2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw: Pot Breakdown and Details

The league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League will feature 36 teams split into four pots, each containing nine clubs. UEFA will confirm the final makeup before the draw scheduled for August 27.

At present, 29 teams have secured their spots in the league phase, while seven places remain to be decided through upcoming play-offs. The second legs of these play-offs are set for August 25 and 26.

How Are the Pots Decided?

The 36 clubs in the league phase are grouped into four pots of nine teams each. The distribution follows UEFA's regulations, using club coefficient rankings from the start of the season. The only exception is that the current Champions League winner automatically becomes a top seed in Pot 1.

Based on current qualifications and coefficients, the pots look like this:

• Pot 1: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid
• Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven
• Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray
• Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, Como, Lens

Understanding the Draw Format

Being in Pot 1 does not guarantee avoiding other strong teams. Each team will face eight different opponents during the league phase, playing two clubs from each pot, including its own. This means a Pot 1 team will meet two others from Pot 1, plus two from Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4 respectively. Each matchup consists of one home and one away game.

Teams from the same country generally cannot be drawn against each other in the league phase. Additionally, a club can face up to two opponents from any single other national association.

Schedule and Important Dates

The draw takes place in Monaco on Thursday, August 27 at 18:00 CET. While 29 teams have already qualified directly for the league phase, the remaining seven spots will be finalized after the play-off matches on August 25 and 26.

The league phase begins on September 8 and runs until January 27, 2027. Each club will play a total of eight matches—four at home and four away.

Until UEFA releases the official seedings on August 27, any full lists of the pots should be viewed as provisional.