The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is set for another thrilling campaign after the league-phase draw was conducted in Monaco, with five English clubs, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United learning the opponents they will face in the opening phase of the competition.
The 36-team league phase will begin on September 8, 2026, with each club playing eight matches, four at home and four away. The top eight teams in the standings will progress directly to the Round of 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter the knockout phase play-offs.
Arsenal, who reached last season’s Champions League final, have been handed a demanding schedule that includes home meetings with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Sabah, while they will travel to Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague.
Aston Villa will face French champions Paris Saint-Germain at home and Barcelona away, alongside meetings with Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Viking and Slavia Prague. The draw gives Villa a particularly challenging route, with PSG and Barcelona among the headline opponents.
Liverpool will begin their campaign against Atlético Madrid at home and travel to Inter Milan. The Reds will also face Porto at home, Club Brugge away, Villarreal at home, Fenerbahçe away, Lens at home and LASK away.
Manchester City have also been handed a high-profile schedule, with Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting CP visiting the Etihad Stadium, while City travel to Barcelona and Porto. Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens complete their eight opponents.
Manchester United, returning to Europe’s premier club competition, will welcome Bayern Munich, AS Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah to Old Trafford. The Red Devils will travel to Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal and Como in what promises to be a demanding league phase.
The draw places several heavyweight European encounters on the calendar, including Arsenal’s meeting with Real Madrid, Manchester City’s clash with Barcelona and Liverpool’s showdown with Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan.
The league phase will run through January 2027, with the final round of matches scheduled for January 27. The knockout phase play-offs will take place in February, followed by the Round of 16 in March, the quarter-finals and semi-finals in April and May, and the final on June 5, 2027, in Madrid.
With five English clubs in the 36-team field, the 2026/27 Champions League promises another intense European campaign, as the continent’s leading clubs battle for a place in the knockout rounds and ultimately the coveted European crown.