The Champions League draw for the 2025/26 edition of the competition will schedule the initial eight matches for participants.
Reigning French champions Paris Saint-Germain will defend the title they won for the first time by beating Inter 5-0 in the 2024/25 final.
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal will be joined by Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham as the six English teams in the draw.
Here’s what you need to know about the Champions League draw, including when it takes place, when future draws are and the fixture schedule for 2025/26.
When is the Champions League league phase draw?
The draw will take place on Thursday, August 28 – a day after the play-off ties come to a close to decide the last teams to qualify.
The draw ceremony will start at 17:00 BST / 12:00 ET / 09:00 PT.
How to watch the Champions League draw: TV channel, live stream
The draw will be shown live and for free on UEFA.com, as well as on UEFA’s YouTube channel and BBC Sport’s website and iPlayer.
TNT Sports will also broadcast the draw via Discovery+ and YouTube.
Champions League format
In a change from the previous group stage format conducted until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.
Four of those matches will be at home and four away, with the opponents determined according to four seeding pots split by rankings.
Teams will play two opponents from each of those pots – one against a team from each pot at home and one away. The results decide the overall standings in one league.
The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.
Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.
Champions League schedule, fixtures 2025/26
The new league phase runs until the end of January, with the play-offs in February and the rest of the knockout stage before the final taking place between March and early May.
Matchday 1: September 16-18 2025
Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1 2025
Matchday 3: October 21/22 2025
Matchday 4: November 4/5 2025
Matchday 5: November 25/26 2025
Matchday 6: December 9/10 2025
Matchday 7: January 20/21 2026
Matchday 8: January 28 2026
When is the Champions League knockout phase?
Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026
Final: May 30 2026 (Budapest)
When are the Champions League draws?
Third qualifying round: July 21 2025
Play-offs: August 4 2025
League phase: August 28 2025
Knockout phase play-offs: January 30 2026
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: February 27 2026
English teams in the Champions League: Why are there six clubs?
Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all qualified as the top five teams in the Premier League.
There were five places for English teams because extra positions are awarded based on Uefa’s co-efficient rankings, which are based on the overall performances of nations across European competition over a season.
Spurs qualified as Europa League champions, despite losing 22 and winning only 11 of their 2024/25 league games and finishing 17th.
When is the Champions League final?
The final will take place on May 30 2026 at the The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is home to Hungary’s national team.
The arena hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
