The lowdown ahead of the draw for the league phase of the Champions League, which will feature six Premier League clubs, including start time, TV channel and match dates
The six Premier League clubs in the Champions League are about to discover their league phase opponents. Up from the usual four due to the recent strong performance of English teams in Europe and Tottenham’s Europa League triumph – Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle, along with Spurs, represent the Premier League in UEFA’s top club competition this season.
An English side hasn’t won the competition since Man City completed the Treble in 2023, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain triumphing since. Semi-finalists Arsenal went furthest last season, before being dispatched by PSG, who annihilated Inter Milan in the final.
However, there will be high hopes that at least one of the Premier League sides can reach the 2026 final, which will be held at Budapest’s Puskas Arena on Saturday, May 30. Here’s the lowdown on how to watch the draw and when the games will take place…
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When is the Champions League draw?
The draw will be held in Monaco on Thursday, August 28, starting at 5pm UK time.
How to watch the Champions League draw
Both UEFA and the UK’s Champions League broadcaster, TNT Sports, will offer a free live stream on their websites and YouTube channels. If you’re a subscriber, you’ll also be able to watch the draw on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ app.
How does the league phase work?
The competition proper will again begin with the new-look league phase, which sees 36 teams play eight matches, four at home and four away. The top eight clubs will go straight into the last 16 while the sides that finish ninth to 24th will face off in a play-off round for the right to join them.
Teams cannot play another team from the same country and are not allowed to face more than two teams from one country in the league phase. There will be no Europa League safety net for the clubs that finish in the bottom 12.
When will the matches take place?
The league phase begins in mid-September and will not conclude until the end of January.
Matchday 1: September 16/18, 2025
Matchday 2: September 30/October 1, 2025
Matchday 3: October 21/22, 2025
Matchday 4: November 4/5, 2025
Matchday 5: November 25/26, 2025
Matchday 6: December 9/10, 2025
Matchday 7: January 20/21, 2026
Matchday 8: January 28, 2026
Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25, 2026
Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18, 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15, 2026
Semi-finals: May, 28/29 April & May 5/6, 2026
Final: May 30, 2026
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