Champions League draw pairs Barcelona with PSG as Real Madrid faces Arsenal

Draw format and tournament structure

The draw for the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League league phase took place on Thursday at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. An automated computer system determined eight opponents for each of the 36 participating clubs, with former players David Villa and Thierry Henry assisting on stage. All teams compete in a single league table across eight matchdays running from mid-September 2026 to late January 2027. Clubs finishing in the top eight advance directly to the round of 16, while those ranked ninth through 24th enter a two-legged playoff in February 2027. Teams placed 25th to 36th are eliminated without dropping into lower competitions. The final will take place on 5 June 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

Madrid clubs and Mourinho reunions

Real Madrid received a schedule featuring eight distinct opponents across the continent. Manager Jose Mourinho will face several former clubs during the campaign. Real Madrid will host Inter, PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, and Austrian club LASK at the Santiago Bernabeu. Away from home, the 15-time champions visit Arsenal in London, AS Roma in Italy, AEK Athens in Greece, and Shakhtar Donetsk, who will play their home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium. Atletico Madrid, whose home ground hosts the final, faces Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Fenerbahce, and Viking in Madrid. Diego Simeone's squad travels to Liverpool, PSV, Stuttgart, and Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

We have two or three good opponents, like Bayern, an unfamiliar one in Viking. We will have to work and fight. Bodo will be difficult, they were last year's revelation and are a great team. Let us see if we get good temperatures and do not freeze. Being in the final at the Metropolitano is exciting. It will not take us much effort to get there, it is our home.

Barcelona faces defending champions PSG

Barcelona, led by Hansi Flick, drew reigning two-time champions Paris Saint-Germain as their premier away fixture. The match in Paris brings a reunion with former manager Luis Enrique and forward Ferran Torres. Barcelona also travels to Lisbon to face Sporting CP, to Istanbul for Galatasaray, and to Baku for Sabah. At Camp Nou, Barcelona will host Manchester City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord, and Italian side Como. The fixture against Manchester City pits midfielder Rodri against his former club, now coached by Enzo Maresca. Como's visit marks a return to Barcelona for manager Cesc Fabregas, who won the Champions League as a player with the Catalan club.

Tests for Betis and Villarreal

Real Betis returns to the Champions League 21 years after their only previous appearance in the competition. Manuel Pellegrini's team will host Arsenal, Porto, Feyenoord, and Como at La Cartuja. For their away fixtures, Betis travels to Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, and Slovan Bratislava. Villarreal also received a difficult slate of matches, including home games against PSG, Manchester United, Napoli, and Sabah. Away from Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal will play Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahce, and Slovan Bratislava. UEFA will publish the complete fixture schedule with dates and kickoff times on Saturday, 29 August.