Champions League 2026/27 Draw: Every Fixture, Breakdown
The draw for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase was held in Monaco, revealing all 36 teams' opponents for the new campaign. With Real Madrid facing Arsenal and Inter, PSG drawn against Barcelona and Manchester City, and Manchester United returning to Europe's top table, this is a genuinely mouth-watering set of fixtures. Here's the full breakdown.
Real Madrid's Star-Studded Ties
Fifteen-time champions Real Madrid drew a set of fixtures befitting their history, including showdowns against Arsenal and Inter Milan among their eight league phase opponents. For a club that measures every season against continental success, this draw offers exactly the kind of marquee tests their history demands.
PSG's Tricky Path to a Historic Three-Peat
Two-time reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain face Barcelona and Manchester City among their eight fixtures, a draw that immediately raises the difficulty of their bid to become the fourth club ever to win three consecutive Champions League titles — a feat last achieved by Real Madrid in 2018. Luis Enrique's side has notably finished outside the top eight in each of the past two campaigns despite winning the trophy both times, meaning even automatic Round of 16 qualification is far from guaranteed against this level of opposition.
🏆 KEY FIXTURES FROM THE DRAW
Manchester United's Long-Awaited Return
Manchester United make their return to the Champions League for the first time since the competition's reformatted league phase began, having missed out following a third-placed Premier League finish under Michael Carrick. They've been rewarded — or perhaps tested — with ties against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid among their group, a serious re-introduction to Europe's elite level after their absence.
Arsenal Build on a Perfect Campaign
Arsenal enter the new season having boasted a perfect league phase record in 2025-26, only to fall narrowly to PSG on penalties in the final. That near-miss adds real motivation to their draw this time around, including their tie against Real Madrid, as they look to go one step further.
Como's Remarkable Rise
Among the 36 teams, Italian side Como's qualification for the competition represents one of the more remarkable rises in recent European football — a club now hosting Champions League football on the shores of Lake Como after years outside the elite level, a genuinely feel-good story amid the tournament's usual roster of superclubs.
How the Format Shapes These Fixtures
Under the league phase format, each of the 36 teams plays eight different opponents rather than the old four-team group format, with matches split across September through January before the knockout phase begins in February. That structure means every team faces a genuinely varied slate of opposition — no team escapes the season without meeting several of the competition's biggest names.
What to Watch as the Season Unfolds
The opening round of fixtures runs September 8-10, kicking off a campaign that builds toward the final in Madrid on June 5, 2027. With this draw's collection of genuine heavyweight ties, the 2026/27 Champions League looks set to deliver drama from the very first matchday.
Test Your Champions League Knowledge
From historic three-peats to shock qualifiers, our quiz covers Champions League history alongside the wider football world. See how much you know heading into the new campaign.