Published: August 25, 2026
- Draw confirmed in Monaco at 5pm BST on Thursday 27 August
- Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Aston Villa and Liverpool involved
- Celtic close after 3-0 first leg vs LASK
- 36-team league phase: eight games each
- Final on 5 June in Madrid
The UEFA Champions League is back on the agenda next month, and before a ball is kicked we get the theatre of the draw in Monaco. Three months on from PSG edging Arsenal on penalties in Budapest, the continent’s heavyweights step up for the new-look league phase as each of the 36 teams finds out its eight fixtures.
There’s plenty of British interest. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool are all in the hat, with Celtic bidding to make it six after a commanding 3-0 first-leg play-off win over LASK. Pot one is stacked again – think PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid – so there’ll be no hiding places. If you’re already plotting outrights or dark horses, have a look at our best football betting sites for a steer.
When and Where to Watch
The league phase draw starts at 5pm BST (12pm ET) on Thursday, 27 August. In the UK, you can watch it on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max, with Prime Video also part of the Champions League broadcast package.
How the League Phase Works
Each club plays eight league-phase matches – two opponents from each of the four pots, split evenly home and away. When the dust settles, the top eight go straight into the last-16. Teams placed 9th to 24th head for a knockout play-off, with positions 9–16 seeded and hosting the second leg. Finish 25th or lower and that’s your European season over – there’s no drop into the Europa League.
Key Dates for Your Diary
- Matchday 1: 8–10 Sept;
- Matchday 2: 13/14 Oct;
- Matchday 3: 20/21 Oct;
- Matchday 4: 3/4 Nov;
- Matchday 5: 24/25 Nov;
- Matchday 6: 8/9 Dec;
- Matchday 7: 19/20 Jan;
- Matchday 8: 27 Jan.
- Knockout play-offs: 16/17 & 23/24 Feb;
- Round of 16: 9/10 & 16/17 Mar;
- Quarter-finals: 6/7 & 13/14 Apr;
- Semi-finals: 27/28 Apr & 4/5 May;
- Final: 5 June, Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid.
As ever, the draw will throw up storylines – reunions, grudge matches and banana skins. However it falls, the Premier League quintet will fancy their chances. Now, let’s see who blinks first when those balls are spun.
Bio:
Football fanatic, you will often find me on the terraces at lower league matches on a Saturday afternoon. I leave the Premier League matches to the prawn sandwich brigade; grassroots football for me all the way.
Key contributions:
As the lead copywriter, it’s my job to turn my colleagues’ “messy notes” (sorry, guys!) into clear, engaging content. From bookmaker reviews to betting predictions, I make sure everything is polished, accurate, and easy to read
Personnel betting philosophy or quotes:
“Great content, like great football, is all about the fundamentals”
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