The countdown to the 2025-26 Champions League is on! With the league phase draw just around the corner, which giants are you hoping to see clash in the early stages? Get all the essential details on the new format, key dates, and potential matchups. Will your favorite team get a favorable draw?
The curtain is set to rise on the thrilling 2025-26 UEFA Champions League season, promising unprecedented drama and competition. With domestic leagues already in full swing, global football attention now turns to the highly anticipated league phase draw, a pivotal moment that will shape the continental campaign for 36 elite clubs. This new format introduces an exciting dynamic, ensuring every match carries immense weight.
Under the revamped structure, participating teams will navigate a challenging eight-game league phase, moving away from the traditional group stage. The top eight performers, meticulously ranked by points accumulation, will earn direct qualification into the prestigious Round of 16. Meanwhile, the teams positioned from ninth to twenty-fourth will engage in a fiercely contested two-game knockout phase in February 2026, vying for the remaining spots in the next stage.
Last season culminated in a historic triumph for Paris Saint-Germain, who etched their name into the annals of football history by securing the title for France after a dominant 5-0 victory over Italy’s Inter in the final. As PSG aims for a spectacular repeat, formidable challengers such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona have significantly strengthened their squads during the transfer window, signaling their clear intentions to vie for European supremacy.
Beyond the established powerhouses, the competition welcomes hopeful contenders from smaller footballing nations like Cyprus, Kazakhstan, and Norway. These teams carry the aspirations of their respective countries, dreaming of memorable journeys deep into the tournament and the unique opportunity to host some of the world’s most celebrated clubs on their home turf.
Fans globally are eagerly awaiting the league phase draw, scheduled for Thursday, August 28. This crucial event, determining each team’s eight opponents, will be followed by the full release of the fixture list on Saturday, August 30. The draw itself is set to commence at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT from the picturesque French city of Monaco, a traditional and fitting venue for such a grand occasion. Viewers in the U.S. can stream the event live on Paramount+, while UEFA.com will offer a free worldwide stream.
A distinctive aspect of the new eight-opponent league phase involves stringent country-based restrictions. Teams from the same national association are explicitly prohibited from facing each other in the initial league phase. For instance, Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham, despite Tottenham being Europa League winners, cannot be drawn together until the subsequent knockout rounds.
Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that no team can play more than two matches against clubs from the same country during the league phase. This means a club like Real Madrid could potentially encounter both Chelsea and Manchester City, but would be prevented from drawing Arsenal until the later, more advanced stages of the competition, ensuring diverse matchups across the continent.
The comprehensive schedule for the 2025-26 Champions League matchdays has been unveiled, with action kicking off from September 16-18. Subsequent matchdays will run through the fall and into January 2026, building up to the grand finale. The season culminates in the much-anticipated final on May 30, 2026, which will be hosted at the impressive Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, promising a spectacular conclusion to Europe’s premier club competition.
