UEFA Champions League Draw Details and Team Placements

The UEFA Champions League returns after the long summer of the 2026 World Cup. Though not quite yet, as the league-phase draw takes place today. The initial stage of the competition begins on Tuesday, September 8.

Last season concluded with Paris Saint-Germain securing their second successive Champions League title, defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest. Now, all 36 teams aim for the 2026-27 final, scheduled in June at Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium.

Champions League Draw Timing

The league-phase draw occurs today, Thursday, August 27, at 5pm BST/12pm ET, hosted at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. This follows the final round of qualifying games that concluded last night. The Europa League and Conference League draws are set for tomorrow, Friday, August 28, at 12pm BST.

You can watch the Champions League draw on UEFA’s website, UEFA.com, or for viewers in the United Kingdom, TNT Sports 1 and the TNT Sports YouTube channel offer coverage.

Draw Process Explained

The 36 teams are categorized into four pots of nine based on UEFA club coefficient rankings determined by performance over the past five years. Pot 1 holds the highest-rated teams, while Pot 4 contains the lowest.

Starting with Pot 1, each club is drawn individually by guests, usually football stars. A supercomputer then organizes the league-phase opponents, creating eight matches in total, split evenly between home and away games. Teams from the same country do not meet in this stage.

Pot Placements

Pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid.

Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV.

Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce.

Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens, Sabah, Viking, Slovan Bratislava, AEK Athens.

Announcement of Fixtures

All match details including dates and kick-off times will be announced on Saturday, August 29. The league phase kicks off on Tuesday, September 8, concluding with 18 matches simultaneously on Wednesday, January 27.

Team Matchups

Teams can face any two opponents from each pot, excluding those from the same country. A new rule restricts teams from playing the same fixture for three consecutive seasons.

Paragraph 16.03 in the previous season’s regulations specifies this condition affecting Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsenal, having faced Inter at San Siro for two consecutive seasons, cannot meet them away again. Liverpool’s upcoming home opponent will be different from Madrid, given their recent match history.

This rule ensures varied matchups, adding intrigue to this season’s draw.