draw will confirm each club’s opponents and which fixtures are at home or away. The complete match schedule, including dates and kick-off times, will follow separately and is due to be communicated by UEFA no later than Saturday, 29 August.
The 2026/27 campaign is the third Champions League season using the 36-team league-phase format. Instead of eight four-team groups, every club competes in one overall league table.
For the complete competition format and season calendar, see SportPesa South Africa’s 2026/27 UEFA Champions League guide.
Champions League draw 2026/27: Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
| Draw date | Thursday, 27 August 2026 |
| Draw time in South Africa | 18:00 SAST |
| Venue | Grimaldi Forum, Monaco |
| Teams | 36 |
| Draw pots | Four pots of nine clubs |
| Opponents per club | Eight |
| Opponents from each pot | Two |
| Home matches | Four |
| Away matches | Four |
| League phase starts | 8 September 2026 |
| Full fixture schedule | To be communicated by 29 August 2026 |
| Champions League final | 5 June 2027 in Madrid |
READ ALSO : English Premier League 2026/27 Matchweek 1
Champions League 2026/27 draw pots
The 36 Champions League teams 2026/27 have been divided into four pots containing nine clubs each.
The pots are based on UEFA club coefficient rankings, with the Champions League titleholder placed as the top seed in Pot 1.
Being placed in Pot 1 does not mean a club avoids the other highest-seeded teams. Under the league-phase format, every club must face two opponents from each of the four pots, including its own.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | Borussia Dortmund | Feyenoord | Slavia Praha |
| Bayern Munich | Roma | Lille | Slovan Bratislava |
| Real Madrid | Sporting CP | Bodo/Glimt | Stuttgart |
| Liverpool | Aston Villa | Napoli | AEK Athens |
| Inter | Porto | RB Leipzig | LASK |
| Manchester City | Manchester United | Villarreal | Como |
| Arsenal | Club Brugge | Fenerbahce | Lens |
| Barcelona | Real Betis | Shakhtar Donetsk | Viking |
| Atletico Madrid | PSV | Galatasaray | Sabah |
Seven clubs completed the 36-team field through the Champions League play-offs: Sabah, LASK, Bodo/Glimt, AEK Athens, Viking, Slovan Bratislava and Fenerbahce.
Read SportPesa South Africa’s Champions League qualifying and play-off update for more on how the final places were decided.
How does the Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw work?
The Champions League league-phase draw does not place teams into traditional groups.
Instead, the draw determines eight different opponents for every club and whether those matches will be played at home or away.
Every club gets two opponents from each pot
Each team receives:
| Pot | Opponents |
| Pot 1 | 2 |
| Pot 2 | 2 |
| Pot 3 | 2 |
| Pot 4 | 2 |
| Total | 8 |
This applies to every team regardless of its seeding.
A Pot 1 club therefore faces two other Pot 1 teams, while a club in Pot 4 also plays two opponents from Pot 4.
Every team plays four home and four away matches
Of the two opponents drawn from each pot, one is played at home and the other away.
Across all four pots, every club therefore receives:
- Four home fixtures
- Four away fixtures
- Eight league-phase matches in total
Teams from the same country cannot normally face each other
In principle, clubs from the same national association cannot be paired during the league phase.
That means Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa cannot face one another during this stage of the Champions League.
The same restriction applies to clubs from Spain, Italy, Germany and other countries represented by multiple teams.
Clubs can face a maximum of two teams from another association
There is also a limit on how many opponents a team can receive from any one foreign association.
A club can face no more than two teams from another national association, subject to UEFA’s draw conditions.
The restriction prevents one club’s eight-match league-phase schedule from being dominated by opponents from the same country.
Why can Pot 1 teams face each other?
One of the biggest differences between the current league-phase system and the former Champions League group stage is that the highest seeds no longer avoid each other.
Pot 1 contains:
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Every one of those clubs must face two Pot 1 opponents.
That means the Champions League draw can immediately produce major fixtures between some of Europe’s leading teams.
Real Madrid, for example, could receive Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona or another eligible Pot 1 opponent, depending on the draw restrictions and home-and-away allocation.
What is the new Champions League draw restriction for 2026/27?
The 2026/27 draw includes an additional condition affecting teams that have played the same league-phase fixture at the same venue in each of the previous two seasons.
The same individual fixture cannot be repeated with the same home team for three consecutive Champions League seasons.
This does not prevent the two clubs from playing each other altogether. They can still be paired if the fixture is played at the other team’s stadium and the rest of the draw conditions allow it.
Two prominent examples involve Liverpool and Arsenal.
Can Liverpool face Real Madrid?
Yes. Liverpool can still be drawn against Real Madrid in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase.
However, Liverpool cannot host Real Madrid at Anfield again.
Liverpool played Real Madrid at home in the league phase in both 2024/25 and 2025/26. The same fixture therefore cannot take place at Anfield for a third consecutive league-phase season.
Liverpool could still be drawn away to Real Madrid.
Can Arsenal face Inter?
Arsenal can also be drawn against Inter, but the venue is restricted.
Arsenal played away against Inter in both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 league phases.
Another Inter home fixture against Arsenal cannot therefore be scheduled for a third consecutive season.
If Arsenal and Inter are paired again, the fixture can instead be played at Arsenal’s home ground.
Which English teams are in the Champions League 2026/27 draw?
Five Premier League clubs are involved in the Champions League league phase:
- Arsenal
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Aston Villa
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are in Pot 1.
Manchester United and Aston Villa are in Pot 2.
The same-country restriction means the five English clubs cannot face one another in the league phase.
Who could Manchester United face from Pot 1?
Manchester United return to the Champions League in Pot 2.
Because they cannot face Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City, their possible Pot 1 opponents come from the six non-English teams:
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Inter
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
United will receive two Pot 1 opponents — one at home and one away — before also receiving two opponents from Pots 2, 3 and 4.
Being in Pot 2 therefore does not protect Manchester United from facing Europe’s highest-seeded clubs.
Who could Aston Villa face from Pot 1?
Aston Villa are also in Pot 2 and face the same association restriction as Manchester United.
They cannot be drawn against Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City.
Their eligible Pot 1 opponents therefore include:
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Inter
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Villa will eventually receive eight opponents across all four pots, with four fixtures at home and four away.
Como prepare for their first Champions League campaign
Como are in Pot 4 as they prepare for their first Champions League campaign.
Their Pot 4 position still gives them two opponents from every pot, including two from Pot 1.
That means Como are guaranteed to face two clubs from a Pot 1 containing Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter and Atletico Madrid.
Como cannot face fellow Italian club Inter because of the same-association restriction.
READ ALSO : Champions League
What time is the Champions League draw in South Africa?
The Champions League draw time in South Africa is 18:00 SAST on Thursday, 27 August 2026.
The ceremony takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
South African fans following the draw will find out the eight league-phase opponents assigned to each of the 36 teams as well as which fixtures are scheduled at home and away.
Where to watch the Champions League draw in South Africa
UEFA will stream the Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw live through its official digital platforms.
The draw will be available through:
- UEFA.com
- UEFA.tv
- The Champions League app
Coverage begins from 18:00 SAST.
Once the competition gets underway, fans can also use the SP Score app to follow fixtures, live scores, match statistics, head-to-head information and results throughout the Champions League season.
What happens after the Champions League draw?
The draw confirms the eight opponents assigned to each team and identifies which matches will be played at home and away.
It does not immediately provide the complete fixture calendar.
Once all the pairings have been determined, UEFA prepares the final league-phase schedule before publishing the exact match dates and kick-off times.
The complete Champions League fixtures 2026/27 are due to be communicated no later than Saturday, 29 August.
The league phase begins on Tuesday, 8 September.
Champions League 2026/27 league-phase dates
| Matchday | Date |
| Matchday 1 | 8–10 September 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 13–14 October 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | 20–21 October 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | 3–4 November 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | 24–25 November 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | 8–9 December 2026 |
| Matchday 7 | 19–20 January 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | 27 January 2027 |
The league phase stretches from September 2026 to January 2027, with every result contributing to the same 36-team standings.
How does the Champions League league table work?
All 36 teams are ranked together in one league table.
A win is worth three points, a draw one point and a defeat zero points.
Each club plays eight opponents rather than all 35 other teams, but every result contributes to the same standings.
Where a club finishes after Matchday 8 determines whether it goes directly into the round of 16, enters the knockout-phase play-offs or is eliminated.
How teams qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds
After all eight league-phase matches have been completed:
- 1st–8th: qualify directly for the round of 16.
- 9th–24th: qualify for the two-legged knockout-phase play-offs.
- 25th–36th: are eliminated from the competition.
Teams eliminated from the Champions League league phase do not move into the Europa League.
Champions League 2026/27 knockout dates
| Round | Dates |
| Knockout-phase play-offs | 16/17 & 23/24 February 2027 |
| Round of 16 | 9/10 & 16/17 March 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | 6/7 & 13/14 April 2027 |
| Semi-finals | 27/28 April & 4/5 May 2027 |
| Final | 5 June 2027 |
The 2026/27 Champions League final will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on 5 June 2027.
Champions League 2026/27 draw FAQs
When is the Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw?
The Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw takes place on Thursday, 27 August 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
What time is the Champions League draw in South Africa?
The Champions League draw starts at 18:00 SAST.
Where can I watch the Champions League draw?
The draw will be streamed live through UEFA.com, UEFA.tv and the Champions League app.
How many teams are in the Champions League 2026/27 league phase?
There are 36 clubs in the league phase.
How many Champions League draw pots are there?
There are four pots, each containing nine clubs.
How many opponents does each team get?
Every team is assigned eight different opponents — two from each of the four pots.
Can teams from the same pot play each other?
Yes. Every club plays two opponents from its own pot.
How many home and away games does each club play?
Each team plays four league-phase matches at home and four away.
Can two clubs from the same country face each other?
In principle, clubs belonging to the same national association cannot face each other during the league phase.
Can a team face several clubs from one country?
A club can face a maximum of two opponents from any one other national association, subject to UEFA’s draw conditions.
Can Liverpool play Real Madrid?
Yes. Liverpool can be drawn against Real Madrid, but cannot host Real Madrid again in the league phase after doing so in each of the previous two seasons. A match in Madrid remains possible.
Can Arsenal play Inter?
Yes. Arsenal can face Inter, but cannot play away to Inter for a third consecutive league-phase season. If the clubs are paired, Arsenal can instead host the match.
Are all Champions League fixtures confirmed during the draw?
No. The draw confirms each club’s opponents and the home-and-away allocation. Exact match dates and kick-off times are published separately.
When will the Champions League 2026/27 fixtures be announced?
UEFA says the complete fixture list will be communicated no later than Saturday, 29 August 2026.
When does the Champions League league phase begin?
Matchday 1 takes place from 8–10 September 2026.
When is the Champions League final?
The 2026/27 Champions League final takes place on 5 June 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
READ ALSO : Premier League
Conclusion
The Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw takes place on Thursday, 27 August, with all 36 teams set to discover their eight opponents for the league phase.
Every club will face two opponents from each of the four pots, with one home and one away match against teams from every pot. The draw must also account for national-association restrictions and the rule preventing the same league-phase fixture from being played with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
South African fans can follow the draw from 18:00 SAST before attention turns to the complete Champions League fixtures 2026/27, which UEFA says will be communicated by 29 August. The league phase then begins on 8 September.
