The draw for the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League will take place on Thursday, 28 August in Monaco, starting at 17:00 BST. This event follows the same procedure as the 2024-25 campaign, marking the second season of the 36-team league phase format.

Teams and Pots

The draw includes 27 teams that qualified via league positions, the winners of last season's Champions League and Europa League, and the seven teams that progressed through qualifying. Teams are divided into four pots based on their individual UEFA club coefficient ranking.

Draw Procedure

Starting with Pot One, each team is drawn individually. They are then matched with eight opponents using UEFA's automated software. Each team will play a total of eight games, facing two teams from each pot—one home and one away.

Fixture Rules

No group stage fixtures can be played against teams from the same country, and no team can play more than two matches against teams from another country, such as Italy. This ensures a diverse and competitive fixture list.

Match Calendar

The complete Champions League fixture list, including match dates and kick-off times, will be published no later than Saturday, 30 August.

Europa League and Conference League Draws

The Europa League draw takes place a day later, on Friday, 29 August, starting at 12:00 BST. Similar to the Champions League, 36 teams are divided into four pots, and each team is given eight fixtures using the same selection criteria.

The Conference League draw occurs immediately after the Europa League draw, as part of the same ceremony. Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, the Conference League features only six rounds of league fixtures.

Digital Format

For the Europa League and Conference League draws, UEFA will use a fully digital format, eliminating the need for physical balls. This innovation aims to create a smooth, efficient, and speedy draw process.

Conclusion

The 2025-26 Champions League draw promises to be an exciting event, setting the stage for another thrilling season of European football. Stay tuned for the latest updates and fixture announcements.