The quest for European football’s ultimate prize returns for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League season. Featuring Europe's elite clubs battling across the expanded 36-team single league phase, every matchday promises world-class drama on the road to the Champions League Final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
The main event kicks off with the official League Phase Draw on Thursday, August 27, 2026, held live at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco (18:00 CET / 5pm BST).
Defending back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain enter the campaign with a target on their backs, joined in Pot 1 alongside Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Barcelona.
What is the Champions League Phase draw?
The league phase draw pairs all 36 qualified clubs into an 8-match fixture list using UEFA's hybrid automated draw system.
- The Pot: All 36 clubs are placed into four seeding pots of nine based on their five-year UEFA club coefficient.
- The Draw: A physical ball is drawn from Pot 1 to pick a team, and specialized software instantly generates their eight opponents - two from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from Pot 3, and two from Pot 4.
- Every club plays four matches at home and four away (facing one home and one away opponent from each of the four pots).
- Key Draw Restrictions: Clubs cannot face teams from their own national league, nor can they face more than two opponents from any single foreign association.
- Schedule Release: The exact match dates and kick-off times for all league phase fixtures will be announced by UEFA following the draw.
Which teams have qualified for the Champions League 2026/27?
| Pot | Qualified Clubs |
|---|---|
| Pot 1 | Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid |
| Pot 2 | Borussia Dortmund, AS Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven |
| Pot 3 | Feyenoord, Lille, Bodø/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahçe, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray |
| Pot 4 | Slavia Prague, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, VfB Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK, Como 1907, Lens, Viking FK, Sabah |
When is the UEFA Champions League Final 2027?
| Date | Match | Venue | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat June 5, 2027 | UEFA Champions League Final (6pm CET) | Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid | Tickets |
How to buy UEFA Champions League tickets?
Demand for UEFA Champions League fixtures is exceptionally high throughout the campaign, especially during the knockout stages and the final in Madrid.
- Club Ticket Portals: For regular league phase matches and home knockout legs, buy directly through official club member sales and ballot windows.
- UEFA Official Public Ballot: Neutral tickets for the Final at Estadio Metropolitano will open for application via UEFA's official portal in March 2027.
- UEFA Resale Platform: The only official, face-value platform to buy tickets returned by other supporters once primary allocations sell out.
- Official Hospitality: Premium packages including guaranteed seating, food, and lounge access are available through UEFA’s Official Hospitality portal.
- Secondary Marketplaces: For high-demand or last-minute matchdays, secondary platforms like StubHub offer verified secondary-market options.
Who has previously won the Champions League?
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Paris Saint-Germain | Arsenal | 1–1 (4–3 pens) | Puskás Aréna (Budapest) |
| 2025 | Paris Saint-Germain | Inter Milan | 5-0 | Allianz Arena (Munich) |
| 2024 | Real Madrid | Borussia Dortmund | 2-0 | Wembley Stadium (London) |
| 2023 | Manchester City | Inter Milan | 1-0 | Ataturk Olympic Stadium (Istanbul) |
| 2022 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 1-0 | Stade de France (Saint-Denis) |
| 2021 | Chelsea | Manchester City | 1-0 | Estadio do Dragao (Porto) |
| 2020 | Bayern Munich | Paris Saint-Germain | 1-0 | Estadio da Luz (Lisbon) |
| 2019 | Liverpool | Tottenham Hotspur | 2-0 | Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid) |
| 2018 | Real Madrid | Liverpool | 3-1 | NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium (Kyiv) |
| 2017 | Real Madrid | Juventus | 4-1 | Millennium Stadium (Cardiff) |
| 2016 | Real Madrid | Atletico Madrid | 5-3 (pens) | San Siro (Milan) |