The 36 teams reaching the league phase of the UEFA Champions League will learn their eight opponents for the upcoming campaign on Thursday 27th August.
Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning champions for a second year running after successfully defending their crown against Arsenal in Budapest in May.
The introduction of a new format in 2024/25 represented the biggest change to the competition since its switch from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League more than 30 years ago, and we've run you through everything you need to know about the draw.
When is the UEFA Champions League draw?
The league phase draw will be held on Thursday 27th August.
What time is the UEFA Champions League draw?
The league phase draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League draw will begin at 5pm BST.
What teams are in the UEFA Champions League draw?
Pot 1
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Liverpool (England)
- Inter Milan (Italy)
- Manchester City (England)
- Arsenal (England)
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Roma (Italy)
- Sporting (Portugal)
- Aston Villa (England)
- Porto (Portugal)
- Manchester United (England)
- Club Brugge (Belgium)
- Real Betis (Spain)
- PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Pot 3
- Feyenoord (Netherlands)
- Lille (France)
- Bodo/Glimt (Norway)
- Napoli (Italy)
- RB Leipzig (Germany)
- Villarreal (Spain)
- Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
- Galatasaray (Turkey)
- Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Pot 4
- Viking (Norway)
- Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
- VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
- LASK (Austria)
- AEK Athens (Greece)
- Como (Italy)
- Lens (France)
- Sabah (Azerbaijan)
How does the UEFA Champions League draw work?
Beginning with the 2024/25 season, UEFA changed the format of the UEFA Champions League. Whereas previously, 32 teams were split into eight groups, with the four teams playing each other home and away. The revised format means teams will only play an opponent once, with every club having a unique fixture list.
A team will be drawn from Pot 1, with two teams drawn from each pot to give them their eight opponents. Teams will continue to be drawn from Pot 1 until none are left, at which point the draw will continue through the pots in descending order until all teams have eight opponents.
Each team will face two teams from each of the four pots and cannot face a team from the same country as themselves.
