The 2026/27 Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday, 27 August, at 5:00 p.m. BST in Monaco, and it will set the tone for the entire season. Thirty-six clubs will learn their eight opponents as the new league-phase format continues to reshape Europe’s top competition.
Paris Saint-Germain enter as the reigning champions after winning the 2025 final against Arsenal, so every team in the field will be eager to test itself against the holders. With the draw now split across four pots, the route to the knockout rounds looks far less predictable than the old group-stage model.
How the draw is organized
Instead of familiar four-team groups, the league phase now gives each club a custom schedule of eight matches against different opponents. Teams are placed into four pots, and the draw builds each club’s schedule by pulling two opponents from each pot while avoiding same-country matchups.
That structure creates a league table of 36 teams rather than isolated groups, which means the full shape of the competition is only revealed once the draw is complete. It also means no two clubs receive the same fixture list, making Thursday’s ceremony especially significant for supporters, coaches, and players.
Pots and notable teams
The seeding groups already show how strong the field is, with elite clubs spread across the first two pots and several dangerous challengers waiting lower down. The table below gives a clear snapshot of the main names involved.
| Pot | Selected clubs |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid |
| Pot 2 | Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven |
| Pot 3 | Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, plus the winner of Fenerbahce vs Lyon |
| Pot 4 | Slavia Prague, VfB Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens, Sabah, and several qualifying winners still to be confirmed |
What to watch on Thursday
The main story is not just who meets whom, but how balanced or brutal each path looks once all eight fixtures are set. A favorable draw can open the door to a deep run, while a tough schedule can make even established favorites work from the first whistle.
By the end of the evening, every contender will know whether the early months of the campaign bring a manageable start or a punishing stretch of heavyweight opponents. For fans, that is the moment when the season finally stops being abstract and starts feeling real.