Champions League 2026-27 Draw: Date and Format Explained

The draw for the Champions League 2026-27 will happen at 17:00 BST on Thursday, 27 August in Monaco. A total of 36 teams have qualified and are divided into four pots according to their UEFA club coefficient rankings.

How Does the Draw Work?

Starting with pot one, each team is drawn out one by one. Then, UEFA’s automated software selects eight opponents for each team. The top teams in pot one include Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.

Every team will play eight matches during the league phase, facing two teams from each pot—one game at home and one away. English clubs won’t face other English sides during this phase. Also, no fixtures can feature teams from the same country, nor more than two games against clubs from any other single nation. This process repeats until all matchups for the 36 teams are set.

Europa League Draw Details

The Europa League draw occurs the day after the Champions League, starting at 12:00 BST on Friday, 28 August. It follows the same system: 36 teams split into four pots, each receiving eight matches based on similar criteria as the Champions League.

Both the Europa League and Conference League draws take place during a combined ceremony. Unlike traditional draws, no physical balls are used; instead, a fully digital setup streamlines the process, which UEFA says ensures efficiency and speed.

Conference League Draw Explained

The Conference League draw takes place right after the Europa League draw within the same event. Here, the format differs slightly. There are six rounds of matches instead of eight.

The 36 teams are divided into six pots of six. Each club plays against one opponent from each pot, making for a different setup compared to the other two competitions.

Additional Information

This overview comes from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team, who also answer questions like:

• Which clubs qualified for the Champions League league phase?
• When does the summer transfer window close?
• What changes were made to Fantasy Premier League for 2026-27?
• How do add-ons work in football transfers?