The next phase of Europe’s biggest club competition arrives on Thursday, when the 36 qualified teams learn the eight opponents that will shape their league-phase journey. The new format has turned the draw into a high-stakes reveal, with every club facing a different path toward the knockout rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain enter as the reigning champions, and that alone gives this draw an extra edge. Every elite side in the pot will be watching closely to see whether they land a manageable route or a brutal schedule packed with heavyweight tests.
When the draw begins
The league-phase draw is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, with the ceremony set to start at 5:00 p.m. BST. That timing makes it one of the most closely followed moments on the football calendar, especially because the outcome will define months of European competition.
How the new system works
The Champions League no longer uses the old four-team group format. Instead, each club is placed into a single 36-team league phase and receives eight different opponents, split across the four seeding pots.
That structure creates a more varied and unpredictable schedule. Teams do not share identical group-stage paths anymore, and the draw now produces a unique fixture list for every club involved.
- Each team is assigned eight opponents.
- Two opponents come from each pot.
- No club can face another team from its own country.
- Every fixture list is different, which raises the importance of the draw itself.
Because the league phase stretches across eight matchdays, a strong draw can provide real momentum, while a difficult one can make qualification far more complicated from the opening whistle.
The clubs split across the four pots
The field is divided by European ranking, and that separation creates the framework for Thursday’s reveal. The higher-seeded teams are spread through Pot 1, while the lower-ranked entrants and playoff winners sit in the other pots.
Pot 1
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund
- Roma
- Sporting
- Aston Villa
- Porto
- Manchester United
- Club Brugge
- Real Betis
- PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
- Feyenoord
- Lille
- Bodo/Glimt
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
- Winner of Fenerbahce vs Lyon
Pot 4
- Winner of Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking
- Winner of Slovan Bratislava vs Celje
- Slavia Prague
- VfB Stuttgart
- LASK
- Winner of Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens
- Como
- Lens
- Sabah
Why this draw matters so much
This is more than a procedural step before the football starts. The draw can shape travel demands, competitive balance, and the likelihood of finishing high enough to progress smoothly into the next round. A favorable set of opponents can create breathing room, while a harsh one can leave even a top club under pressure early.
Supporters will also be paying attention to the potential blockbuster matchups. With so many major names in the field, Thursday could produce several headline fixtures before a ball is even kicked on matchday one.
