Champions League Confirms Date for 2026/27 League Phase Draw

UEFA has officially confirmed that the draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase will take place on Thursday, 27 August, setting the stage for another thrilling European campaign.

The draw will determine the eight opponents each qualified club will face under the competition's revamped league phase format. Instead of the traditional group stage, all participating teams compete in a single league table, with every club playing eight matches against different opponents.

As in previous editions, teams will be seeded into pots based on UEFA's club coefficient rankings, while the draw will ensure clubs face a balanced mix of opponents from across the pots.

The league phase promises plenty of blockbuster fixtures from the very beginning, with Europe's biggest clubs set to learn their routes to the knockout stages. The top eight teams in the standings will qualify directly for the Round of 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 24th will battle it out in a two-legged knockout play-off.

With domestic leagues approaching the new season, fans can now circle 27 August on the calendar as one of the biggest dates of the football summer, when the road to Champions League glory officially begins.