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UEFA Champions League 2026-27 Draw: All You Need to Know

The UEFA Champions League enters its third season under the expanded 36-team league-phase format in 2026/27. For clubs and supporters, the league-phase draw is the moment when the route through Europe’s premier club competition begins to take shape.

There are no traditional groups of four this season. Instead, all 36 teams will be placed into a single league table, with each club drawn against eight different opponents. Each team will play four matches at home and four away.

The 2026/27 campaign also has an important early date for fans to note: the league-phase draw takes place in Monaco on Thursday 27 August, with the league phase beginning in September.

Read on for the confirmed draw date and time, an explanation of how the draw works, and the teams already guaranteed a place in the league phase.

When Is The UEFA Champions League Draw?

The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 league-phase draw will take place on Thursday 27 August 2026 in Monaco. UEFA has confirmed that the ceremony will begin at 18:00 CET, which is 5pm BST in the UK.

The draw comes immediately after the Champions League play-off second legs on 25 and 26 August. Seven play-off winners will join the 29 teams that have already qualified automatically, completing the 36-team league-phase line-up.

UEFA says the seedings, any relevant groupings and the detailed draw procedure will be published on the official draw page from 08:30 CET on the morning of the ceremony.

The league phase itself begins on Tuesday 8 September 2026.

What Time Is The UEFA Champions League Draw?

The 2026/27 Champions League league-phase draw is scheduled to begin at 5pm BST on Thursday 27 August 2026. The equivalent UEFA time is 18:00 CET.

The ceremony will be held in Monaco, as confirmed by UEFA. Fans should check UEFA’s official channels on the day for the live broadcast and any updates to the presentation schedule.

Unlike the old group-stage format, the draw will not produce eight groups of four. Instead, it will determine each club’s eight league-phase opponents, including which four matches will be played at home and which four will be away.

How Does The UEFA Champions League Draw Work?

The Champions League now uses a single league phase involving 36 clubs. The draw is designed to give every team eight opponents while maintaining restrictions designed to prevent certain combinations of fixtures.

The 36 clubs are divided into four pots of nine teams. The pots are based on the UEFA club coefficient rankings at the beginning of the season, with the reigning Champions League holders placed at the top of Pot 1.

The four pots are therefore not simply a ranking of domestic champions and runners-up. Club coefficient rankings determine the composition, with the Champions League titleholders receiving the special top-seeding position in Pot 1.

There are no longer Groups A to H. Instead, each team is drawn against two opponents from each of the four pots, giving every club eight opponents in total. One opponent from each pot will be played at home and the other away.

UEFA has also continued to use software as part of the draw process to help determine opponents while applying the competition’s restrictions. The draw therefore determines the league-phase opponents and home/away allocation rather than creating conventional groups.

In principle, clubs cannot be drawn against another team from the same national association. A club can also face a maximum of two opponents from any one other association, subject to UEFA’s competition regulations and any specific conditions established for the draw.

UEFA can also introduce or adjust conditions where necessary to prevent the draw from reaching an impossible combination. These restrictions are applied through the draw procedure rather than being handled after the draw has finished.

The draw establishes each club’s eight opponents and the home or away status of each fixture. UEFA then finalises the match calendar, taking account of the competition regulations, stadium requirements and scheduling constraints.

The league phase consists of eight matchdays. Each club plays four matches at home and four away, with UEFA’s regulations providing additional principles for the sequencing of home and away games.

Once all eight matches have been played, the 36 clubs are ranked together in one league table. The teams finishing 1st to 8th progress directly to the round of 16, those finishing 9th to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs, and teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated.

With the league-phase format in mind, the key question is which clubs have already secured their places before the final seven spots are decided in qualifying.

Which Teams Are In The UEFA Champions League Draw?

The 2026/27 league phase will contain 36 teams. UEFA’s access list provides 29 automatic league-phase places, while the remaining seven places are decided through the Champions League play-off round.

As of 24 August 2026, the 29 teams already listed by UEFA for the league phase are:

  • Arsenal (England)
  • Aston Villa (England)
  • Atlético de Madrid (Spain)
  • Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
  • Barcelona (Spain)
  • Bayern Munich (Germany)
  • Club Brugge (Belgium)
  • Como (Italy)
  • Feyenoord (Netherlands)
  • Galatasaray (Türkiye)
  • Inter (Italy)
  • RB Leipzig (Germany)
  • Lens (France)
  • Lille (France)
  • Liverpool (England)
  • Manchester City (England)
  • Manchester United (England)
  • Napoli (Italy)
  • Paris Saint-Germain (France)
  • Porto (Portugal)
  • PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
  • Real Betis (Spain)
  • Real Madrid (Spain)
  • Roma (Italy)
  • Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
  • Slavia Prague (Czechia)
  • Sporting CP (Portugal)
  • Stuttgart (Germany)
  • Villarreal (Spain)

UEFA’s current Champions League team list confirms these 29 clubs as league-phase entrants.

The remaining seven places will go to the winners of the Champions League play-off ties. The second legs are scheduled for 25 and 26 August, immediately before the league-phase draw.

The 2026/27 competition therefore enters its decisive pre-draw stage with 29 clubs confirmed and seven places still to be filled. Once the play-off ties are complete, all 36 teams will be placed into the four pots and the league-phase draw will determine the eight opponents each club faces.

Bet on the UEFA Champions League at Bet442

The Champions League returns in 2026/27 with the expanded league-phase format and 36 clubs competing for a place in the knockout rounds.

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**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.