How does the Champions League draw work? 2025-26 League Phase, Pots info and fixture dates

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This season is the second year of the UEFA Champions League's new format with the draw taking place this evening - but how does it all work?

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Ousmane Dembele holds the Champions League trophy (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Champions League draw takes place today. Here's all you need to know about it.

Scheduled to begin at 17:00 BST (5pm) on Thursday, August 28, the draw for the 'League Phase' of the 2025-26 Champions League will be held in Monaco.

This year's draw follows the same process as last season, which was the first to feature the new 36-team 'League Phase' format.

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PSG boss Luis Enrique with the Champions League trophy after his side's 2025 victory (Image credit: UEFA via Getty Images)

How does the Champions League draw work?

The 36 qualified teams are comprised of 27 clubs that qualified through their league performances, the winners of last season’s Champions League and Europa League, and the seven teams that advanced from the qualifying and play-off rounds.

Clubs are separated into four pots according to their individual UEFA club coefficient, which is measured by their performance in UEFA competition over the past five seasons.

The draw proceeds with each team from Pot One being selected one-by-one. UEFA's automated software then assigns eight different opponents to each team.

A total of eight matches will be played by each club—two against teams from each Pot, with one game at home and one away. To maintain fair play, no team will face another from the same country.

Additionally, no more than two matches can be played against teams from a single nation. This procedure continues until the schedule for all 36 teams is finalised.

The complete list of Champions League fixtures, including dates and kick-off times, is expected to be released by Saturday, August 30.

Champions League 2025-26: Pot One

  • Paris Saint-Germain
  • Real Madrid
  • Manchester City
  • Bayern Munich
  • Liverpool
  • Inter Milan
  • Chelsea
  • Borussia Dortmund
  • Barcelona

PSG captain Marquinhos lifts the Champions League trophy aloft

PSG captain Marquinhos lifts the Champions League trophy aloft (Image credit: Getty Images)

Champions League 2025-26: Pot Two

  • Arsenal
  • Bayer Leverkusen
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Benfica
  • Atalanta
  • Villarreal
  • Juventus
  • Eintracht Frankfurt
  • Club Brugge

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank will be hoping to make it a wining start against Burnley this weekend

Thomas Frank will make his Champions League debut this season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Champions League: Pot Three

  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • PSV Eindhoven
  • AFC Ajax
  • Napoli
  • Sporting CP
  • Olympiacos
  • Slavia Prague
  • Bodo/Glimt
  • Olympique Marseille

Antonio Conte led Napoli to the 2024-25 Serie A title

Antonio Conte led Napoli to the 2024-25 Serie A title (Image credit: Getty Images)

Champions League 2025-26: Pot Four

  • FC Copenhagen
  • AS Monaco
  • Galatasaray
  • Union Saint-Gilloise
  • Qarabag FK
  • Athletic Bilbao
  • Newcastle United
  • Pafos FC
  • Kairat Almaty

Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe embraces Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United (39) following the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England

Newcastle return to the Champions League this season after their fifth place Premier League finish last term (Image credit: Getty Images)
Joe Donnohue
Joe Donnohue
Senior Digital Writer

Joe joined FourFourTwo as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller.

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