Champions League Draw 2026–27: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man United and Europe’s Biggest Matchups
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2026–27 Champions League draw featuring Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United with major league-phase matchups
The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League league-phase draw is complete, with all 36 participating clubs now knowing their eight opponents for the opening stage of the competition.
The draw produced a number of major fixtures, including Arsenal vs Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona, Barcelona vs Manchester City, Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United vs Bayern Munich.
Each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with four games at home and four away.
Biggest Champions League Matchups
Among the standout fixtures confirmed by the draw are:
- Arsenal vs Real Madrid
- Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
- Barcelona vs Manchester City
- Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
- Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
- Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
- Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid
- Inter Milan vs Liverpool
These are not two-legged ties. Each matchup will be played once only during the league phase.
Real Madrid's Opponents
Real Madrid were handed a varied schedule featuring major tests against English, Italian and German opposition.
Real Madrid Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Inter Milan |
| PSV Eindhoven |
| RB Leipzig |
| LASK |
Real Madrid Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Arsenal |
| Roma |
| Shakhtar Donetsk |
| AEK Athens |
The trip to Arsenal stands out as one of Real Madrid's toughest league-phase fixtures, while Inter Milan will visit Madrid.
The away game against Roma also adds another high-profile European test to their schedule.
Barcelona's Opponents
Barcelona were drawn against two of the biggest clubs from Pot 1, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain both appearing on their schedule.
Barcelona Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Manchester City |
| Aston Villa |
| Feyenoord |
| Como |
Barcelona Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain |
| Sporting CP |
| Galatasaray |
| Sabah |
Barcelona will host Manchester City in one of the most anticipated matches of the league phase, while they travel to Paris to face the defending champions.
They will also make a potentially difficult trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray.
Manchester City's Opponents
Manchester City also received a demanding group of opponents, including Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Napoli.
Manchester City Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain |
| Sporting CP |
| Napoli |
| AEK Athens |
Manchester City Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Barcelona |
| Porto |
| RB Leipzig |
| Lens |
City will host Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, while travelling to Barcelona, Porto, Leipzig and Lens.
It is a schedule combining major home fixtures with several difficult away trips.
Arsenal's Opponents
Arsenal came out of the draw with one of the most eye-catching schedules among the major clubs, featuring Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli.
Arsenal Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Real Madrid |
| Borussia Dortmund |
| Lille |
| Sabah |
Arsenal Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Bayern Munich |
| Real Betis |
| Napoli |
| Slavia Prague |
Arsenal will welcome Real Madrid to London, while difficult away trips to Bayern Munich and Napoli also await.
On paper, their schedule is one of the most demanding among the leading European clubs.
Liverpool's Opponents
Liverpool will face Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid among their eight league-phase opponents.
Liverpool Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Atlético Madrid |
| Porto |
| Villarreal |
| Lens |
Liverpool Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Inter Milan |
| Club Brugge |
| Fenerbahçe |
| LASK |
Liverpool will host Atlético Madrid at Anfield and travel to Italy to face Inter Milan.
Their trip to Istanbul to play Fenerbahçe could also prove to be one of the more challenging away fixtures.
Manchester United's Opponents
Manchester United's return to the Champions League immediately brings several high-profile matchups.
Manchester United Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Bayern Munich |
| Roma |
| RB Leipzig |
| Sabah |
Manchester United Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Atlético Madrid |
| Sporting CP |
| Villarreal |
| Como |
United will host Bayern Munich at Old Trafford and travel to Madrid to face Atlético.
Their schedule also includes two German opponents in Bayern and Leipzig, along with Spanish tests against Atlético and Villarreal.
Aston Villa's Opponents
Aston Villa also received a schedule featuring several major European names.
Aston Villa Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain |
| Borussia Dortmund |
| Fenerbahçe |
| Viking |
Aston Villa Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Barcelona |
| Club Brugge |
| Galatasaray |
| Slavia Prague |
Villa will host Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, while their trip to Barcelona is one of the standout matches on their schedule.
Paris Saint-Germain's Opponents
The defending champions received one of the most high-profile sets of fixtures, including Barcelona, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Roma.
Paris Saint-Germain Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Barcelona |
| Roma |
| Galatasaray |
| Slovan Bratislava |
Paris Saint-Germain Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Manchester City |
| Aston Villa |
| Villarreal |
| Como |
The home match against Barcelona is among the biggest fixtures of the league phase, while PSG also face a major away test at Manchester City.
Bayern Munich's Opponents
Bayern Munich Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Arsenal |
| Real Betis |
| Bodø/Glimt |
| Slavia Prague |
Bayern Munich Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Atlético Madrid |
| Manchester United |
| Lille |
| Viking |
The away matches against Atlético Madrid and Manchester United stand out as Bayern's biggest road tests.
Atlético Madrid's Opponents
Atlético Madrid Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Bayern Munich |
| Manchester United |
| Fenerbahçe |
| Viking |
Atlético Madrid Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Liverpool |
| PSV Eindhoven |
| Bodø/Glimt |
| Stuttgart |
Atlético will host Bayern and Manchester United in Madrid, while also travelling to Anfield to face Liverpool.
Inter Milan's Opponents
Inter Milan Home Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Liverpool |
| Club Brugge |
| Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Stuttgart |
Inter Milan Away Matches
| Opponent |
|---|
| Real Madrid |
| Borussia Dortmund |
| Feyenoord |
| Slovan Bratislava |
Inter face two particularly difficult away trips to Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, while Liverpool will visit Milan.
Major Games From the League Phase
The draw once again highlights how different the current Champions League format is from the old group-stage system.
Having Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all in Pot 1 does not prevent the biggest clubs from facing one another.
Some of the headline fixtures include:
Barcelona vs Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
That guarantees major European clashes from the opening stage rather than making supporters wait until the knockout rounds.
How the League Phase Works
The league phase features 36 clubs in one overall table.
Each team faces:
- Two opponents from Pot 1.
- Two opponents from Pot 2.
- Two opponents from Pot 3.
- Two opponents from Pot 4.
For a total of:
8 matches against 8 different clubs.
Every team plays four matches at home and four away.
After Matchday 8:
Positions 1–8
Qualify directly for the Round of 16.
Positions 9–24
Enter the knockout play-offs for a place in the Round of 16.
Positions 25–36
Are eliminated from the competition.
When Does the Champions League Begin?
UEFA has already confirmed the general windows for all eight league-phase matchdays:
| Matchday | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | September 8–10, 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | October 13–14 |
| Matchday 3 | October 20–21 |
| Matchday 4 | November 3–4 |
| Matchday 5 | November 24–25 |
| Matchday 6 | December 8–9 |
| Matchday 7 | January 19–20, 2027 |
| Matchday 8 | January 27, 2027 |
The draw has already determined every opponent and whether each match will be played at home or away.
What remains to be announced is the exact ordering of those fixtures across the eight matchdays, together with the final dates and kick-off times.
Key Takeaways From the Draw
The main conclusions from the draw can be summarized as follows:
- Real Madrid travel to Arsenal and host Inter Milan.
- Barcelona host Manchester City and visit Paris Saint-Germain.
- Manchester City host PSG and Napoli and travel to Barcelona.
- Arsenal host Real Madrid and travel to Bayern Munich and Napoli.
- Manchester United host Bayern Munich and travel to Atlético Madrid.
- Liverpool host Atlético Madrid and travel to Inter Milan.
- Paris Saint-Germain face both Barcelona and Manchester City.
- Atlético Madrid face Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Liverpool.
The identity of every club's eight opponents is now confirmed, with only the exact match order, dates and kick-off times still to be finalized.
Sources
- UEFA — Official 2026–27 Champions League league-phase draw results.
- UEFA — League-phase format and matchday calendar.
- Reuters — Coverage of the 2026–27 Champions League draw.
Last updated: August 27, 2026.