UEFA Champions League 2026/27: Schedule, Teams, Fixtures and Full Draw
The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 is ready for another season of elite European football, with the 36-team League Phase now drawn and the complete fixture schedule confirmed.
The new campaign officially began with qualifying matches in July, but the main League Phase will start on September 8, 2026. Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and defending champions Paris Saint Germain, are among the teams competing for the trophy.
The 2026/27 competition is the 72nd season of the European Cup/Champions League and the third campaign played under the current League Phase system. The final will be held at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
UEFA Champions League 2026/27: Key Dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Qualifying began | July 7, 2026 |
| Qualifying completed | August 26, 2026 |
| League Phase draw | August 27, 2026 |
| League Phase fixtures confirmed | August 29, 2026 |
| Matchday 1 | September 8-10, 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | October 13-14, 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | October 20-21, 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | November 3-4, 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | November 24-25, 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | December 8-9, 2026 |
| Matchday 7 | January 19-20, 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | January 27, 2027 |
| Knockout play-offs | February 16-17 & 23-24, 2027 |
| Round of 16 | March 9-10 & 16-17, 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | April 6-7 & 13-14, 2027 |
| Semi-finals | April 27-28 & May 4-5, 2027 |
| Final | June 5, 2027 |
The League Phase runs from September 8 through January 27, with every club playing eight matches.
UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Qualified Teams
A total of 36 clubs will compete in the League Phase.
England
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
Spain
- Atlético de Madrid
- Barcelona
- Real Betis
- Real Madrid
- Villarreal
Germany
- Bayern Munich
- Borussia Dortmund
- RB Leipzig
- Stuttgart
Italy
- Como
- Inter Milan
- Napoli
- Roma
France
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Lille
- Lens
Portugal
- Porto
- Sporting CP
Netherlands
- Feyenoord
- PSV Eindhoven
Norway
- Bodø/Glimt
- Viking
Turkey
- Fenerbahçe
- Galatasaray
Belgium
- Club Brugge
Greece
- AEK Athens
Austria
- LASK
Ukraine
- Shakhtar Donetsk
Czechia
- Slavia Prague
Slovakia
- Slovan Bratislava
Azerbaijan
- Sabah FC
UEFA’s official list confirms 36 League Phase participants, with five clubs each from England and Spain the largest representation from any individual country.
UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Qualification
The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 qualification phase began on July 7 and finished on August 26.
Twenty-nine clubs entered the League Phase directly through their domestic results, while seven additional places were decided through qualifying rounds.
Among the clubs that came through the qualifying route were teams such as AEK Athens, LASK, Bodø/Glimt, Slovan Bratislava, Fenerbahçe, Shakhtar Donetsk and Sabah.
The qualifying campaign produced plenty of drama, with several ties going down to second legs and extra time before the final seven places were decided.
With qualifying now complete, attention has shifted entirely toward the League Phase.
Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Format
The old group-stage system is no longer used.
Instead, all 36 clubs are placed into one League Phase table.
Every team plays eight matches against eight different opponents:
- Four matches at home
- Four matches away
- Two opponents from each of the four seeding pots
- No club can face another team from the same national association
- A club can face a maximum of two teams from another individual country
The draw was conducted using four pots based largely on club coefficients, with the titleholder receiving the top seeding position in Pot 1.
The top eight teams in the League Phase progress directly to the Round of 16.
Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs, while clubs finishing 25th or lower are eliminated.
UEFA Champions League Fixtures 2026/27
The complete fixture list has now been confirmed by UEFA. All times below are CET, with matches generally scheduled for 21:00 unless another kick-off time is shown.
Matchday 1 September 8-10
Tuesday, September 8
- AEK Athens vs LASK
- Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
- Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
- Porto vs Manchester City
- Lille vs Real Betis
- Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
Wednesday, September 9
- Barcelona vs Feyenoord
- Stuttgart vs Viking
- Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Slovan Bratislava
- Sporting CP vs Galatasaray
- Napoli vs Arsenal
Thursday, September 10
- Fenerbahçe vs Roma
- PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Como vs RB Leipzig
- Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt
- Manchester United vs Sabah
- Slavia Prague vs Lens
Biggest Match: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
The opening matchday immediately delivers a heavyweight European contest, while Napoli vs Arsenal and Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid are also major fixtures.
Matchday 2 October 13-14
- Lens vs Sporting CP
- Sabah vs Slavia Prague
- Arsenal vs Lille
- Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
- Inter Milan vs Club Brugge
- Galatasaray vs Barcelona
- RB Leipzig vs PSV Eindhoven
- Viking vs Bayern Munich
- Villarreal vs Napoli
- Feyenoord vs Como
- LASK vs Liverpool
- Roma vs Real Madrid
- Aston Villa vs Fenerbahçe
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs AEK Athens
- Bodø/Glimt vs Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Real Betis vs Porto
- Slovan Bratislava vs Stuttgart
Biggest Match: Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
This could be one of the most anticipated games of the entire League Phase.
Matchday 3 October 20-21
- Fenerbahçe vs Slavia Prague
- Sabah vs Borussia Dortmund
- Roma vs Slovan Bratislava
- Porto vs PSV Eindhoven
- Liverpool vs Villarreal
- Manchester City vs AEK Athens
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
- Napoli vs Bodø/Glimt
- Stuttgart vs Atlético Madrid
- Como vs Manchester United
- Lille vs Galatasaray
- Aston Villa vs Viking
- Club Brugge vs Lens
- Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
- Inter Milan vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig
- Real Betis vs Feyenoord
- Sporting CP vs LASK
Biggest Match: Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
The defending champions meeting Barcelona is one of the headline fixtures of the League Phase.
Matchday 4 November 3-4
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sporting CP
- Galatasaray vs Stuttgart
- Atlético Madrid vs Bayern Munich
- Barcelona vs Aston Villa
- Feyenoord vs Inter Milan
- Bodø/Glimt vs Lille
- LASK vs Slovan Bratislava
- Manchester United vs Roma
- Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain
- AEK Athens vs Real Madrid
- Fenerbahçe vs Liverpool
- Borussia Dortmund vs Real Betis
- Porto vs Napoli
- PSV Eindhoven vs Club Brugge
- RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
- Lens vs Como
- Slavia Prague vs Arsenal
- Viking vs Sabah
Biggest Match: Atlético Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Matchday 5 November 24-25
- Bodø/Glimt vs LASK
- Galatasaray vs Aston Villa
- Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
- Como vs AEK Athens
- Feyenoord vs Porto
- Manchester City vs Napoli
- RB Leipzig vs Lens
- Real Madrid vs PSV Eindhoven
- Slovan Bratislava vs Real Betis
- Sabah vs Barcelona
- Slavia Prague vs Villarreal
- Atlético Madrid vs Viking
- Club Brugge vs Liverpool
- Inter Milan vs Stuttgart
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Fenerbahçe
- Lille vs Bayern Munich
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Roma
- Sporting CP vs Manchester United
Biggest Match: Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
Matchday 6 December 8-9
- Viking vs Feyenoord
- Villarreal vs Sabah
- AEK Athens vs Galatasaray
- Roma vs Sporting CP
- Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Barcelona vs Manchester City
- Bayern Munich vs Slavia Prague
- Manchester United vs RB Leipzig
- Napoli vs Club Brugge
- Real Betis vs Como
- Slovan Bratislava vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Arsenal vs Real Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan
- LASK vs Fenerbahçe
- Liverpool vs Porto
- PSV Eindhoven vs Atlético Madrid
- Lens vs Bodø/Glimt
- Stuttgart vs Lille
Biggest Match: Barcelona vs Manchester City
Another heavyweight encounter arrives late in the League Phase.
Matchday 7 January 19-20, 2027
- Bodø/Glimt vs Atlético Madrid
- Galatasaray vs Feyenoord
- AEK Athens vs Roma
- Aston Villa vs Borussia Dortmund
- Inter Milan vs Liverpool
- Porto vs Slavia Prague
- Lille vs Slovan Bratislava
- Real Madrid vs LASK
- Stuttgart vs Club Brugge
- Fenerbahçe vs Villarreal
- Sabah vs Napoli
- Como vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
- RB Leipzig vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Lens vs Manchester City
- Real Betis vs Arsenal
- Sporting CP vs Barcelona
- Viking vs PSV Eindhoven
Biggest Match: Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
Matchday 8 January 27, 2027
The final League Phase matchday will feature all 36 clubs in action.
- Arsenal vs Sabah
- Roma vs Lille
- Atlético Madrid vs Fenerbahçe
- Borussia Dortmund vs AEK Athens
- Club Brugge vs Bodø/Glimt
- Bayern Munich vs Real Betis
- Barcelona vs Como
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Real Madrid
- Feyenoord vs RB Leipzig
- LASK vs Porto
- Liverpool vs Lens
- Manchester City vs Sporting CP
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Galatasaray
- PSV Eindhoven vs Stuttgart
- Slavia Prague vs Aston Villa
- Napoli vs Viking
- Villarreal vs Manchester United
- Slovan Bratislava vs Inter Milan
The final matchday could be particularly important because qualification for the knockout stages may remain undecided until the final round.
The Biggest Champions League 2026/27 Fixtures
Several matches immediately stand out from the draw.
PSG vs Barcelona
The defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have been handed one of the most glamorous fixtures possible.
Barcelona will travel to the holders, creating an early test of PSG’s title defence.
Manchester City vs PSG
Another heavyweight battle pits two modern European giants against each other.
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Arsenal will face Bayern during the League Phase, giving the Premier League club another opportunity to measure itself against one of Europe’s traditional powers.
Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
Real Madrid’s home meeting with Inter is another classic European matchup.
Real Madrid vs Arsenal
José Mourinho’s Real Madrid will also travel to Arsenal, adding another major storyline to the League Phase.
Barcelona vs Manchester City
Barcelona’s meeting with Manchester City is arguably one of the most attractive fixtures of the entire first phase.
Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
Liverpool will face Atlético Madrid, a fixture that promises a tactical battle between two sides with strong European ambitions.
Hardest Draw: Which Teams Have the Toughest Road?
One of the most interesting parts of the new format is that teams no longer have a traditional four-team group.
Instead, clubs have eight different opponents, which can produce a much wider variety of difficulty.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético appear to have one of the most demanding schedules.
They face:
- Bayern Munich
- Manchester United
- Liverpool
- PSV Eindhoven
- Fenerbahçe
- Viking
- Bodø/Glimt
- Stuttgart
Three heavyweight opponents immediately stand out.
Paris Saint-Germain
The holders also have a demanding route:
- Barcelona
- Manchester City
- Roma
- Aston Villa
- Galatasaray
- Villarreal
- Slovan Bratislava
- Como
PSG will have little room for complacency.
Real Madrid
Madrid’s opponents include:
- Inter Milan
- Arsenal
- PSV Eindhoven
- Roma
- RB Leipzig
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- LASK
- AEK Athens
The games against Inter and Arsenal will attract the most attention.
Which Teams Could Surprise?
The new League Phase creates opportunities for clubs outside Europe’s traditional elite.
Bodø/Glimt, Viking, Como, Real Betis and Fenerbahçe could all make life difficult for bigger clubs.
Bodø/Glimt in particular have earned attention after reaching the League Phase through qualification. Their home conditions and aggressive style could make them an uncomfortable opponent.
Champions League 2026/27: Teams to Watch
Paris Saint-Germain
The reigning champions enter the tournament with the biggest target on their backs.
Their challenge is simple: become the team everyone wants to beat while navigating an extremely demanding schedule.
Real Madrid
No Champions League preview is complete without Real Madrid.
The record European champions have the experience and pedigree to challenge for the trophy again.
Manchester City
City remain one of the competition’s most technically gifted teams and have been handed a fascinating schedule that includes PSG, Barcelona’s opponents in the broader draw, and several strong European sides.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s League Phase contains several major tests, particularly against PSG, Galatasaray, Manchester City and Sporting CP.
Bayern Munich
Bayern will face Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and Manchester United among their headline opponents.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s schedule includes Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan, two matches that could provide an early indication of their European level under new management.
Champions League 2026/27 Controversy and Latest News
The Champions League itself has not been dominated by a major competition-format scandal, but UEFA has been involved in a much wider dispute with FIFA.
The biggest current controversy concerns FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
UEFA has said it is preparing possible legal action in Switzerland over the proposal, which involved outside investment in FIFA’s future World Cup commercial rights. UEFA has also sought evidence through U.S. courts.
The dispute became serious enough for UEFA members to consider withdrawing from FIFA competitions. That threat has since been provisionally suspended after FIFA gave assurances that the project had been permanently withdrawn, but UEFA continues to demand broader governance reforms and an independent review.
The controversy was still a major talking point around the time of the Champions League draw in Monaco.
Barcelona and Atlético Madrid Transfer Dispute
Another football controversy surrounding the draw involved Julián Alvarez.
Atlético Madrid chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín publicly rejected Barcelona’s pursuit of the Argentine forward and said Atlético would not negotiate with Barcelona over the player. Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste subsequently criticised the comments.
While this is not a Champions League disciplinary issue, it adds another storyline around two clubs involved in the competition.
Champions League 2026/27: Who Are the Favourites?
At this stage, it is difficult to identify one overwhelming favourite.
My top contenders
1. Paris Saint-Germain
The defending champions deserve to start near the front of the queue.
2. Real Madrid
Their European record alone makes them impossible to ignore.
3. Manchester City
City have the squad quality to go deep into the tournament.
4. Barcelona
Barcelona have enough attacking talent to cause problems for any opponent.
5. Bayern Munich
Bayern’s experience and squad depth make them another serious contender.
6. Arsenal
Arsenal are among the strongest Premier League challengers and will be tested by Bayern and Real Madrid.
7. Liverpool
Liverpool have the European pedigree to become a serious knockout-stage threat.
Champions League 2026/27 Knockout Schedule
After the League Phase, the competition moves into the knockout rounds.
Knockout Phase Play-offs
February 16-17 and February 23-24, 2027
Round of 16
March 9-10 and March 16-17, 2027
Quarter-finals
April 6-7 and April 13-14, 2027
Semi-finals
April 27-28 and May 4-5, 2027
Champions League Final
June 5, 2027
The final will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, home of Atlético Madrid.
UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Final
Madrid will host the Champions League final on June 5, 2027.
The Estadio Metropolitano previously hosted the final in 2019, when Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.
Seven years later, the stadium will again host European club football’s biggest match.
UEFA Matches Today: Is There a Champions League Game?
As of August 29, 2026, the Champions League qualifying phase has finished and the League Phase has not yet begun.
Therefore, there are no UEFA Champions League League Phase matches today.
The next major Champions League action is scheduled for September 8, 2026, when Matchday 1 begins.
This is an important point for readers searching “UEFA matches today” because the competition has technically already started through qualification, but the main 36-team League Phase begins in September.
Champions League 2026/27: What Happens Next?
The qualifying stage is now history.
The draw has been completed.
The fixtures have been confirmed.
The 36 clubs now know their opponents.
The next chapter begins on September 8.
For fans, the most exciting part is that the new format guarantees a steady stream of high-profile matches instead of traditional group-stage pairings.
With PSG defending the title, Real Madrid chasing another European crown, Manchester City and Bayern Munich looking to return to the top, and Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona aiming for glory, the 2026/27 Champions League could become another memorable European campaign.
Final Verdict
The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 has already delivered plenty of drama before a single League Phase ball has been kicked.
Qualifying produced seven League Phase entrants, the draw created several blockbuster encounters, and the complete schedule has now been confirmed.
The biggest storylines are clear:
- PSG begin their title defence.
- Real Madrid face Inter and Arsenal.
- PSG meet Barcelona and Manchester City.
- Bayern face Arsenal, Atlético and Manchester United.
- Liverpool face Atlético and Inter.
- Manchester United return after a two-season absence.
- The League Phase contains 36 clubs and eight matches per team.
- The final will take place in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
The real action starts on September 8.
And with Europe’s biggest clubs already given their road to Madrid, the question is no longer who qualified it is who can survive the eight-match League Phase and ultimately lift the Champions League trophy?
