The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season has started, with the league-phase draw happening in Monaco on Thursday, August 28, 2025. This season features the second year of the new Swiss-style format, which is an improvement over the old group stage system. In this format, 36 top teams will compete in a single league table, with each team playing eight matches against different opponents. Fans can look forward to an exciting season that will end with the grand final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
How the Champions League League-Phase Format Works
- Thirty-six clubs are drawn into four seeding pots based on UEFA coefficients.
- Each club plays a total of eight matches: two against clubs from each pot, with one match being home and the other away.
- No team can face more than two opponents from the same country.
- The top 8 finishers qualify directly for the Round of 16.
- Teams ranked 9th–24th enter a knockout play-off round.
- Teams finishing 25th–36th are eliminated from Europe entirely.
- This ensures more elite matchups early in the season and gives emerging clubs a chance to shine.
Champions League 2025/26 Pot Allocation
| POT 1 | POT 2 | POT 3 | POT 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSG | Arsenal | Tottenham | Copenhagen |
| Real Madrid | Leverkusen | PSV | Monaco |
| Man City | Atlético Madrid | Ajax | Galatasaray |
| Bayern Munich | Benfica | Napoli | Union Saint Gilloise |
| Liverpool | Atalanta | Sporting CP | Qarabag |
| Inter Milan | Villarreal | Olympiacos | Athletic Bilbao |
| Chelsea | Juventus | Slavia Prague | Newcastle |
| Dortmund | Eintracht Frankfurt | Bodø/Glimt | Pafos |
| Barcelona | Club Brugge | Marseille | Kairat Almaty |
Key Highlights of the Draw
- Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are in Pot 1 with clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.
- Historic debutants include Bodø/Glimt, Kairat Almaty, Pafos, and Union Saint-Gilloise, making this one of the most diverse lineups in Champions League history.
- Premier League clubs face heavyweight battles, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Newcastle all involved.
- For the first time in over two decades, no Ukrainian team qualified for the Champions League league phase.
- Blockbuster ties are guaranteed with fixtures like Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, and Barcelona vs PSG already lined up.
Competition Timeline
- Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025
- Matchday 2: Early October 2025
- Matchday 3 & 4: Late October to early November 2025
- Matchday 5 & 6: November–December 2025
- Matchday 7 & 8: January 2026, concluding on 28 January with simultaneous kick-offs
- Knockout Play-offs: February 2026
- Round of 16: March 2026
- Quarter-finals & Semi-finals: April–May 2026
- Final: 30 May 2026 at Puskás Aréna
The UEFA Champions League 2025/26 is set to be one of the most competitive seasons in history. As Europe’s elite clubs compete in the league phase, debutant teams will seek to prove their worth. The journey to Budapest is sure to be filled with drama, excitement, and world-class football. Fans can look forward to heavyweight clashes such as Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, as well as inspiring underdog stories from clubs like Union SG and Bodø/Glimt.
Can’t wait to see Victor Osimhen in the Champions League.