When is the Champions League draw? For the 2026/27 season, the UEFA Champions League league phase draw will be held at 18:00 CET on Thursday 27 August 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The draw will set the league-phase opponents for 36 teams and determine the opening stage of the competition. Since the start of the 2024/25 season, the Champions League has used a single 36-team league phase, with each side facing eight different teams — four at home and four away.
What the Champions League draw means
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase draw will include 29 automatic qualifiers and seven play-off round winners. Once the draw is complete, the fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be communicated no later than Saturday 29 August 2026.
The league phase is part of the current format used across all three UEFA club competitions. In the Champions League, the top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16, making the draw an important step in shaping each club’s path through the competition.
Related UEFA draw dates
The UEFA Europa League league phase draw and UEFA Conference League league phase draw will both take place on Friday 28 August 2026 at 13:00 CET.
For teams, the Champions League draw is the point where the season’s biggest European questions start to take shape. The opponents are known, the schedule follows soon after, and the race to the round of 16 begins.
