UCL draw: Champions PSG lead 36 clubs into Thursday’s showdown
August 27, 2026 7:00 am
Champions League
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday, with 36 qualified clubs set to discover their European opponents for the new season.
Reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain, headline Pot One, alongside some of Europe’s biggest clubs, as the competition moves towards another league-phase campaign.
According to UEFA on Wednesday, the draw will feature nine teams in each of four pots.
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid make up Pot One.
PSG enter the draw as holders after winning the Champions League last season, while Bayern, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid complete a formidable first pot.
Pot Two also contains several heavyweight European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.
English clubs are strongly represented across the pots, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in Pot One, Aston Villa and Manchester United in Pot Two, while no English club is listed in Pots Three or Four.
Pot Three features Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Shakhtar Donetsk and Galatasaray.
The final pot consists of Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, VfB Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK, Como, Lens, Viking Stavanger and Sabah.
The draw will determine the league-phase fixtures for all 36 clubs, setting up a new round of high-profile European clashes.
Among the potential matchups attracting attention are the possibility of meetings involving clubs from the competition’s strongest pots, with the draw set to determine each team’s route through the league phase.
UEFA said the Champions League league phase draw will be held on Thursday, August 27, from 6pm CET.
With the 36-team lineup now confirmed, attention turns to the draw, where the clubs will learn the opponents they must face as they begin their quest for European football’s biggest prize.
Qualified teams for the 2026/27 Champions League: here is the full list.
Pot One
• Paris Saint-Germain — France
• Bayern Munich — Germany
• Real Madrid — Spain
• Liverpool — England
• Inter Milan — Italy
• Manchester City — England
• Arsenal — England
• Barcelona — Spain
• Atletico Madrid — Spain
Pot Two
• Borussia Dortmund — Germany
• Roma — Italy
• Sporting — Portugal
• Aston Villa — England
• Porto — Portugal
• Manchester United — England
• Club Brugge — Belgium
• Real Betis — Spain
• PSV Eindhoven — Netherlands
Pot Three
• Feyenoord — Netherlands
• Lille — France
• Bodo/Glimt — Norway
• Napoli — Italy
• RB Leipzig — Germany
• Villarreal — Spain
• Fenerbahce — Turkey
• Shakhtar Donetsk — Ukraine
• Galatasaray — Turkey
Pot Four
• Slavia Prague — Czech Republic
• Slovan Bratislava — Slovakia
• VfB Stuttgart — Germany
• AEK Athens — Greece
• LASK — Austria
• Como — Italy
• Lens — France
• Viking Stavanger — Norway
• Sabah — Azerbaijan
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.
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