The draw has been made and it’s almost time for another season of Champions League action, with the 2026/27 edition of Europe’s elite club competition kicking off in on Tuesday, 8th September.
Here’s all you need to know about how the Champions League works…
How does the Champions League format work?
This will be the third campaign of the Champions League in its current format, following a radical shake-up of the competition in 2024, when it expanded from 32 teams to 36.
It all begins with the league phase, featuring all 36 sides – a big change from the old format of eight four-team groups.
Each team plays eight games in the league phase – four at home, four away, all against different opponents.
The sides who finish in the top eight of the league phase table advance automatically to the first knockout round, the last 16.
The sides who finish ninth to 24th go into the two-legged knockout round play-offs, with the eight tie winners going through to the last 16 – also played over two legs.
Unlike until 2024, no teams drop down into the Europa League. If you finish 25th or lower in the league phase or lose in the knockout round play-offs, your European campaign is over.
The last 16 leads into the quarter-finals, semi-finals – both played over two legs – and, at the end of it all, the final for the right to be crowned champions of Europe.
GET THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCORES AND RESULTS ON LIVESCORE
Which clubs are in the 2026/27 Champions League?
The full list of clubs competing in the 2026/27 Champions League is as follows, broken down by country. PSG are the two-time reigning European champions.
*First appearance in Champions League
England
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Liverpool
Man City
Man United
Spain
Atletico Madrid
Barcelona
Real Betis
Real Madrid
Villarreal
Germany
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
RB Leipzig
Stuttgart
Italy
Como*
Inter Milan
Napoli
Roma
France
Lens
Lille
PSG
Netherlands
Feyenoord
PSV Eindhoven
Norway
Bodo/Glimt
Viking
Portugal
Porto
Sporting CP
Turkey
Galatasaray
Fenerbahce
Austria
LASK*
Azerbaijan
Sabah*
Belgium
Club Brugge
Czechia
Slavia Prague
Greece
AEK Athens
Slovakia
Slovan Bratislava
Ukraine
Shakhtar Donetsk
Where is the 2026/27 Champions League final?
The final of the 2026/27 Champions League will be played at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, the home ground of Atletico Madrid.
It will be the second time the Metropolitano has hosted the Champions League final after 2019, when Liverpool beat fellow English side Tottenham to lift the trophy for the sixth time.
