Arsenal host Real Madrid, Aston Villa play holders Paris Saint-Germain, while Manchester United will mark their Champions League return against Bayern Munich as the league phase draw was revealed.
Premier League champions Arsenal, runners-up to PSG last season, will also visit Bayern Munich, host Borussia Dortmund and travel to Napoli in their campaign. The Gunners also play Real Betis, Lille, Azerbaijani debutants Sabah and Slavia Prague.
Michael Carrick’s United, in their first Champions League campaign in three years, have Bayern Munich at home and Atletico Madrid away among their eight league phase fixtures. There are also ties against Roma, Sporting, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.
Liverpool will once again go to Inter Milan and host Atletico Madrid, two repeat fixtures from last season, as well as games against Porto, Villarreal and a tough trip to Turkey to play Fenerbahce. Andoni Iraola’s men also play Club Brugge, Lens and Austrian champions LASK.
Manchester City will play both holders PSG and Rodri’s Barcelona in a tough first campaign for Enzo Maresca and also face a reunion with Kevin De Bruyne as they drew Napoli at home. Sporting, Porto, Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens complete their fixture schedule.
Europa League winners Aston Villa will go to Barcelona and the Camp Nou, as well as hosting holders PSG in a rematch of their epic quarter-final clash from two years ago. Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, both Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, as well as Norway’s Viking and Slavia Prague await Unai Emery’s men.
The full fixture schedule for the Champions League league phase will be confirmed in the coming days. Follow all the latest updates, reaction and analysis from the draw below
Uefa Champions League 26/27 league phase draw
- Arsenal: Real Madrid (h), Bayern Munich (a), Dortmund (h), Real Betis (a), Lille (h), Napoli (a), Sabah (h), Slavia Prague (a)
- Man Utd: Bayern (h), Atletico (a), Roma (h), Sporting (a), Leipzig (h), Villarreal (a), Sabah (h), Como (a)
- Man City: PSG (h), Barcelona (a), Sporting CP (h), Porto (a), Napoli (h), Leipzig (a), AEK (h), Lens (a)
- Liverpool: Atletico (h), Inter (a), Porto (h), Club Brugge (a), Villarreal (h), Fenerbahce (a), Lens (h), LASK (a)
- Aston Villa: PSG (h), Barcelona (a), Dortmund (h), Club Brugge (a), Fenerbahce (h), Galatasaray (a), Viking (h), Slavia Prague (a)
Five standout Champions League fixtures as Man City get Rodri reunion
08:02 , Sam Brookes
Arsenal vs Real Madrid - The Gunners famously knocked Real Madrid out at the quarter-final stage in 2025, and will get to host the Spanish giants at the Emirates. This game also comes after Vinicius Jr opted to sign a new Real Madrid contract this summer after being heavily linked with Arsenal.
Barcelona vs Manchester City - Enzo Maresca’s side will get a swift reunion with Rodri as they will travel to the Nou Camp in the league phase. The midfielder left City earlier this month after seven years in Manchester.
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich - This fixture will always hold fond memories for United fans following their triumph over Bayern in the 1999 final. Can Michael Carrick’s men keep Harry Kane at bay when Bayern travel to Old Trafford?
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid - Liverpool have managed to avoid some of the bigger names in the competition, but Atletico could provide a stern test. Diego Simeone’s men knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion back in 2020.
Aston Villa vs PSG - Villa are back in the Champions League and will welcome two-time defending champions PSG to Villa Park. Unai Emery’s men pushed PSG extremely close back in their quarter-final clash in 2025 and will hope to provide problems once more.
Europa League draw: Start time, confirmed pots, qualified teams and how to watch
08:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Celtic take their place in the Europa League draw – which will be revealed later this afternoon.
Bournemouth have qualified for Europe for the first time in their history while Sunderland are back in a continental competition for the first time since 1974.
Crystal Palace will be bidding for more European glory after their victory in the Conference League last season, meaning there will be three Premier League sides involved.
Celtic, meanwhile, dropped into the Europa League after their embarrassing collapse against LASK in the Champions League play-off second leg on Tuesday night.
Juventus, AC Milan, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Lyon and Real Sociedad are the top European sides who the British teams could be drawn with in today’s draw.
And the Conference League draw – featuring Brighton and Heart of Midlothian – will follow later.
When is the Europa League draw?
It will begin from 12pm BST on Friday 28 August. If the Champions League is anything to go by, the first ball could be drawn at around 12:30pm. The draw will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the joint host broadcasters in the UK of the Champions League alongside Prime Video. As with the past couple of seasons, the draw will arrange the eight matches each team contests in the 36-team first phase – facing two teams from pots one, two, three and four. Half of the matches will be at home, the other half away.
Transfer window special: £100m dominoes, Villa’s woes and the incoming deadline day frenzy
06:02 , Jamie Braidwood
The transfer window has been more frenzied than ever this summer, with wild £100m sums being exchanged between Premier League clubs. Who distorted the market, and are clubs overpaying for new recruits?
Aston Villa and Newcastle have sold several key players this summer – are the Premier League’s new squad cost ratio (SCR) rules to blame? And with only a few days to go until the deadline, which deals will get done before the window closes?
Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly join Lawrence Ostlere to discuss all this and more in this week’s edition of Copa Independent, the Independent’s weekly football podcast.
Tune in to Copa Independent every week to hear our top football writers debate the biggest stories, arguments and talking points in the game – cutting through the noise to make sense of what matters. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube
Where will Julian Alvarez be playing Champions League?
04:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Arsenal target Julian Alvarez will “never, ever” be sold to Barcelona, according to Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin, who did not rule out the possibility of the Argentina international joining another club instead before the transfer deadline.
Alvarez made it clear earlier this summer that he wanted to join Barcelona but relations between the Spanish clubs have completely broken down over the transfer saga, with Gil Marin accusing Barcelona of “dishonesty” and a lack of “professionalism”.
Barcelona's president Joan Laporta said on Wednesday that they were still interested in Alvarez despite Atletico’s stance, with Atletico then releasing a statement to confirm there was “zero per cent chance” of Alvarez moving to Camp Nou.
Atletico or Arsenal? What’s it going to be?
Julian Alvarez will ‘never, ever’ join Barcelona – but Arsenal remains a possibility
Aston Villa exodus continues before Champions League return?
02:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5m.
It means that six of the side that started Aston Villa’s Europa League final victory over Freiburg will have left the club by the time the Champions League begins.
Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins and Martinez are all set to have departed in a summer of huge change for Unai Emery’s side.
Why Bradley Barcola should be the ‘perfect’ fit for Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool
00:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool have been forced to wait until days before the deadline, writes Richard Jolly, but Andoni Iraola has a specific type of winger crucial to his system and therefore his success at Anfield
Why Bradley Barcola should be the ‘perfect’ fit for Liverpool
Man City look forward to welcoming Kevin De Bruyne back to Etihad
23:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Manchester City can look forward to an “amazing” reunion with Kevin De Bruyne as well as meeting with Rodri when they face Barcelona, director of football Hugo Viana has said.
De Bruyne will return to the Etihad with his Napoli team while City will visit Rodri following his move back to Spain this summer. City will also play Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
“Of course, it’s always a challenge to play against the European champions, but we are happy to see Kevin and Rodri again,” Viana told City’s website.
“We are really happy that we face Barcelona with Rodri there, we are happy to see him again. Barcelona is always tough, especially away.
“And also Napoli that we played last year and we had the pleasure to have Kevin on the field and it will be amazing to see him again.
“When you have friends on the pitch it’s always good.
“And I’m happy also that I will see Sporting, my former club, coming to Manchester and that I go to my country to face Porto.
“We go to France to play Lens; they are doing really well. AEK also, they were doing really well last season, and Leipzig is a really tough opponent also.
Martin Keown excited by Arsenal's Champions League draw
22:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said the Gunners have “nothing to fear” in the Champions League despite the Premier League champions facing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the league phase.
The Gunners will host Real Madrid and go to Bayern Munich in two blockbuster fixtures, and will also play Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Sabah and Slavia Prague.
"Winning the Premier League gives you that extra bit of confidence,” he told Arsenal’s website. “You see that glow in the players.
“Of course Bayern away [will be] tough, Napoli as well, but these are all really great fixtures and Arsenal have started the season really well so there's nothing to fear.
"That has to be the vision for the club, the ambition, and embrace that. I think they're more than capable of doing that, let's see how it pans out."
Andoni Iraola reacts to Liverpool's Champions League draw: 'An honour'
21:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Andoni Iraola said it will be an “honour” to take charge of Liverpool in the Champions League as he prepares for his first season as a manager in the competition. The Reds will will face Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in their toughest tests, and also play Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens and LASK.
“It's an interesting and difficult draw but we understood in advance that however the draw went we would be facing strong opposition, and that is exactly how it has worked out,” Iraola told Liverpool’s website.
"This is the strength of the Champions League and why competing in it is such a big test. Each of these games will present a difficult challenge in their own way, so we will have to prepare for them as best as possible and give our very best on the pitch.
"It's up to us to be ready but we have two important Premier League games before then, which will be our full focus before we look at the Champions League.
"But the Champions League is a challenge that we are definitely looking forward to, and it is also exciting for our supporters in terms of the European nights we can experience at Anfield and the visits to stadiums in Italy, Belgium, Austria and Turkiye.
"Coming here, I knew how special the Champions League is and how much it has been part of Liverpool's history, so it will be an honour for me and my staff to work with the team in this tournament."
Jose Mourinho returns to Arsenal with Real Madrid
20:02 , Jamie Braidwood
There should be some fireworks as Jose Mourinho returns to face Arsenal with Real Madrid, as Vinicius Jr also faces the side who tried to sign him earlier this summer. Mourinho is back in charge of Real Madrid following the end of his first spell in 2013. The two-time Champions League winner has won his first two games in charge back at the Bernabeu. Mourinho faced Mikel Arteta three times as Tottenham manager, winning two of those matches. But their last meeting came five years ago. Mourinho will also face one of his former sides: Roma.
- Inter (h)
- Arsenal (a)
- PSV (h)
- Roma (a)
- Leipzig (h)
- Shakhtar (a)
- LASK (h)
- AEK Athens (A)
When does Champions League kick-off?
19:02 , Jamie Braidwood
It all kicks off on Tuesday 8 September, with a further slate of matches on Wednesday 9 September and even more on Thursday 10 September. The fixture dates and kick-off times will be announced on Saturday!
- Matchday 1: September 8-10
- Matchday 2: October 13-14
- Matchday 3: October 20-21
- Matchday 4: November 3-4
- Matchday 5: November 24-25
- Matchday 6: December 8-9
- Matchday 7: January 19-20
- Matchday 8: January 27
Aston Villa's Champions League draw: PSG again for Unai Emery's side
18:52 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa have already face Paris Saint-Germain this season after losing 2-1 to the Champions League winners in the Super Cup. Unai Emery’s side also played out an epic quarter-final against Luis Enrique’s side in 2024-25, so Villa Park will relish getting the opportunity to play the two-time defending champions. A trip to Barcelona is also appealing while Villa play both Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, as well as Borussia Dortmund. Quite a tough draw there for the Europa League winners.
- PSG (h)
- Barcelona (a)
- Dortmund (h)
- Club Brugge (a)
- Fenerbahce (h)
- Galatasaray (a)
- Viking (h)
- Slavia Prague (a)
Liverpool's Champions League draw: Deja vu for the Reds?
18:46 , Jamie Braidwood
It’s a case of deja vu for Liverpool, although not for Andoni Iraola of course as he takes charge in the Champions League for the first time. But under Arne Slot, Liverpool hosted Atletico Madrid and went to Inter Milan in last season’s league phase. They won late against Atletico, as Diego Simeone was sent off for clashing for fans pitchside following Virgil van Dijk’s winner, and won 1-0 at Inter in December thanks to a late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty after Mohamed Salah was dropped.
It means they immediately face a reunion with local lad Curtis Jones, of course, after his switch ti Inter while Liverpool also face another trip to Istanbul. They lost twice at Galatasaray in the Champions League last season and Fenerbahce away promises to be another tough one.
- Atletico Madrid (H)
- Inter Milan (A)
- Porto (H)
- Club Brugge (A)
- Villarreal (H)
- Fenerbahce (A)
- Lens (H)
- LASK (A)
Man City's Champions League draw: Reunions for Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne
18:40 , Jamie Braidwood
A tough first campaign for Enzo Maresca, with a glamour tie against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, but Manchester City have two reunions to look forward to. They will visit Rodri’s Barcelona and welcome home Kevin De Bruyne as he returns with Napoli. De Bruyne, one of City’s greatest ever players, joined the Italian side at the start of last season and will face City for the first time while Ballon d’Or winner Rodri joined Barcelona after the World Cup, but recently underwent back surgery.
- PSG (h)
- Barcelona (a)
- Sporting CP (h)
- Porto (a)
- Napoli (h)
- Leipzig (a)
- AEK Athens (h)
- Lens (a
Manchester United's Champions League draw: Bayern Munich await
18:26 , Jamie Braidwood
Manchester United actually played Bayern Munich at home the last time they were in the Champions League in 2023-24. They lost both games in the old group stage, and only have to worry about facing them once this time under the new league phase. Harry Kane will get the chance to return to Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid away from home is tough, Roma at home is evoking memories of the 7-1 from the 2006-07 quarter-finals, and Villarreal were their conquerors in the 2020-21 Europa League final. They will also visit Cesc Fabregas’s Como. That’s a lovely away trip and United fans will be hoping it’s the warmer months.
- Bayern Munich (H)
- Atletico Madrid (A)
- Roma (H)
- Sporting Lisbon (A)
- Leipzig (H)
- Villarreal (A)
- Sabah (H)
- Como (A)
Arsenal's Champions League draw: Gunners to welcome Vinicius Jr and Mourinho
18:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Arsenal have recent memories of facing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages. They hosted Bayern in last season’s knockout phase but go to the Allianz and face Harry Kane’s side this season, while the pursuit of Vinicius Jr and the return of Jose Mourinho adds an element of intrigue ahead of welcoming Real Madrid .
Beyond the big two, this is a favourable draw for Mikel Arteta’s side, though, although Napoli away is always a tough one on paper. Even so, Arsenal won all eight of their Champions League league phase games last season. If they match that this time, it would be a serious statement from last year’s runners-up.
• Real Madrid (home)
• Bayern Munich (away)
• Borussia Dortmund (H)
• Real Betis (A)
• Lille (H)
• Napoli (A)
• Sabah (H)
• Slavia Prague (A)
That's the draw
18:14 , Alan Smith
Now we know the fixtures but we must wait until Saturday to find out the order, the dates and kick-off times!
And finally Slovan Bratislava will face...
18:14 , Alan Smith
Inter (h), PSG (a), Real Betis (h), Roma (A), Shakhtar (h), Lille (a), Stuttgart (h), LASK (a)
AEK will face...
18:13 , Alan Smith
Real (h), Man City (a), Roma (h), Dortmund (a), Galatasaray (h), Shakhtar (a), LASK (h), Como (a)
Viking will face...
18:12 , Alan Smith
Bayern (h), Atletico (a), PSV (h), Aston Villa (A), Feyenoord (h), Napoli (a), Sabah (h), Stuttgart (a)
LASK will face...
18:12 , Alan Smith
Liverpool (h), Real (a), Porto (h), Sporting (a), Fenerbahce (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), S Bratislava (h), AEK (a)
Como will face...
18:10 , Alan Smith
Paris (h), Barcelona (a), Man Utd (h), Real Betis (a), Leipzig (h), Feyenoord (a), AEK (h), Lens (a)
Stuttgart will face...
18:09 , Alan Smith
Atletico (h), Inter (a), Club Brugge (h), PSV (a), Lille (h), Galatasaray (a), Viking (h), S Bratislava (a)
Sabah will face...
18:08 , Alan Smith
Barcelona (h), Arsenal (a), Dortmund (h), Man Utd (a), Napoli (h), Villarreal (a), Slavia Prague (h), Viking (a)
Slavia Prague will face...
18:07 , Alan Smith
Arsenal (h), Bayern (a), Aston Villa (h), Porto (a), Villarreal (h), Fenerbahce (a), Lens (h), Sabah (a)
Lens will face...
18:07 , Alan Smith
Man City (h), Liverpool (a), Sporting (h), Club Brugge (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), Leipzig (a), Como (h), Slavia Prague (a)
That's Pot 3 completed
18:04 , Alan Smith
And we’re almost there...
Lille will face...
18:04 , Alan Smith
Bayern (h), Arsenal (a), Real Betis (h), Roma (A), Galatasaray (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), S Bratislava (h), Stuttgart (a)
Napoli will face...
18:03 , Alan Smith
Arsenal (h), Man City (a), Club Brugge (h), Porto (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), Villarreal (a), Viking (h), Sabah (a)
Galatasaray will face ...
18:02 , Alan Smith
Barcelona (h), PSG (a), Aston Villa (h), Sporting (a), Feyenoord (h), Lille (a), Stuttgart (h), AEK (a)
Feyenoord will face...
18:01 , Alan Smith
Inter (h), Barcelona (a), Porto (h), Real Betis (a), Leipzig (h), Galatasaray (a), Como (h), Viking (a)
Fenerbahce will face ...
18:01 , Alan Smith
Liverpool (h), Atletico (a), Roma (h), Aston Villa (a), Villarreal (h), Shakhtar (a), Slavia Prague (h), LASK (a)
Leipzig will face...
18:00 , Alan Smith
Man City (h), Real (a), PSV (h), Man Utd (a), Shakhtar (h), Feyenoord (a), Lens (h), Como (a)
Bodo/Glimt will face...
17:59 , Alan Smith
Atletico (h), Bayern (a), Dortmund (h), Club Brugge (a), Lille (h), Napoli (a), LASK (h), Lens (a)
Villarreal will face...
17:58 , Alan Smith
Paris (h), Liverpool (a), Man Utd (h), Dortmund (a), Napoli (h), Fenerbahce (a), Sabah (h), Slavia Prague (a)
Shakhtar will face...
17:57 , Alan Smith
Real (h), Inter (a), Sporting (h), PSV (a), Fenerbahce (h), Leipzig (a), AEK (h), S Bratislava (a)
That's Pot 2 finished...
17:55 , Alan Smith
And a bunch of the next teams already know their most difficult opponents.
PSV will face...
17:53 , Alan Smith
Atletico (h), Real Madrid (a), Club Brugge (h), Porto (a), Shakhtar (h), Leipzig (a), Stuttgart (h), Viking (a)
Sporting will face...
17:52 , Alan Smith
Barcelona (h), Man City (a), Man Utd (h), Roma (a), Galatasaray (h), Shakhtar (a), LASK (h), Lens (a)
Man Utd will face...
17:52 , Alan Smith
Bayern (h), Atletico (a), Roma (h), Sporting (a), Leipzig (h), Villarreal (a), Sabah (h), Como (a)
Roma will face...
17:51 , Alan Smith
Real Madrid (h), PSG (a), Sporting (h), Man Utd (a), Lille (h), Fenerbahce (a), S Bratislava (h), AEK (a)
Real Betis will face...
17:50 , Alan Smith
Arsenal (h), Bayern Munich (a), Porto (h), Dortmund (a), Feyenoord (h), Lille (a), Como (h), S Bratislava (a)
Aston Villa will face...
17:49 , Alan Smith
Paris (h), Barcelona (a), Dortmund (h), Club Brugge (a), Fenerbahce (h), Galatasaray (a), Viking (h), Slavia Prague (a)
Porto will face ...
17:48 , Alan Smith
Man City (h), Liverpool (a), PSV (h), Real Betis (a), Napoli (h), Feyenoord (a), Slavia Prague (h), LASK (a)
Dortmund will face...
17:47 , Alan Smith
Inter (h), Arsenal (a), Real Betis (h), Aston Villa (a), Villarreal (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), AEK (h), Sabah (a)
Club Brugge will face...
17:46 , Alan Smith
Liverpool (h), Inter (a), Aston Villa (h), PSV (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), Napoli (a), Lens (h), Stuttgart (a).
That's Pot 1 finished
17:44 , Alan Smith
Plenty of eye-catching games there, but it is about to get less exciting unless you are an Aston Villa or Manchester United fan...
Bayern Munich will face...
17:42 , Alan Smith
Arsenal (h), Atletico (a), Real Betis (h), Man Utd (a), Bodo/Glimt (h), Lille (a), Slavia Prague (h), Viking (a).
Arsenal will face...
17:41 , Alan Smith
Real Madrid (h), Bayern Munich (a), Dortmund (h), Real Betis (a), Lille (h), Napoli (a), Sabah (h), Slavia Prague (a)
Liverpool will face...
17:40 , Alan Smith
Atletico (h), Inter (a), Porto (h), Club Brugge (a), Villarreal (h), Fenerbahce (a), Lens (h), LASK (a)
PSG will face...
17:39 , Alan Smith
Barcelona (h), Man City (a), Roma (h), Aston Villa (a), Galatasaray (h), Villarreal (a), S Bratislava (h), Como (a).
Atletico wil face...
17:37 , Alan Smith
Bayern (h), Liverpool (a), Man Utd (H), PSV (a), Fenerbahce (h), Bodo/Glimt (a), Viking (h), Stuttgart (a).
Barcelona will face...
17:36 , Alan Smith
Man City (h), PSG (a), Aston Villa (h), Sporting (a), Feyenoord (h), Galatasaray (a), Como (h), Sabah (a)
Inter will face...
17:35 , Alan Smith
Real (a), Liverpool (h), Club Brugge (h), Dortmund (a), Shakhtar (h), Feyenoord (a), Stuttgart (h), S Bratislava (a)
Manchester City will face...
17:34 , Alan Smith
PSG (h), Barcelona (a), Sporting CP (h), Porto (a), Napoli (h), Leipzig (a), AEK (h), Lens (a).
Real Madrid will face...
17:32 , Alan Smith
Inter (h), Arsenal (a), PSV (h), Roma (a), Leipzig (h), Shakhtar (a), LASK (h), AEK (A)
Pot 1 about to be drawn
17:31 , Alan Smith
Henry will draw the balls out, Villa will push a computer button to assign their opponents.
A reminder of the teams:
- PSG
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Magical software
17:29 , Alan Smith
Surprise! We are now being shown a long video explaining how the draw will be done and most of it is going to be carried out by some special software and not entirely by the humans on stage!
Here we go!
17:24 , Alan Smith
The pots are visible on stage, the Uefa legends are ready and deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti is now presented to the audience. He will explain how this all works, probably in terminology that is excessively complex.
Villa looks back
17:23 , Alan Smith
Villa, who is now working for Atletico behind the scenes, is talking about his memories of winning the Champions League with Barcelona and how excited and proud Atletico are to be hosting the final.
We're getting closer
17:19 , Alan Smith
Ceferin departs, Henry remains because he will be doing the draw. Hopefully it starts soon.
He will be joined by David Villa.
Henry wins President's Award
17:18 , Alan Smith
Back in the Principality, where he first made his name, Thierry Henry has been given this year’s President’s Award. He gives a nice speech discussing the strength of meeting challenges.
Asked about Arsenal, he adds: “Three years ago quarters, two years ago semis, last year final. They just have to wait for next season. Joking aside ... if you keep the core, understand what pain is and add what is needed to go the next step, you will achieve what hasn’t been done by Arsenal. PSG is an annoying team, they are annoying everyone but they went through pain too.”
"Fair play is essential"
17:09 , Alan Smith
Marquinhos has sent a video message thanking Uefa for the trophy. “Fair play is essential” in football he says, adding he is honour to receive the award.
Marquinhos wins Uefa's 2026 Respect Award
17:08 , Alan Smith
Ceferin is presenting the PSG defender Marquinhos - or rather Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the club’s president - with a new award for his consolation of compatriot Gabriel after the Arsenal player’s missed penalty in the final shootout.
Ceferin takes to the stage
17:20 , Alan Smith
Some small talk now from the hosts, Reshmin Choudhury and Pedro Pinto, and they will soon be joined by Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president.
We’re going to presume he is not asked about Gianni Infantino on stage.
And we're live!
17:02 , Alan Smith
The broadcast has begun with three women in Vuelta red dresses singing Tony Britten’s anthem, flanked by an orchestra.
How to watch
16:56 , Alan Smith
A reminder that the draw will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the joint host broadcasters in the UK of the Champions League alongside Prime Video.
Almost time!
16:48 , Alan Smith
The anticipation is palpable. Uefa’s live broadcast gets underway at 17:00 BST but it’s anyone’s guess what time the first name is drawn from Pot 1.
Uefa consider opening criminal proceedings against Gianni Infantino
16:46 , Miguel Delaney
Uefa are considering bringing a criminal complaint against Gianni Infantino following the Fifa president’s plan to sell off commercial stakes in the World Cup.
A 56-page document, filed by Uefa’s lawyers in a federal court in the United States and seen by The Independent, declares that Uefa are “preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino” for “criminal mismanagement” following Fifa’s failed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
Uefa consider opening criminal proceedings against Gianni Infantino
Four newcomers
16:40 , Alan Smith
Thirty-two of the clubs have been here before but this is new ground for Como, Lask, Sabah and Viking.
The Serie A side, coached by Cesc Fabregas, could be among the most interesting sides considering their rapid ascent. And it will be a rather nice away trip should any Premier League club be drawn against them too.
Seven returning sides
16:30 , Alan Smith
AEK, Fenerbahce, Lens, Porto, Betis, Roma and Manchester United are all back in the competition proper following absences of various lengths.
When will full fixture list be confirmed?
16:15 , Alan Smith
We face a wait for the full lowdown on dates and kick-off times. According to Uefa the complete fixture list might not be published until Saturday.
That is to ensure all the boxes on the aforementioned checklist are ticked off.
No domestic rivalries
16:00 , Alan Smith
Another point of order: teams from the same country are unable to face each other at this stage. So Manchester United won’t be taking on City despite being in different pots, Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico will not take on Real Betis. You get the idea.
How dates and times are decided
15:45 , Alan Smith
There are, however, further layers of complexity to contend with - teams can’t play more than two consecutive home or away fixtures; there are security factors to consider around cities with more than one club.
Or as Uefa wordily put it: “In accordance with Paragraph 23.01 (b) of the competition regulations, the UEFA administration decides which matches are played on Tuesday, which on Wednesday and which on Thursday (MD1 only), as well as the kick-off times.
“Furthermore, as per Paragraph 17.02 of the above-mentioned regulations a club, in principle, does not play more than two home or two away matches in a row, and each club plays one home match and one away match in the first two matchdays and the last two matchdays.
“If need be, however, the UEFA administration may derogate from these rules.”
How the draw will work
15:30 , Alan Smith
There will be montages, there will be small talk but once the actual draw gets underway, the Pot 1 teams will be extracted from their proverbial hat first.
Then, gradually, the big guns will be paired with two opponents in each of the four pots (unsurprisingly, Pot 2 will follow next) before they all magically end up with four home games and four away.
Champions League 26/27 dates and schedule
15:15 , Jack Rathborn
Matchday 1: September 8-10
Matchday 2: October 13/14
Matchday 3: October 20/21
Matchday 4: November 3/4
Matchday 5: November 24/25
Matchday 6: December 8/9
Matchday 7: January 19/20
Matchday 8: January 27
Knockout phase play-offs: February 16/17 and 23/24
Round of 16: March 9/10 and 16/17
Quarter-finals: April 6/7 and 13/14
Semi-finals: April 27/28 and May 4/5
Final: June 5 (Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid)
Champions League 2025/26: PSG triumph over Arsenal on penalties in gripping final
14:52 , Jack Rathborn
Champions League 2026/27 league phase draw pots in full
14:45 , Jack Rathborn
Pot 1
- PSG
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund
- Roma
- Sporting
- 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
- VfB Stuttgart
- AEK Athens
- LASK
- Como
- Lens
- Viking
- Sabah
When is the draw and how can I watch it?
14:40 , Jack Rathborn
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase draw starts at 5pm BST (12pm ET) today, Thursday August 27.
The draw will arrange the eight matches each team contests in the 36-team first phase – facing two teams from pots one, two, three and four. Half of the matches will be at home, the other half away.
Where can I watch the Champions League draw?
The draw will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the joint host broadcasters in the UK of the Champions League alongside Prime Video.
Champions League 26/27 latest odds
14:35 , Jack Rathborn
- Paris Saint-Germain 5/1
- Barcelona 6/1
- Arsenal 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 28/1
- Aston Villa 28/1
Champions League 26/27 league phase draw
14:30 , Jack Rathborn
Good afternoon and welcome to the Independent’s coverage of the Champions League 26/27 league phase draw.
There are 36 teams at this stage all fighting to eventually play for the trophy in the final next year at Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano on 5 June.
Arsenal suffered agony last season on penalties at the hands of PSG and will hope to go one better after clinching their first Premier League title under Mikel Arteta.
While Man City, Man United, Aston Villa and Liverpool complete a strong contingent of Premier League sides.
Follow all the build-up and updates from Monaco ahead of this evening’s draw.
