The stage is set for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league-phase draw, with all 36 participating clubs now divided into four pots of nine teams each.

The four pots have produced a fascinating mix of European heavyweights, established contenders and ambitious newcomers, as we wait for a number of blockbuster encounters.

Pot 1 packed with European giants

Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning Champions League holders, headline Pot 1 alongside Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

PSG enter the competition as back-to-back European champions after defeating Arsenal on penalties in the 2025/26 final in Budapest.

Pot 1 therefore contains an extraordinary collection of European pedigree, with five former champions among the nine clubs.

Pot 2 offers serious danger

Pot 2 is led by Borussia Dortmund and also contains Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.

Several of these clubs could create difficult assignments for the Pot 1 sides. Manchester United, Porto and Dortmund, in particular, add considerable Champions League experience to the second pot.

Several of these teams secured their places through the qualifying play-offs. UEFA confirmed that Sabah, Bodø/Glimt and LASK advanced on Tuesday, before AEK Athens, Viking, Slovan Bratislava and Fenerbahce completed the league-phase line-up on Wednesday.

How the UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw works

The 36 clubs will be drawn into a single league table rather than traditional groups. Every team will face eight different opponents, playing two opponents from each pot – one at home and one away. Teams cannot normally face another club from the same association, while a maximum of two opponents from any other association can be drawn.

The league phase begins on September 8, with Matchday 1 running from September 8-10. The league phase concludes on January 27, 2027, before the knockout rounds begin in February.

UEFA Champions League Draw Schedule and Timings

UEFA confirmed the pots following the conclusion of the qualifying play-offs on Wednesday, August 26, with the draw scheduled for Thursday, August 27 at 18:00 CET in Monaco, which is 9:30 pm IST in India.

The draw will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, with fans set to discover a new-look fixture list featuring some potentially huge European clashes.

UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Draw Pots

Pot 1: PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Man City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
Pot 2: Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Man Utd, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodø/Glimt, Napoli, Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray
Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK, Como, Lens, Viking, Sabah.