The road to Madrid is officially mapped out.
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league-phase draw took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, August 27, with all 36 clubs discovering their eight opponents.
And the draw has delivered exactly what Champions League football promises: blockbuster clashes, difficult away trips and some fascinating matchups.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain face a particularly demanding league phase, with Barcelona and Manchester City among their opponents. Record 15-time winners Real Madrid will meet Arsenal and Inter Milan, while Manchester United's return to Europe's elite competition includes a mouth-watering home meeting with Bayern Munich and an away trip to Atlético Madrid.
The league phase will feature 36 teams in one table. Every club plays eight different opponents — four at home and four away — with two opponents coming from each of the four seeding pots.
PSG Draw Barcelona and Manchester City
The reigning European champions have been handed one of the toughest schedules.
Paris Saint-Germain
Home- Barcelona
- Roma
- Galatasaray
- Slovan Bratislava
- Manchester City
- Aston Villa
- Villarreal
- Como
The headline fixture is undoubtedly PSG vs Barcelona, while Luis Enrique's side must also travel to Manchester to face City.
PSG will be aiming to continue their recent dominance after winning the Champions League in each of the previous two seasons.
Real Madrid Get Arsenal and Inter
Real Madrid will once again be among the favourites, but their league phase is far from straightforward.
Real Madrid
Home
- Inter Milan
- PSV Eindhoven
- RB Leipzig
- LASK
Away
- Arsenal
- Roma
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- AEK Athens
The biggest fixture is an away trip to Arsenal, while Inter Milan will visit the Santiago Bernabéu.
That gives Madrid two major European tests before the knockout rounds even begin.
Barcelona Face PSG and Manchester City
Barcelona also have a heavyweight schedule.
Barcelona
Home
- Manchester City
- Aston Villa
- Feyenoord
- Como
Away
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Sporting CP
- Galatasaray
- Sabah
The standout encounter is Barcelona's trip to Paris to face the defending champions.
They will also welcome Manchester City, creating another heavyweight clash at Camp Nou.
Manchester United Return With Bayern Munich Clash
Manchester United are back in the Champions League and have been given a draw that immediately grabs attention.
Manchester United
Home
- Bayern Munich
- Roma
- RB Leipzig
- Sabah
Away
- Atlético Madrid
- Sporting CP
- Villarreal
- Como
The headline fixture is United's home meeting with Bayern Munich — a repeat of one of the most famous European final rivalries in football history.
Their away trip to Atlético Madrid is another major test.
Arsenal Face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich
Arsenal's league phase could hardly be described as easy.
Arsenal
Home
- Real Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund
- Lille
- Sabah
Away
- Bayern Munich
- Real Betis
- Napoli
- Slavia Praha
The Gunners will host Real Madrid before travelling to Bayern Munich.
They also face Dortmund at home and Napoli away, giving Mikel Arteta's side four significant European tests.
Liverpool Draw Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan
Liverpool have received a fascinating mixture of heavyweight opposition and potentially tricky away fixtures.
Liverpool
Home
- Atlético Madrid
- Porto
- Villarreal
- Lens
Away
- Inter Milan
- Club Brugge
- Fenerbahçe
- LASK
The biggest test is an away trip to Inter, while Atlético Madrid will visit Anfield.
The Fenerbahçe away fixture could also provide one of the most intimidating atmospheres of the league phase.
Bayern Munich Face Arsenal and Manchester United
Bayern will have to negotiate two difficult Premier League opponents.
Bayern Munich
Home
- Arsenal
- Real Betis
- Bodø/Glimt
- Slavia Praha
Away
- Atlético Madrid
- Manchester United
- Lille
- Viking
The trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United will be one of the most anticipated fixtures of the league phase.
Bayern will also travel to Atlético Madrid.
Manchester City Get PSG and Barcelona
City's draw is loaded with elite opposition.
Manchester City
Home
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Sporting CP
- Napoli
- AEK Athens
Away
- Barcelona
- Porto
- RB Leipzig
- Lens
Pep Guardiola's side will host PSG and travel to Barcelona.
That means City will face two of Europe's biggest clubs before the knockout stage.
Atlético Madrid Face Bayern and Manchester United
Atlético Madrid
Home
- Bayern Munich
- Manchester United
- Fenerbahçe
- Viking
Away
- Liverpool
- PSV Eindhoven
- Bodø/Glimt
- Stuttgart
Liverpool's visit to Madrid and Bayern's trip to Atlético make this one of the more demanding draws.
Complete Champions League 2026/27 Draw
Here is the complete league-phase allocation from the UEFA draw.
| Team | Home opponents | Away opponents |
|---|---|---|
| PSG | Barcelona, Roma, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava | Man City, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Como |
| Bayern Munich | Arsenal, Real Betis, Bodø/Glimt, Slavia Praha | Atlético Madrid, Man United, Lille, Viking |
| Real Madrid | Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig, LASK | Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar, AEK Athens |
| Liverpool | Atlético Madrid, Porto, Villarreal, Lens | Inter, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe, LASK |
| Inter Milan | Liverpool, Club Brugge, Shakhtar, Stuttgart | Real Madrid, Dortmund, Feyenoord, Slovan Bratislava |
| Man City | PSG, Sporting CP, Napoli, AEK Athens | Barcelona, Porto, RB Leipzig, Lens |
| Arsenal | Real Madrid, Dortmund, Lille, Sabah | Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli, Slavia Praha |
| Barcelona | Man City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Como | PSG, Sporting CP, Galatasaray, Sabah |
| Atlético Madrid | Bayern Munich, Man United, Fenerbahçe, Viking | Liverpool, PSV, Bodø/Glimt, Stuttgart |
| Dortmund | Inter, Real Betis, Villarreal, AEK Athens | Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bodø/Glimt, Sabah |
| Roma | Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Lille, Slovan Bratislava | PSG, Man United, Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens |
| Sporting CP | Barcelona, Man United, Galatasaray, LASK | Man City, Roma, Shakhtar, Lens |
| Aston Villa | PSG, Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, Viking | Barcelona, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Slavia Praha |
| Porto | Man City, PSV, Napoli, Slavia Praha | Liverpool, Real Betis, Feyenoord, LASK |
| Man United | Bayern Munich, Roma, RB Leipzig, Sabah | Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal, Como |
| Club Brugge | Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bodø/Glimt, Lens | Inter, PSV, Napoli, Stuttgart |
| Real Betis | Arsenal, Porto, Feyenoord, Como | Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Lille, Slovan Bratislava |
| PSV | Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge, Shakhtar, Stuttgart | Real Madrid, Porto, RB Leipzig, Viking |
| Feyenoord | Inter, Porto, RB Leipzig, Como | Barcelona, Real Betis, Galatasaray, Viking |
| Lille | Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava | Arsenal, Roma, Bodø/Glimt, Stuttgart |
| Bodø/Glimt | Atlético Madrid, Dortmund, Lille, LASK | Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, Napoli, Lens |
| Napoli | Arsenal, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, Viking | Man City, Porto, Villarreal, Sabah |
| RB Leipzig | Man City, PSV, Shakhtar, Lens | Real Madrid, Man United, Feyenoord, Como |
| Villarreal | PSG, Man United, Napoli, Sabah | Liverpool, Dortmund, Fenerbahçe, Slavia Praha |
| Fenerbahçe | Liverpool, Roma, Villarreal, Slavia Praha | Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa, Shakhtar, LASK |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens | Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig, Slovan Bratislava |
| Galatasaray | Barcelona, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, Stuttgart | PSG, Sporting CP, Lille, AEK Athens |
| Slavia Praha | Arsenal, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Lens | Bayern Munich, Porto, Fenerbahçe, Sabah |
| Slovan Bratislava | Inter, Real Betis, Shakhtar, Stuttgart | PSG, Roma, Lille, LASK |
| Stuttgart | Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge, Lille, Viking | Inter, PSV, Galatasaray, Slovan Bratislava |
| AEK Athens | Real Madrid, Roma, Galatasaray, LASK | Man City, Dortmund, Shakhtar, Como |
| LASK | Liverpool, Porto, Fenerbahçe, Slovan Bratislava | Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Bodø/Glimt, AEK Athens |
| Como | PSG, Man United, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens | Barcelona, Real Betis, Feyenoord, Lens |
| Sabah | Barcelona, Dortmund, Napoli, Slavia Praha | Arsenal, Man United, Villarreal, Viking |
| Viking | Bayern Munich, PSV, Feyenoord, Sabah | Atlético Madrid, Aston Villa, Napoli, Stuttgart |
The complete home-and-away allocation is based on UEFA's official draw listing.
The Biggest Fixtures to Watch
PSG vs Barcelona
The defending champions face Barcelona in one of the standout encounters of the entire league phase.
Manchester City vs PSG
Two modern European superpowers will meet in Manchester.
Real Madrid vs Arsenal
The record Champions League winners host one of the Premier League's strongest sides.
Bayern Munich vs Manchester United
A classic European rivalry gets another chapter at Old Trafford.
Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
Two clubs with enormous Champions League pedigree will meet at Anfield.
Barcelona vs Manchester City
A heavyweight clash at Camp Nou gives the league phase another marquee fixture.
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
The Gunners' trip to Munich could be one of the most important games in the battle for a top-eight position.
What the New UCL Format Means
The Champions League is now played as a 36-team league phase rather than the old group-stage system.
Every club plays eight matches against eight different opponents:
- Four matches at home
- Four matches away
- Two opponents from each seeding pot
- One single league table for all 36 clubs
The top eight teams automatically advance to the Round of 16.
Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs, while teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated from the Champions League.
When Does the Champions League League Phase Start?
The opening matchday is scheduled for September 8-10, 2026.
The league phase continues through January 2027:
- Matchday 1: September 8-10, 2026
- Matchday 2: October 13-14
- Matchday 3: October 20-21
- Matchday 4: November 3-4
- Matchday 5: November 24-25
- Matchday 6: December 8-9
- Matchday 7: January 19-20, 2027
- Matchday 8: January 27, 2027
UEFA is expected to confirm the exact fixture dates and kick-off times by August 29.
Where Is the 2027 Champions League Final?
The season will culminate in Madrid.
The 2027 UEFA Champions League final is scheduled for June 5, 2027, at the Estadio Metropolitano.
