This photograph shows the UEFA Champions League trophy before the draw ceremony for the league phase of the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League football tournament at the Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco on August 27, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League draw was conducted to decide who each team would face off against in the initial league phase, due to start in September. The draw took place on Thursday in Monaco as teams look to take the trophy that Paris Saint-Germain won against Arsenal in Budapest in May.
This first round will see eight matchdays and fixtures for each team, starting on September 8-10 and continuing through to January. Elimination rounds will then culminate with the final on June 5 at the Estadio Metropolitano in the Spanish capital of Madrid, home of Atlético Madrid.
In the United States, CBS Sports holds exclusive English-language rights to the competition as part of an agreement with UEFA that runs through the 2029-30 season. The deal includes Paramount+ streaming every match.
In parallel, TelevisaUnivision holds the Spanish-language rights until the end of this current season across Univision, UniMás and TUDN, also available to stream on ViX.
How To Watch The UEFA Champions League
- Every match: Paramount+ (English), ViX (Spanish)
- Select high-profile matches: CBS and CBS Sports Network (English)
- Select matches: Univision, UniMás and TUDN (Spanish)
- The final: Free, over-the-air on CBS and Univision, in addition to Paramount+ and ViX
The only way to ensure access to all 144 league-phase matches is with Paramount+ Essential. Only a select group of high-profile games air on linear CBS each round.
2026-27 League Phase Schedule
- Matchday 1: Sept. 8-10
- Matchday 2: Oct. 13-14
- Matchday 3: Oct. 20-21
- Matchday 4: Nov. 3-4
- Matchday 5: Nov. 24-25
- Matchday 6: Dec. 8-9
- Matchday 7: Jan. 19-20
- Matchday 8: Jan. 27
At the conclusion of matchday eight, the top eight finishers in the 36-team table advance directly to the round of 16 and qualify. Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th enter a two-legged knockout playoff round in February.
The round of 16 then runs March 9-10 and 16-17, the quarterfinals April 6-7 and 13-14, and the semifinals April 27-28 and May 4-5, setting up the June 5 final.
Fixtures To Watch For
Thursday’s draw delivered several standout matchups for the league phase. Real Madrid vs. Arsenal headlines the field, pitting two of the competition’s most decorated clubs against each other with a recent knockout-round history still fresh. Another Spanish side, Barcelona, will host Manchester City and travel to Paris Saint-Germain, giving Hansi Flick’s side back-to-back tests against two of the tournament’s heaviest hitters. Atlético Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, revives a rivalry dating to their 1974 European Cup final.
The Premier League’s five representatives were all handed difficult draws. Arsenal face both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, a combined 21 European titles between them. Manchester City take on holders PSG and Barcelona in their first Champions League campaign without Pep Guardiola at the helm. Manchester United, back in the competition after a year away, draw Atlético Madrid and Bayern, while Aston Villa face Barcelona, PSG and Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool avoided the toughest of the Pot 1 draws but still welcome Atlético to Anfield and travel to face Inter Milan.
Elsewhere, Champions League debutants Como, coached by former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, were handed a daunting slate that includes PSG, Barcelona and Manchester United, while first-timers Sabah of Azerbaijan face Barcelona, Arsenal, Dortmund and Manchester United among their eight fixtures.