Champions League 2026-27: Schedule, draw dates, qualified teams, final stadium, points needed

The Champions League trophy has been proudly displayed successful the Parc des Princes cases for the past 2 years, and holders Paris Saint-Germain present question a tremendous three-peat successful the 2026-27 competition.

Luis Enrique's men - who edged retired a heartbroken Arsenal connected penalties successful past year's final - could go conscionable the 3rd squad to triumph Europe's premier prize 3 times connected the spin, aft Ajax, Bayern Munich and grounds holders Real Madrid.

However, 2025-26 runners-up Arsenal volition person saccharine revenge connected the mind, portion Los Blancos, Barcelona, Manchester City and Bayern volition besides person implicit assurance successful their continental credentials - astatine slightest until the due tourney gets underway.

The Qualifying rounds are already successful afloat plaything arsenic the large boys proceed their pre-season preparations, but the countdown is already connected to the highly-anticipated League Phase draw.

Here, Sports Mole takes you done everything you request to cognize astir the 2026-27 Champions League.

Champions League 2026-27 docket and gully dates

The 2026-27 Champions League began conscionable a mates of weeks aft the last - astatine slightest disconnected the tract - arsenic the gully for the archetypal qualification circular was held connected June 16.

Preliminary fixtures kicked disconnected connected July 7, and Qualifying volition commence with the 2nd legs of the playoff circular matches, to beryllium played crossed August 25 and 26.

The gully for the league signifier past takes spot 1 time later, earlier the archetypal circular of the tourney due is held from September 8 to January 27.

Teams competing successful the knockout signifier playoffs volition larn their opponents connected January 29, and the gully for the remaining rounds volition beryllium held connected February 26, erstwhile those opening battles person concluded.

The 2026-27 Champions League last volition beryllium played connected June 5, the latest day for the showpiece lucifer to beryllium held successful the modern epoch (since 1992).

Which teams person qualified for the 2026-27 Champions League?

At the clip of writing, 29 teams person already had their spots confirmed successful the League Phase of the competition, with England and Spain the joint-best represented nations boasting 5 clubs each.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Europa League winners Aston Villa volition alert the Premier League emblem high, portion Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis are contiguous from La Liga.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Stuttgart person qualified from the Bundesliga, portion PSG's Ligue 1 rivals Lens and Lille are joining the reigning champions successful the league phase.

Serie A upstarts Como volition play successful the Champions League for the archetypal clip this season, and are presently the lone squad successful the League Phase to beryllium making their tourney debut.

Champions League 2026-27 format

The 2026-27 Champions League volition beryllium the 3rd to follow the League Phase format that was introduced for the 2024-25 campaign, and has been met with mostly affirmative reviews contempt the archetypal scepticism.

The 29 teams who earned nonstop League Phase introduction volition beryllium joined by 7 palmy qualifiers - 5 from the Champions Path and 2 from the League Path - and the apical 8 League Phase teams volition suffice automatically for the past 16.

Sides ranking from ninth to 24th successful the League Phase volition advancement to the knockout circular playoffs, portion the teams who decorativeness betwixt 25th and 36th volition beryllium knocked out, with nary Europa League information nett dissimilar the erstwhile format.

For the League Phase, each squad volition look 2 opponents from each cookware - playing 4 location games and 4 distant games - but clubs cannot conscionable different broadside from the aforesaid relation successful this round, meaning nary Manchester derby oregon El Clasico.

In addition, teams tin lone look a maximum of 2 clubs from antithetic subordinate associations, meaning that Arsenal could not look each of PSG, Lens and Lille, for example.

Below is simply a breakdown of the League Phase tiebreakers that volition beryllium utilized if 2 teams are locked unneurotic connected points.

1. 1Superior extremity difference successful the league phase
2. 2Higher fig of goals scored successful the league phase
3. 3Higher fig of distant goals scored successful the league phase
4. 4Higher fig of wins successful the league phase
5. 5Higher fig of distant wins successful the league phase
6. 6Higher fig of points obtained collectively by their league-phase opponents
7. 7Superior corporate extremity difference of their league-phase opponents
8. 8Higher fig of goals scored collectively by their league-phase opponents
9. 9Lower disciplinary points totalBased connected yellowish and reddish cards received by players and squad officials successful each league-phase matches
10. 10Higher nine coefficient

How galore points are needed to marque the Champions League knockout rounds?

In each of the past 2 seasons, 16 has appropriately been the magic fig successful presumption of qualifying for the past 16 directly; immoderate squad managing that full successful the League Phase has finished successful the apical 8 of the 36-team standings.

Therefore, clubs realistically request to triumph 5 games and gully astatine slightest 1 different to skip the knockout circular playoffs, arsenic nary squad has managed to decorativeness successful the apical 8 with 15 points oregon less yet.

Further down the rankings, Bayer Leverkusen nabbed 16th spot and the past seeded spot for the knockout circular playoffs with 12 points successful the 2025-26 competition, portion Benfica and Bodo/Glimt scraped into the aforesaid signifier with 9 points successful 23rd and 24th respectively.

Two seasons ago, Dinamo Zagreb and Stuttgart coiled up with 11 and 10 points respectively astatine the extremity of the League Phase, but neither full proved capable to prevention them from an aboriginal elimination.

Where is the Champions League 2026-27 last being played?

The 2026-27 Champions League last is being held astatine Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium, a 70,692-seater venue that has been the location of Diego Simeone's broadside since 2017.

The Metropolitano Stadium antecedently hosted the 2019 Champions League last betwixt Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, and is nether information to signifier games astatine the 2030 World Cup.