How does the Champions League league phase work in 2026-27?

The 2026-27 Champions League league signifier starts connected Tuesday evening, with 36 clubs looking to marque the cleanable commencement to the main signifier of the competition.

Eighteen fixtures are owed to instrumentality spot implicit the people of 3 days, with the uncommon juncture of Champions League games taking spot connected a Thursday.

UEFA has introduced a alteration relating to yellowish cards for the League Phase campaign, thing that the established clubs and the 4 debutants volition request to instrumentality connected board.

Here, Sports Mole explains however the League Phase of the Champions League works, with the signifier played implicit a fig of months.

How does the Champions League league signifier work?

As already mentioned, 36 teams person qualified for the League Phase done their performances successful their home leagues. Some teams earned an automatic spot, portion others needed to travel done the qualifying rounds.

Their reward is simply a guaranteed 8 matches, 4 taking spot astatine location and the aforesaid fig being played connected distant territory.

With the gully having been divided into 4 pots, teams are provided with 2 fixtures against clubs from each pot.

Three points are awarded for a triumph and 1 for a draw. Teams that decorativeness the League Phase successful the apical 8 of the array volition automatically suffice for the past 16 of the competition, which takes spot successful March.

Those who decorativeness betwixt ninth and 24th volition gain a spot successful the knockout signifier playoffs, with the 8 winners progressing done to play 1 of the teams who finished successful the apical eight.

What are the dates for the Champions League league signifier fixtures?

When introducing the caller format, UEFA made the determination to widen the league signifier of the Champions League into the 2nd fractional of the season.

Therefore, six League Phase matches are played betwixt September and December, with the concluding 2 coming successful January.

How galore points bash you request to advancement from Champions League league phase?

The 2026-27 variation of the Champions League marks conscionable the 3rd clip that it has been held successful its existent format.

As acold arsenic a top-eight presumption is concerned, 16 points was the magic fig to gain automatic qualification for the knockout signifier successful 2024-25 and 2025-26 respectively.

Even erstwhile extremity quality and tie-breaker rules tin perchance play their part, nary squad has ever finished higher than ninth without accumulating 16 points.

However, it is simply a antithetic communicative with regards to finishing successful the apical 24, with Dinamo Zagreb racking up 11 points successful 2024-25 and inactive lone finishing successful 25th place.

In comparatively crisp opposition by Champions League league signifier standards, Bodo/Glimt and Benfica lone needed 9 points to decorativeness 23rd and 24th respectively successful the 2025-26 table.

Incredibly, each but 4 teams recorded astatine slightest 2 victories from their 8 matches, subsequently resulting successful galore teams being near successful jeopardy heading into the last matchday.