Champions League 2026-27 Draw: Date and Process Explained

When Will the Champions League 2026-27 Draw Take Place?

The draw for the Champions League is scheduled for 17:00 BST on Thursday, 27 August in Monaco. A total of 36 teams that qualified will be placed into four different pots based on their UEFA club coefficient rankings.

How Does the Draw Work?

Starting with pot one, each team is drawn individually. Then, UEFA's automated software picks eight opponents for each team. Some of the notable clubs in pot one include Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.

Each team will play eight matches in total, facing two teams from each pot—one at home and one away.

• English teams cannot be drawn against other English teams during the league phase.
• No fixtures can pit teams from the same country against each other.
• A team cannot play more than two matches against clubs from the same foreign country.

This process repeats until all fixtures for the 36 teams are finalized.

Europa League Draw Details

The Europa League draw happens a day after the Champions League draw, at 12:00 BST on Friday, 28 August. Like the Champions League, 36 teams are split into four pots, and each club receives eight fixtures following the same criteria for matchups.

The draws for the Europa League and the Conference League happen together in one ceremony. Notably, there will be no physical balls used in these draws—they will be fully digital, aiming to make the process faster and smoother, according to UEFA.

Conference League Draw Format

The Conference League draw follows immediately after the Europa League draw during the same event. Unlike the Champions and Europa Leagues, this competition features only six rounds of league fixtures instead of eight.

Its 36 clubs are divided into six pots of six teams each, with each team drawn against one from every other pot.

Additional Information

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• Who has qualified for the Champions League league phase?
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