Champions League draws
The draw for the league phase of the Champions League took place on August 28th in Monaco. The 36 qualified teams were divided into four pots of nine teams each based on their UEFA club coefficient, except for the Champions League title holders (PSG), who were automatically placed as the top seed in Pot 1.
The 36 teams were then manually drawn, and automated software drew their eight different opponents at random, determining which of their matches are at home and which ones away.
Each team got two opponents from each of the four Pots, one at home and one away. Teams could not draw opponents from their own association, and could only be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same association.
The draw for the knockout play-offs took place on January 30th. The teams involved in that draw were those that finished the league phase in places ninth to 24th.
The final draw, for the round of 16 and beyond, will take place on Friday, February 27th. That draw will involve the teams that finish in the top eight of the league phase, plus the eight knockout play-off winners.
The draw will be streamed live on UEFA.com and the official UEFA Champions League app.
The top eight sides after the league phase were (in order):
1. Arsenal (ENG), 2. Bayern Munich (GER), 3. Liverpool (ENG), 4. Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), 5. Barcelona (ESP), 6. Chelsea (ENG), 7. Sporting CP (POR), 8. Manchester City (ENG)
These eight sides progress straight to the round of 16.
The 16 sides set to compete in the knockout play-offs are (in order of league finish):
9. Real Madrid (ESP), 10. Inter Milan (ITA), 11. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), 12. Newcastle (ENG), 13. Juventus (ITA), 14. Atletico Madrid (ESP), 15. Atalanta (ITA), 16. Bayer Leverkusen (GER), 17. Borussia Dortmund (GER), 18. Olympiacos (GRE), 19. Club Brugge (BEL), 20. Galatasaray (TUR), 21. Monaco (FRA), 22. Qarabag (AZE), 23. Bodo/Glimt (NOR), 24. Benfica (POR)
The knockout play-offs draw:
Real Madrid (9) vs Benfica (24)
Inter Milan (10) vs Bodo/Glimt (23)
PSG (11) vs Monaco (21)
Newcastle (12) vs Qarabag (22)
Juventus (13) vs Galatasaray (20)
Atletico Madrid (14) vs Club Brugge (19)
Atalanta (15) vs Borussia Dortmund (17)
Bayer Leverkusen (16) vs Olympiacos (18)
The 12 sides eliminated after the league phase (in alphabetical order) were:
Ajax (NED), Athletic Club (ESP), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), FC Copenhagen (DEN), Kairat Almaty (KAZ), Marseille (FRA), Napoli (ITA), Pafos (CYP), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL), Slavia Prague (CZE), Villarreal (ESP)
See the final table and follow the Champions League here!
Key upcoming dates for the 25/26 UEFA Champions League
League Phase first matchday: September 16th-18th, 2025
League Phase last matchday: January 28th, 2026
Draw for knockout play-offs: January 30th
Knockout play-offs: February 17th and 18th (first legs), February 24th and 25th (second legs)
Final draw (for round of 16 and beyond): February 27th, 2026
Round of 16: March 10th and 11th (first legs), March 17th and 18th (second legs)
Quarter-finals: April 7th and 8th (first legs), April 14th and 15th (second legs)
Semi-finals: April 28th and 29th (first legs), May 5th and 6th (second legs)
Final: May 30th
When & where is the 25/26 Champions League final
The Champions League final will take place on May 30th, 2026, at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. The stadium is an all-seater with a capacity of 67,215. It is the first time the final will be staged in Hungary.
UEFA Champions League format explained
Ahead of last season's competition, there was a big overhaul of UEFA’s premier competition, and indeed all of the continental cups in Europe. Gone are the days of the 32-team group phase with pools - a 36-team league phase has replaced that format.
This season, just like last, each of the 36 teams plays eight games. The top eight at the end of the league phase automatically qualify for the round of 16, while the bottom eight are eliminated and do not drop down to the Europa League.
Meanwhile, the teams that finished between ninth and 24th go into the knockout play-off round to decide which further eight will complete the round of 16. The final draw for the knockout stages takes place after the knockout playoff round.
The round of 16 sees the top eight (seeded) teams drawn against the other (unseeded) teams. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final follow as per typical cup competitions.