Champions League 26/27 draw, dates, schedule, format and who has qualified from Premier League and around Europe

A total of 36 teams will enter the competition at this stage after 29 qualified at the end of last season. The remaining seven places are determined by the qualifiers.

In the new format, which is entering its third season since being implemented, teams now play fixtures against eight different teams - two teams from Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Half of the eight league-phase matches are at home, with the other half away.

The draw is done by a supercomputer, which automatically selects the eight opponents by one touch of a button.

While four places via qualifiers are yet to be determined, 32 teams have been confirmed.

The pots are allocated based on UEFA's club coefficient rankings, which reflects results in European competitions across a five-year period ending in 2025/26.

Back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain , Bayern Munich , Real Madrid , Liverpool , Manchester City , Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are in Pot 1.

Manchester United and Europa League winners Aston Villa , two clubs making their return to Europe's elite competition, have been placed in Pot 2.

The top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16, while teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated and do not drop into the Europa League.

The teams finishing in ninth to 24th place compete in a two-legged knockout-phase play-off. Teams finishing between ninth and 16th are seeded, meaning they will face a team in 17th-24th with the return leg at home.

The eight clubs who win their knockout-phase play-off each meet one of the seeded top-eight finishers in the league-phase table for a place in the quarter-finals.

Champions League league-phase match dates and schedule

Matchday 1: September 8-10 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 Matchday 8: January 27

Champions League knockout-phase match dates and schedule

The draw for the two-legged knockout-phase play-offs is yet to be determined.

Knockout phase play-offs: February 16/17 and 23/24 Round of 16: March 9/10 and 16/17 Quarter-finals : April 6/7 and 13/14 Semi-finals : April 27/28 and May 4/5 Final: June 5

The final will take place at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on June 5 2027.