2026-27 UEFA Champions League Draw Live Updates and Standings for League Stage

Welcome to Bleacher Report's live blog for the 2026-26 UEFA Champions League league phase draw.

Your host, Leo Collis, is here to provide updates so you don't have to sit through the slog that is the ceremony process (you're welcome).

Which teams will be facing off in marquee matches? And, crucially, which retired footballers will be put through excruciatingly cringy interviews in between balls being picked?

With all 36 participating teams now confirmed following the final round of qualification matches last night, the race to the June final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid is set to begin in earnest, with the first games kicking off on September 8.

And that's that! Full details of the fixtures can be found on the UEFA Champions League website .

The reigning European champions will take on Barcelona at Le Parc des Princes, making a tricky matchup a little more palatable for the French side.

Lamine Yamal versus Nuno Mendes on the wing will be a fascinating contest, while trying to marshal Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue will be a big test for the rising Pau Cubarsi.

In the league phase last season, a weakened PSG team came away with a 2-1 win, so the Blaugrana will want to atone for that.

The German champions will take on the English champions, with Bayern handling hosting duties.

Arsenal got the better of Bayern Munich in the league phase last year, claiming a 3-1 with goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. Lennart Karl got the consolation at the Emirates.

That home swing in Bayern's favor should make a big difference, and the Gunners' rock-solid defense will need to figure out how to keep Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise quiet.

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid will once again meet on the European stage, and the English side will be delighted it's not in the elimination stages (yet).

The Reds have got the better of Los Rojiblancos in the last three meetings in the opening UCL round, but a last-16 exit to the La Liga side in 2019-20 still stings.

Atleti will bring the fight to Anfield, and a brittle Liverpool defense might not be able to handle the pressure.

Jose Mourinho will relish facing off against Arsenal once again, having done so frequently while manager of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Real Madrid's depth of talent on offer can be rivaled by Arsenal's impressive squad, and it should result in a chess-match-style fixture with the potential to explode any minute.

A meeting of two clubs backed by petrostates will be combustible.

While PSG have backed away from a high-spending model in recent years, City have continued to put their money where their mouth is, spending over $250 million on two players in this summer's window alone.

They've not met since the league phase in 2024-25, when PSG came away with a 4-2 win. Much has changed since then, so it will be intriguing to see how they stack up against one another now.

More details on those ties for the big teams ✏️

PSG: Barça (H), Man City (A), Roma (H), Villa (A), Galatasaray (H), Villarreal (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Como (A)

Real Madrid: Internazionale (H), Arsenal (A), PSV (H), Roma (A), RB Leipzig (H), Shakhtar (A), LASK (H), AEK (A)

Bayern Munich: Arsenal (H), Atleti (A), Real Betis (H), Manchester Utd (A), Bodo/Glimt (H), Lille (A), Slavia Praha (H), Viking (A)

Barcelona: Man City (H), PSG (A), Villa (H), Sporting (A), Feyenoord (H), Galatasaray (A), Como (H), Sabah (A)

Arsenal: Real Madrid (H), Bayern Munich (A), Dortmund (H), Betis (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), Sabah (H), Slavia Praha (A)

Liverpool: Atleti (H), Inter (A), Porto (H), Club Brugge (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahce (A), Lens (H), LASK (A)

Manchester United: Bayern Munich (H), Atleti (A), Roma (H), Sporting (A), RB Leipzig (H), Villarreal (A), Sabah (H), Como (A)

Manchester City: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Sporting (H), Porto (A), Napoli (H), RB Leipzing (A), AEK (H), Lens (A)

In their return to the Champions League, Manchester United will face Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.

Europa League champions Aston Villa take on Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Viking and Slavia Praha

Borussia Dortmund will take on Internazionale, Arsenal, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Bodo/Glimt, AEK Athens and Sabah.

Belgium's Club Brugge take on Liverpool, Internazionale, Aston Villa, PSV, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, Lens, Stuttgart.

German champions Bayern Munich will take on Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Manchester United, Bodo/Glimt, Lille, Slavia Praha and Viking.

Thierry Henry gleefully picks Arsenal next, who will face Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Praha.

Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid, Internazionale, Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens and LASK.

Title holders PSG will go up against Barcelona, Manchester City, Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como.

Atleti veteran David Villa helps select Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester United, PSV, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Viking and Stuttgart as the Spanish club's opponents.

Barcelona will face Manchester City, PSG, Aston Villa, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Como and Sabah.

Internazionale has been drawn alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Stuttgart and Slovan Bratislava.

Thierry picks Manchester City next, who will face PSG, Barça, Sporting CP, Porto, Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens.

They'll face Internazionale, Arsenal, PSV, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK, and AEK Athens.

We're 20 minutes in, no draw action yet. We are getting some horrendously awkward exchanges between Thierry Henry and host Reshmin Chowdhury, so there's that.

David Villa is on stage to help with the draw, so maybe it's time to get started?

Thierry Henry claims the UEFA President's Award, with Ceferin taking the chance to have a dig at the French.

Here's UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, thriving at the moment thanks to simply not being Gianni Infantino.

He's presenting a brand new award to Paris Saint-Germain's Marquinhos for fair play. The Brazilian isn't here (good call, mate), but the club's president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is here to collect the honor.

The live stream has started, if you want to put yourself through that.

It all begins with a rousing rendition of the Champions League anthem. Tingles.

We've got a few interesting first-time managers in the tournament this year.

Barcelona and Manchester City legend Yaya Toure is in charge at Slovan Bratislava.

Meanwhile, ex-Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan is drawing up the tactics for Shakhtar Donetsk.

Davide Ancelotti, son of the most decorated manager in Champions League history, Carlo Ancelotti, is now the head coach at Lille.

Then there's Martin Demichelis, formerly of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Atletico Madrid, who's managing RB Leipzig, and Cesc Fabregas, who has swapped dictating things in midfield to dictating things in the dugout with Como.

Cristiano Ronaldo is here, of course. He wouldn't pass up an opportunity to remind everyone he's won a few of these.

That's as close as you're getting this year, lad.

For those who need a refresher, here's a quick explanation of how the draw works. If you still don't get it after viewing, we completely understand.

Looking at each club's top season in the Champions League

Where all the clubs will get picked from today