The Champions League draw for the 2025/26 version of the competitors will schedule the preliminary eight matches for individuals.
Reigning French champions Paris Saint-Germain will defend the title they received for the primary time by beating Inter 5-0 within the 2024/25 last.
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal might be joined by Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham because the six English groups within the draw.
Right here’s what you might want to know in regards to the Champions League draw, together with when it takes place, when future attracts are and the fixture schedule for 2024/25.
When is the Champions League league part draw?
The draw will happen on Thursday, August 28 – a day after the play-off ties come to a near determine the final groups to qualify.
Timings for the draw had been but to be confirmed at the beginning of July.
Methods to watch the Champions League draw: TV channel, dwell stream
The draw might be proven dwell and without cost on UEFA.comin addition to on UEFA’s YouTube channel and BBC Sport’s web site and iPlayer.
TNT Sports activities may even broadcast the draw through Discovery+ and YouTube.
Champions League format
In a change from the earlier group stage format carried out till 2023/24, every crew now performs eight matches within the league part, all in opposition to totally different opponents.
4 of these matches might be at dwelling and 4 away, with the opponents decided in accordance with 4 seeding pots break up by rankings.
Groups will play two opponents from every of these pots – one in opposition to a crew from every pot at dwelling and one away. The outcomes determine the general standings in a single league.
The highest eight sides within the desk qualify routinely for the spherical of 16. The groups ending in ninth to twenty fourth will compete in a two-legged knockout part play-off to achieve the final 16.
Groups ending twenty fifth or decrease are out of Europe for the season.
Champions League schedule, fixtures 2025/26
The brand new league part runs till the tip of January, with the play-offs in February and the remainder of the knockout stage earlier than the ultimate going down between March and early Might.
Matchday 1: September 16-18 2025
Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1 2025
Matchday 3: October 21/22 2025
Matchday 4: November 4/5 2025
Matchday 5: November 25/26 2025
Matchday 6: December 9/10 2025
Matchday 7: January 20/21 2026
Matchday 8: January 28 2026
When is the Champions League knockout part?
Knockout part play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Spherical of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and Might 5/6 2026
Remaining: Might 30 2026 (Budapest)
When are the Champions League attracts?
Third qualifying spherical: July 21 2025
Play-offs: August 4 2025
League part: August 28 2025
Knockout part play-offs: January 30 2026
Spherical of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and last: February 27 2026
English groups within the Champions League: Why are there six membership?
Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea and Newcastle all certified as the highest 5 groups within the Premier League.
There have been 5 locations for English groups as a result of additional positions are awarded based mostly on Uefa’s co-efficient rankings, that are based mostly on the general performances of countries throughout European competitors over a season.
Spurs certified as Europa League champions, regardless of shedding 22 and successful solely 11 of their 2024/25 league video games and ending seventeenth.
When is the Champions League last?
The ultimate will happen on Might 30 2026 on the The Puskas Enviornment in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is dwelling to Hungary’s nationwide crew.
The sector hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League last, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after additional time.
