The Champions League league phase is about to reveal its next big storyline, and the draw on Thursday will shape the road for all 36 clubs. Each team will leave with eight opponents, creating a fresh and unpredictable path to the knockout rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain enter as the reigning champions after defeating Arsenal in Budapest in May, so every other contender will be watching closely to see who lands in their way. With the new format still settling in, this draw carries major weight from the very start.
When the draw happens
The league phase draw takes place on Thursday, August 27, with proceedings beginning at 5 p.m. BST. That timing sets up a major afternoon of anticipation for clubs, supporters, and analysts alike.
Who is in the field
The 36 teams are split into four pots based on European ranking, and the draw will pull two opponents from each pot for every club. Here is the full lineup.
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
How the new format works
The modern Champions League no longer uses the old four-team group model. Instead, the competition runs on a Swiss-style league phase, which gives every club a distinct schedule and creates far more variety across the calendar.
Each side is assigned eight opponents, with two drawn from each pot. That means the fixture list is unique for every club, and no two teams will face the exact same sequence of challenges.
The process moves through the pots one by one until every team has its full lineup of eight matches. One rule remains simple and important: clubs cannot be drawn against another team from their own country.
Why this draw matters so much
This is more than a procedural event. The draw can define momentum, create early pressure, and influence how difficult the league phase becomes for each contender. A favorable set of opponents can open the door to a strong start, while a brutal slate may leave a giant scrambling from matchday one.
- Top seeds will want balance, not a schedule packed with elite rivals.
- Mid-tier clubs will hope for a realistic route to the knockout places.
- Fans will immediately start ranking the draw as easy, difficult, or brutal.
With eight matchdays ahead, the final result of Thursday’s draw will set the tone for the entire European campaign. Once the balls are pulled, every club will know exactly what kind of road lies between them and the knockout rounds.