With the new season getting underway, we’re eagerly anticipating the return of Europe’s premier club competition.
Last season saw the introduction of the Champions League ‘League Phase’ for the very first time, as UEFA decided to ditch the old group stage format, shake things up and attempt to improve the tournament. Whilst it took some getting used to, the added jeopardy and variety of team match-ups seems to have done the trick.
This year, we’ll see a record six English sides enter the competition, with Premier League winners Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal joined in the draw by Manchester City and Chelsea.
Who has qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League?
Newcastle will be in the mix, too, as they qualified via the extra place earned from England’s boosted coefficient ranking, whilst Tottenham Hotspur guaranteed their spot by winning the Europa League at the end of last season.
Like last year, 36 teams will take part in the Champions League this season. 29 of those sides have qualified for the league phase already, with heavyweights Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain all gaining entry as a reward for their domestic league finishes.
When is the draw for the 2025-26 Champions League League Phase?
That leaves seven spots still up for grabs via the play-offs, with Celtic, Rangers, Fenerbahçe, Benfica and Basel all hopeful of making it into the hat for the draw. The play-offs will be concluded on Wednesday August 27.
As has been the case for a few years, the draw for the Champions League League Phase will be held on a different date to that of the Europa League and Conference League.
The draw for the 2025-26 competition will take place on Thursday August 28, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. All 36 qualified teams will feature, and will be split into four pots based on their UEFA rankings.
At the end of the league phase, the top eight teams will qualify for the knock-out rounds, whilst those placed ninth to 24th will have to battle it out in a play-off.
Sides finishing 25th or below will be eliminated from the competition, and will not drop down into the Europa League. No teams will drop down from the Europa League to the Conference League, either.
The opening games of this season’s Champions League ‘League Phase’ will kick off on September 16, with the final matchday of the stage taking place on January 28, 2026.
Draws for the Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place on February 27, 2026, with the final scheduled to be played in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
