UEFA Champions League 2026/27 · teams, draw, dates & format

Level 2 · UEFA club competition

UEFA Champions League

Europe's club championship returns for its 72nd season, and after two years of Paris dominance every one of the 36 league-phase entrants is chasing the most prestigious trophy in the game.

Overview

UEFA Champions League 2026/27 at a glance

Edition: 72nd season
League phase: 36 clubs, 8 matchdays
Draw: 27 August 2026, Monaco
Final: 5 June 2027
Venue: Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid
Reigning champions: Paris Saint-Germain

Background

About the competition

Europe's club championship returns for its 72nd season, and after two years of Paris dominance every one of the 36 league-phase entrants is chasing the most prestigious trophy in the game.

The UEFA Champions League is Europe's top club competition, run by UEFA and contested by clubs from across the continent every season. It is the oldest international club competition in the world, and since 1992 it has been played under the Champions League name.

The 2026/27 edition is the 72nd in the competition's history and the second to use a 36-team league phase, with eight matches per team instead of a six-match group stage.

Paris Saint-Germain won the 2025/26 final on 30 May 2026, beating Arsenal 1-1 on the night and 4-3 on penalties, to retain the trophy for a second consecutive season.

League phase entrants

The 36 clubs in the 2026/27 league phase

AEK AthensGreece

ArsenalEngland

Aston VillaEngland

Atletico MadridSpain

BarcelonaSpain

Bayern MunichGermany

Bodo/GlimtNorway

Borussia DortmundGermany

Club BruggeBelgium

ComoItaly

FenerbahceTurkey

FeyenoordNetherlands

GalatasarayTurkey

InterItaly

LASKAustria

RB LeipzigGermany

LensFrance

LilleFrance

LiverpoolEngland

Man CityEngland

Man UnitedEngland

NapoliItaly

Paris Saint-GermainFrance

PortoPortugal

PSVNetherlands

Real BetisSpain

Real MadridSpain

RomaItaly

SabahAzerbaijan

Shakhtar DonetskUkraine

Slavia PrahaCzechia

Slovan BratislavaSlovakia

Sporting CPPortugal

StuttgartGermany

VikingNorway

VillarrealSpain

Level 3 · Players to watch

Players to watch

The Arsenal #7 Tribute CollectionRuns at full-backs and scores the awkward ones. 52 caps, 14 goals. Show your loyalty with a fan-edition Arsenal jersey in red and white - stitched numbering, breathable performance blend, cut for matchday and everyday wear.52 caps · 14 goals

The Real Madrid #5 Tribute CollectionPlays between the lines, where matches are decided - 44 caps, 8 goals. Rep the Real Madrid side in their all white. A fan-edition Real Madrid jersey with stitched numbers and a relaxed game-day fit.44 caps · 8 goals

The Real Madrid #7 Tribute CollectionDown the left, into the box, and impossible to pick up. 41 caps, 9 goals. An everyday Real Madrid colourway for real supporters: fan-edition cut, stitched numbering, made for the stands and the sofa.41 caps · 9 goals

The Bayern Munich #42 Tribute CollectionPlays between the lines, where matches are decided - 40 caps, 9 goals. Wear Bayern Munich in the colours the crowd knows. Fan-edition Bayern Munich jersey, stitched numbering, red and white throughout.40 caps · 9 goals

The FC Barcelona #19 Tribute CollectionRuns at full-backs and scores the awkward ones. 28 caps, 7 goals. FC Barcelona in blue and garnet, cut for the terraces. Fan-edition FC Barcelona jersey with stitched numbering and a game-day fit.28 caps · 7 goals

The Inter Milan #10 Tribute Collection32 goals in 70 senior caps. This is the shirt that decides matches. Show your loyalty with a fan-edition Inter Milan jersey in blue and black - stitched numbering, breathable performance blend, cut for matchday and everyday wear.70 caps · 32 goals

The Paris Saint-Germain #14 Tribute CollectionRuns at full-backs and scores the awkward ones. 55 caps, 12 goals. Rep the Paris Saint-Germain side in their navy, red and white. A fan-edition Paris Saint-Germain jersey with stitched numbers and a relaxed game-day fit.55 caps · 12 goals

Move your mouse to explore · click a card to shop

How the competition works

2026/27 format: league phase, play-off and knockouts

Twenty-nine clubs entered the league phase directly on the strength of their 2025/26 domestic results, with seven more coming through the qualifying rounds. The draw took place in Monaco on 27 August 2026, with the 36 clubs placed in four pots of nine based on the UEFA club coefficient ranking.

Each team is drawn from two pots and plays eight matches, finishing at home four times and away four times. Clubs from the same domestic league are kept apart, and no club can be drawn against more than two others from its own country.

The eight highest finishers in the league phase go straight to the round of 16. Clubs ranked ninth to 24th enter the knockout play-off, and the clubs ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated.

Draw, matchdays and final

2026/27 Champions League dates

League phase draw - 27 August 2026, Monaco
League phase matchday 1 - 8 to 10 September 2026
Knockout play-off draw - 29 January 2027
Round of 16 draw - 26 February 2027
Round of 16 - 9, 10, 16 and 17 March 2027
Quarter-finals - 6, 7, 13 and 14 April 2027
Semi-finals - 27, 28 April and 4, 5 May 2027
Final - 5 June 2027, Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

2025/26 · Sample data

How the last final went

Paris Saint-Germain won the 2025/26 final 30 May 2026, Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal (4-3 on penalties), at 30 May 2026.

Paris won a second consecutive title - only the second club after Real Madrid (2016/17) to win back-to-back in the Champions League era - after Arsenal missed the decisive penalty.

European Cup & Champions League titles

All-time winners by club

Club	Titles	Years won
Real Madrid	15	1956-1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016-2018, 2022, 2024
AC Milan	7	1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007
Bayern Munich	6	1974-1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
Liverpool	5	1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2019
Barcelona	5	1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
Ajax	4	1971, 1972, 1973, 1995
Inter	3	1964, 1965, 2010
Juventus	2	1985, 1996
Benfica	2	1961, 1962
Chelsea	2	2012, 2021
Porto	2	1987, 2004
Nottingham Forest	2	1979, 1980
Paris Saint-Germain	2	2025, 2026
Manchester United	1	1968
Manchester City	1	2023
Celtic	1	1967
Borussia Dortmund	1	1997
Feyenoord	1	1970
Hamburger SV	1	1983
Marseille	1	1993
Red Star Belgrade	1	1991
Steaua Bucharest	1	1986

Tournament questions · 2026/27

Frequently asked questions about the UEFA Champions League

How many teams are in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League?

36 clubs, all in one league phase of eight matchdays. Twenty-nine entered directly on their 2025/26 domestic results and seven came through the qualifying rounds.

When does the 2026/27 Champions League league phase start?

On 8 September 2026, two weeks after the draw in Monaco on 27 August 2026.

How does the Champions League league phase work?

Each club plays eight matches, four home and four away, against two opponents drawn from each of the four pots. Clubs from the same domestic league are kept apart.

How many clubs reach the Champions League round of 16?

Eight go straight through from the league phase. Clubs ranked ninth to 24th enter the knockout play-off, and those ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated.

Where is the 2027 UEFA Champions League final played?

At the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on 5 June 2027. The stadium hosted the 2019 final, when Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0.

Who won the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League?

Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on 30 May 2026 to retain the trophy.

Which club has won the UEFA Champions League the most times?

Real Madrid, with 15 titles - more than double AC Milen's seven. Bayern Munich and Liverpool have six each.

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