Champions League league phase draw LIVE
The great and the good of European football descend on Monaco today, where the draw for the Champions League league phase will take place. There are five Premier League sides in the running, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Europa League champions Aston Villa all eagerly awaiting the revelation of who they will face, with all 36 qualified teams now confirmed.
The Gunners come into this season’s tournament hoping to go one better than last year, where they were agonisingly edged out in the final by Paris Saint-Germain after Gabriel Magalhães missed a crucial penalty. PSG, champions in both of the two previous campaigns, come into this season as favourites, but the Gunners certainly pose their biggest threat, and there is a definite chance of the two meeting in the league phase.
Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Inter Milan are among the sides waiting to find out their own paths ahead of the tournament kick-off on September 8, less than two weeks away. Follow the draw live below with Standard Sport’s dedicated blog!
Champions League league phase draw latest news
- What time is the draw?
- How to watch: TNT Sports
- Pots confirmed
- How does the draw work?
- League phase dates
Champions League draw LIVE
18:15 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it! The Champions League league phase draw is now complete.
A reminder that these matches will start the week of September 8.
The times and dates of each fixture will be confirmed on Saturday.
Thank you for following along!
Champions League draw LIVE
18:14 , Arthur Ferridge
Slovan Bratislava: Inter (H), PSG (A), Betis (H), Roma (A), Shakhtar (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), LASK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:13 , Arthur Ferridge
AEK: Real MAdrid (H), Man City (A), Roma (H), Dortmund (A), Galatasaray (H), Shakhtar (A), LASK (H), Como (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:13 , Arthur Ferridge
Viking: Bayern (H), Atletico (A), PSV (H), Aston Villa (A), Feyenoord (H), Napoli (A), Sabah (H), Stuttgart (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:12 , Arthur Ferridge
LASK: Liverpool (H), Real Madrid (A), Porto (H), Sporting (A), Fenerbahce (H), Bodo/Glimt (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), AEK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:10 , Arthur Ferridge
Como: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Man Utd (H), Betis (A), Leipzig (H), Feyenoord (A), AEK (H), Lens (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:09 , Arthur Ferridge
Stuttgart: Atletico (H), Inter (A), Brugge (H), PSV (A), Lille (H), Galatasaray (A), Viking (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:08 , Arthur Ferridge
Sabah: Barcelona (H), Arsenal (A), Dortmund (H), Man Utd (A), Napoli (H), Villarreal (A), Slavia (H), Viking (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:07 , Arthur Ferridge
Slavia Praha: Arsenal (H), Bayern (A), Aston Villa (H), Porto (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahce (A), Lens (H), Sabah (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:07 , Arthur Ferridge
RC Lens: Man City (H), Liverpool (A), Sporting (H), Brugge (A), Bodo/Glimt (H), Leipzig (A), Como (H), Slavia Praha (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:06 , Arthur Ferridge
Right then, the final pot is now being drawn.
The debutants Como, Viking and Sabah are all in this last pot.
Champions League draw LIVE
18:05 , Arthur Ferridge
LASK are announced with clips of their dramatic comeback defeat of Celtic from the other night.
Unlucky for the Hoops - they’re never living that one down.
Champions League draw LIVE
18:04 , Arthur Ferridge
That’s pot three in the books, just one more to go.
Pot four, up next.
Champions League draw LIVE
18:04 , Arthur Ferridge
LOSC Lille: Bayern (H), Arsenal (A), Real Betis (H), Roma (A), Galatasaray (H), Bodo/Glimt (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Stuttgart (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:03 , Arthur Ferridge
Napoli: Arsenal (H), Man City (A), Club Brugge (H), Porto (A), Bodo/Glimt (H), Villarreal (A), Viking (H), Sabah (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:02 , Arthur Ferridge
Galatasaray: Barcelona (H), PSG (A), Aston Villa (H), Sporting (A), Feyenoord (H), Lille (A), Stuttgart (H), AEK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:02 , Arthur Ferridge
Feyenoord: Inter (H), Barcelona (A), Porto (H), Real Betis (A), Leipzig (H), Galatasaray (A), Como (H), Viking (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:01 , Arthur Ferridge
Fenerbahce: Liverpool (H), Atletico (A), Roma (H), Aston Villa (A), Villarreal (H), Shakhtar (A), Slavia Praha (H), LASK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
18:00 , Arthur Ferridge
RB Leipzig: Man City (H), Real Madrid (A), PSV (H), Man Utd (A), Shakhtar (H), Feyenoord (A), Lens (H), Como (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:59 , Arthur Ferridge
Bodo/Glimt: Atletico (H), Bayern (A), Dortmund (H), Club Brugge (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), LASK (H), Lens (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:58 , Arthur Ferridge
Villarreal: PSG (H), Liverpool (A), Man Utd (H), Dortmund (A), Napoli (H), Fenerbahce (A), Sabah (H), Slavia Praha (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:57 , Arthur Ferridge
Shakhtar Donetsk: Real Madrid (H), Inter (A), Sporting (H), PSV (A), Fenerbahce (H), Leipzig (A), AEK (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:55 , Arthur Ferridge
Here we go with pot three!
Champions League draw LIVE
17:54 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it for pot two! We’re halfway there, folks.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:53 , Arthur Ferridge
PSV Eindhoven: Atletico (H), Real Madrid (A), Club Brugge (H), Porto (A), Shakhtar (H), Leipzig (A), Stuttgart (H), Sabah (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:53 , Arthur Ferridge
Sporting CP: Barcelona (H), Man City (A), Man Utd (H), Roma (A), Galatasaray (H), Shakhtar (A), LASK (H), Lens (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:52 , Arthur Ferridge
Manchester United: Bayern Munich (H), Atletico (A), Roma (H), Sporting (A), Leipzig (H), Villarreal (A), Sabah (H), Como (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:51 , Arthur Ferridge
AS Roma: Real Madrid (H), PSG (A), Sporting (H), Man Utd (A), Lille (H), Fenerbahce (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), AWK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:50 , Arthur Ferridge
Real Betis: Arsenal (H), Bayern (A), Porto (H), Dortmund (A), Feyenoord (H), Lille (A), Como (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:49 , Arthur Ferridge
Aston Villa: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Dortmund (H), Club Brugge (A), Fenerbahce (H), Galatasaray (A), Viking (H), Slavia Praha (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:48 , Arthur Ferridge
FC Porto: Man City (H), Liverpool (A), PSV (H), Real Betis (A), Napoli (H), Feyenoord (A), Slavia Praha (H), LASK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:47 , Arthur Ferridge
Borussia Dortmund: Inter (H), Arsenal (A), Real Betis (H), Aston Villa (A), Villarreal (H), Bodo/Glimt (A), AEK (H), Sabah (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:46 , Arthur Ferridge
Club Brugge: Liverpool (H), Inter (A), Aston Villa (H), PSV (A), Bodo/Glimt (H), Napoli (A), Lens (H), Stuttgart (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge
Manchester United and Aston Villa will both learn their fates now. Here we go...
Champions League draw LIVE
17:43 , Arthur Ferridge
And it is only natural we should move on to pot two.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:42 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it for pot one!
Champions League draw LIVE
17:42 , Arthur Ferridge
Bayern Munich: Arsenal (H), Atletico (A), Real Betis (H), Man Utd (A), Bodo/Glimt (H), Lille (A), Slavia Praha (H), Viking (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:41 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal: Real Madrid (H), Bayern (A), Dortmund (H), Betis (A), Lille (H), Napoli (A), Sabah (H), Slavia Praha (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:40 , Arthur Ferridge
Liverpool: Atletico (H), Inter Milan (A), Porto (H), Club Brugge (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahce (A), Lens (H), LASK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:39 , Arthur Ferridge
Paris Saint-Germain: Barcelona (H), Man City (A), Roma (H), Aston Villa (A), Galatasaray (H), Villarreal (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Como (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:37 , Arthur Ferridge
Atletico Madrid: Bayern (H), Liverpool (A), Manchester United (H), PSV (A), Fenerbahce (H), Bodo/Glimt (A), Viking (H), Stuttgart (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:36 , Arthur Ferridge
Barcelona: Man City (H), PSG (A), Aston Villa (H), Sporting (A), Feyenoord (H), Galatasaray (A), Como (H), Sabah (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:35 , Arthur Ferridge
Inter Milan: Liverpool (H), Real Madrid (A), Club Brugge (H), Dortmund (A), Shakhtar (H), Feyenoord (A), Stuttgart (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:34 , Arthur Ferridge
Manchester City: PSG (H), Barcelona (A), Sporting (H), Porto (A), Napoli (H), Leipzig (A), AEK (H), Lens (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:32 , Arthur Ferridge
Real Madrid: Inter (H), Arsenal (A), PSV (H), Roma (A), Leipzig (H), Shakhtar (A), LASK (H), AEK (A)
Champions League draw LIVE
17:31 , Arthur Ferridge
The first ball drawn is... Real Madrid!
Champions League draw LIVE
17:29 , Arthur Ferridge
We get moving with pot one.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:29 , Arthur Ferridge
Match dates and times will be confirmed by Saturday.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:26 , Arthur Ferridge
A video is currently playing explaining the draw. Here are the rules, a la Standard Sport.
Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase. They will no longer play three opponents twice – home and away – but will instead face fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.
To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots.
Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.
Provisions are also in place to prevent any one fixture being played in three consecutive campaigns.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:25 , Arthur Ferridge
He is adamant that Anatoly Trubin’s last-minute winner on the final day of last season’s league phase proves the new format is “truly special.”
Make up your own mind...
Champions League draw LIVE
17:24 , Arthur Ferridge
UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti comes onto the stage to complete the lineup for the draw.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:23 , Arthur Ferridge
Here we go, the draw is about to get underway!
Champions League draw LIVE
17:23 , Arthur Ferridge
Of course, before the draw begins, Villa gets the chance to reminisce on his own Champions League career.
He reckons Atletico Madrid are capable of winning it all...
Champions League draw LIVE
17:19 , Arthur Ferridge
Here we go... our host confirms the draw will begin “shortly.”
Thierry Henry will execute the draw, and he has been joined on stage by David Villa.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:13 , Arthur Ferridge
We are now being treated to a montage of Henry’s career highlights.
The Champions League draw to come at some stage soon, presumably.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:11 , Arthur Ferridge
Time now for the UEFA Presidents’ Award, which Aleksander Ceferin has handed to Thierry Henry!
Marquinhos reacts after winning the prestigious Respect Beyond the Game award
17:09 , Arthur Ferridge
“I would like to thank you for this trophy, it makes me happy. Fair play is an essential part of the game and daily life, and I will continue being respectful this year.”
Champions League draw LIVE
17:07 , Arthur Ferridge
The Respect Beyond the Game award is given to Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos.
The player is not in attendance in Monaco, so Nasser Al-Khelaifi collects it on his behalf.
UEFA cite the player’s ‘grace’ from the World Cup final, presumably referencing his move to console Gabriel after missing the crucial penalty in Budapest.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:05 , Arthur Ferridge
Aleksander Ceferin takes the stage to present the brand-new UEFA ‘Respect Beyond the Game’ award.
Champions League draw LIVE
17:02 , Arthur Ferridge
We get the ball rolling with a live choral rendition of the Champions League anthem, performed alongside a brass band with a highlights reel of iconic moments from the competition.
Here we go...
17:00 , Arthur Ferridge
We are getting underway!
Almost time to get going
16:50 , Arthur Ferridge
The Champions League draw should be underway in just about ten minutes.
Of course, we will likely be made to sit through a good deal of pomp and ceremony before the draw itself actually takes place.
We’ll keep you right up to date with all the happenings.
How will Man City cope without Rodri?
16:40 , Arthur Ferridge
It has been a summer of considerable change at Man City, with Pep Guardiola departing and a number of top players following him out the door.
Chief among them is the one-time Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who has joined Barcelona.
City have made a stuttering start to life without their midfield metronome, suffering a rather embarrassing defeat by Arsenal in the Community Shield and leaving it late to edge past Bournemouth in their Premier League opener.
The arrival of Ayyoub Bouaddi will help, but the 18-year-old has massive shoes to fill.
They will be a fascinating team to watch this season.
Dwight Yorke: "Arsenal will be the only Premier League side to go deep in the Champions League"
16:30 , Arthur Ferridge
“I think a handful of foreign teams can challenge PSG. I'd put Arsenal in the equation, too, based on their squad and what they're capable of.
“I’d say the top contenders are Barcelona, PSG, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal. I think the Italian teams are a little bit behind at the minute, though they're still capable.
“Bayern Munich would love to challenge, and they still have some fabulous players. It’s hard to look beyond those teams, I’d definitely include Bayern Munich as well because they came close last season.
“Outside of that, I don't think any of the other Premier League teams will go far. I include Manchester United in that.” (Via Reviant)
Meet Sabah, the Champions League debutants
16:20 , Arthur Ferridge
Azerbaijani Premier League champions Sabah will make their first appearance in the Champions League this season.
Founded just nine years ago, the Masazir-based side will surely present the most exotic potential away day of the campaign for any English side.
Last season saw them win a first-ever domestic title, and their qualifying campaign saw them beat Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Denmark’s Aarhus Gymnastikforening, and KuPS of Finland.
Shabah, better known as the Owls or the Black-Pinks, closed out their six-match qualifying campaign having scored 15 goals and conceded only 5.
Can Emery inspire Champions League glory?
16:10 , Arthur Ferridge
Unai Emery is well known as a Europa League specialist. After all, he has won the competition a remarkable five times, more than any other manager.
His record in the Champions League, though, is not quite so impressive.
In eight attempts at the competition, he has achieved one semi-final finish, one quarter-final finish, three last-16 exits and three failures to escape the group stage.
It remains to be seen where Villa will set their targets this year. After what so far has been a dismal transfer window, how far can they realistically go?
Dream and nightmare draws for Arsenal
16:00 , Arthur Ferridge
Dream scenario: Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens, Viking
Nightmare scenario: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Porto, Real Betis, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Stuttgart, Sabah
UEFA ruling could impact Arsenal in Champions League draw
15:50 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal could be impacted by a new UEFA rule in the Champions League this season.
Inter Milan are one of the nine clubs confirmed as top seeds but the Gunners cannot be drawn against them away from home in the league phase.
That is due to a lesser-known rule designed to avoid certain fixtures becoming too repetitive.
The Champions League regulations state: "The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.
"This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season."
Arsenal have played Inter at the San Siro in each of the past two seasons.
The same regulation will also prevent Liverpool from hosting Real Madrid.
What happened to Celtic?
15:40 , Arthur Ferridge
Celtic have failed to qualify for the Champions League after squandering a four-goal advantage in their qualifying match against LASK.
They won the first leg 3-0 at Celtic Park and took a 1-0 lead in the away leg before a dramatic second-half capitulation saw them dumped out of the competition.
The Hoops will now drop into the Europa League.
Click here to read the match report!
ICYMI: Shakhtar Donetsk to play Champions League ties at Stamford Bridge this season
15:30 , Arthur Ferridge
Shakhtar Donetsk will play their home Champions League matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium during the 2026/27 season.
The Ukrainian side have not played a match at their usual home stadium, the Donbas Arena, in over 12 years due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
They have since groundshared with a number of clubs across Europe, including in Germany and Poland, and this year will stage their home Champions League matches in west London at Stamford Bridge.
Talks have been ongoing between the clubs for some time but an agreement was reached this week. Brentford’s Gtech Stadium was also under consideration.
Chelsea finished tenth in the Premier League last season, failing to qualify for Europe and leaving their home ground available for most midweeks.
Who are favourites to win the Champions League?
15:20 , Arthur Ferridge
- PSG - 5/1
- Arsenal , Barcelona - 6/1
- Bayern Munich - 13/2
- Real Madrid - 7/1
- Man City - 8/1
- Liverpool - 11/1
- Man Utd - 14/1
- Inter Milan - 25/1
- Atletico Madrid, Aston Villa - 28/1
Odds via BetFair (Subject to change)
League phase matchday dates
15:10 , Arthur Ferridge
Matchday 1: September 8-10, 2026
Matchday 2: October 13/14, 2026
Matchday 3: October 20/21, 2026
Matchday 4: November 3/4, 2026
Matchday 5: November 24/25, 2026
Matchday 6: December 8/9, 2026
Matchday 7: January 19/20, 2026
Matchday 8: January 27, 2026
How does the draw work?
15:00 , Arthur Ferridge
Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase. They will no longer play three opponents twice – home and away – but will instead face fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.
To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots.
Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.
Provisions are also in place to prevent any one fixture being played in three consecutive campaigns.
Pots confirmed
14:50 , Arthur Ferridge
Pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Man City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray
Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK, Como, Lens, Viking, Sabah
How to watch the Champions League draw
14:40 , Arthur Ferridge
TV channel: The draw will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1. Coverage starts at 5pm BST and the draw will commence shortly after.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website
UEFA.com and the TNT Sports YouTube channel will also show proceedings live for free.
Good afternoon
14:28 , Arthur Ferridge
Hello, and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of the Champions League league phase draw!
This is always one of the most exciting days of this stage of the season, and five clubs stand to find out who they will face in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League.
Stick with us right here for all the latest from a glitzy ceremony in Monaco, where proceedings are expected to get underway at 5pm BST.
