When is the UEFA Champions League draw? What to know about format

The qualifying rounds for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League are complete and now it's time to look forward to the league phase of Europe's annual premier club tournament.

Paris Saint-Germain enters this year's competition as two-time reigning champions, and looking to become the first three-peat Champions League winner since Real Madrid from 2016-18.

Count 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid among the biggest threats to PSG's throne, a list of contenders that also includes (but is not exclusive to) defending Premier League winners Arsenal , Bundesliga champs Bayern Munich and La Liga title-holders FC Barcelona .

The UEFA Champions League enters the third season under its relatively new format, with 36 teams in one "league" and each club playing eight matches. The top eight teams advance to the round of 16, while the 9th-24th-placed finishers play a two-legged tie to get into the knockout round proper.

Here's what to know about Thursday's draw:

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How does the Champions League draw work?

Thirty-six European clubs will participate in the league phase, with each being assigned eight opponents – four home matches and four on the road – in Thursday's draw.

The clubs enter the draw in four pots based on UEFA rankings and cannot be matched up against another team from their own country (ex: Arsenal can't draw Manchester City ), and no team can face more than two opponents from any other country.

The 36 clubs all play in one "league" with matches staged on select Tuesdays and Wednesdays through January, with the top eight teams advancing directly to the round of 16.

The teams that finish ninth-24th enter the knockout round playoffs in February, two legged ties that will determine the other eight teams in the last 16.

Once the 16 remaining teams are determined, the rest of the bracket is drawn – with the top eight finishers seeded.

Pot 1: Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich , Paris Saint-Germain , Liverpool , Inter Milan , Real Madrid, FC Barcelona , Atlético Madrid

Pot 2: Aston Villa , Sporting CP, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmund , AS Roma , Manchester United , Club Brugge, Real Betis , PSV Eindhoven

Pot 3: Feyenoord, Napoli , RB Leipzig , Villarreal , Bodø/Glimt, LOSC Lille , Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce

Pot 4: VfB Stuttgart , Como , RC Lens , Sabah FK, LASK, Slavia Prague, AEK Athens, Viking FK, Slovan Bratislava

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