The lineup for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League is officially complete, with 36 clubs now confirmed for the league phase of Europe’s biggest club competition.
The final places were decided after the Champions League play-offs concluded on Wednesday, August 26, setting the stage for Thursday’s league-phase draw in Monaco.
A total of 29 teams qualified directly, while the remaining seven earned their places through the qualifying rounds and play-offs.
The new campaign will feature some of the biggest names in European football, including defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Inter Milan.
The Complete 36-Team Lineup
The confirmed teams have been divided into four pots of nine for the league-phase draw.
Pot 1
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
These clubs are among the biggest names in European football and will enter the draw as the highest-seeded teams.
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund
- AS Roma
- Sporting CP
- Aston Villa
- Porto
- Manchester United
- Club Brugge
- Real Betis
- PSV Eindhoven
Pot 2 contains several clubs with strong European experience, while Aston Villa and Manchester United will be looking to make their mark during the league phase.
Pot 3
- Feyenoord
- Lille
- Bodø/Glimt
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Fenerbahçe
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
This group includes a mixture of experienced Champions League clubs and teams capable of causing problems for the bigger sides.
Fenerbahçe are particularly interesting after returning to the Champions League league phase, while Bodø/Glimt continue their rise on the European stage.
Pot 4
- Slavia Prague
- Slovan Bratislava
- Stuttgart
- AEK Athens
- LASK
- Como
- Lens
- Viking
- Sabah
Several clubs in Pot 4 will be making headlines simply by reaching the league phase.
Como, Viking and Sabah are among the clubs attracting particular attention, while LASK and Slovan Bratislava are also returning to the European spotlight.
PSG Lead the Champions
Paris Saint-Germain will enter the competition as defending champions.
After winning the European title, PSG now face the difficult challenge of trying to repeat that success.
The French club will be one of the teams everyone wants to avoid, but the new league-phase format means they will have to face eight different opponents before reaching the knockout rounds.
Their title defence will be one of the biggest stories of the new Champions League season.
Real Madrid and Europe’s Giants Return
Real Madrid will once again be among the favourites.
The Spanish giants have a remarkable history in the competition and will be hoping to add another European trophy to their collection.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will also represent Spain in Pot 1, while Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Inter Milan complete a powerful group of top-seeded clubs.
With so many European giants involved, the league phase could produce some huge fixtures.
New Clubs Looking to Make History
One of the most interesting aspects of this year’s competition is the presence of clubs that are less familiar to Champions League audiences.
Como, Sabah and Viking are among the teams making their league-phase debuts, giving their supporters the opportunity to watch their clubs compete against some of the biggest teams in Europe.
For these clubs, every Champions League match will be a major occasion.
A difficult trip to Madrid, Paris, Munich or Manchester could become one of the biggest moments in their history.
How the League Phase Works
The Champions League is now played using a single league-phase table rather than the traditional group-stage system.
All 36 teams will be placed into one table, with every club playing eight matches against eight different opponents.
Each team will play four matches at home and four away.
The eight best teams in the final league table will automatically qualify for the round of 16. Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th will enter the knockout play-offs, while teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated from the competition.
This format means every point could prove important.
A strong start can put a team in a good position, while several defeats could leave even a major European club fighting to stay in the competition.
The Draw Takes Centre Stage
The 36 clubs will discover their league-phase opponents during Thursday’s draw in Monaco.
The draw is scheduled for 18:00 CET on August 27, with the clubs split into four pots of nine.
Supporters around the world will be watching closely as the fixtures are revealed.
Fans will immediately begin analysing their clubs’ opponents, while managers and players will start planning for the challenges ahead.
For some clubs, the draw could provide a relatively favourable route into the knockout rounds.
For others, it could produce a difficult schedule packed with European giants.
Road to the Final
The league phase is only the beginning of a long journey.
The knockout play-offs will take place in February 2027, followed by the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.
The competition will eventually reach its climax on June 5, 2027, when the final is played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
For all 36 clubs, the dream is to be one of the two teams standing at the end.
PSG will be hoping to defend their crown, while the other contenders will be determined to take the trophy away from the French champions.
A Season Full of Possibilities
The 2026/27 Champions League promises to be another exciting European campaign.
The presence of established giants alongside ambitious newcomers creates the possibility of major surprises.
Clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal will carry huge expectations, but the new format gives every team opportunities to test themselves against Europe’s best.
For the smaller clubs, meanwhile, the competition offers a chance to create unforgettable memories.
The 36-team lineup is now complete, and attention has shifted to the draw and the fixtures that will shape the opening stage of the competition.
Conclusion
The 2026/27 Champions League is officially ready to begin, with all 36 league-phase teams confirmed.
From defending champions PSG and European giants such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to newcomers like Como, Viking and Sabah, the competition brings together an exciting mixture of experience and ambition.
The league phase begins on September 8, and the road to the final in Madrid is now set to begin.
The big question is simple: who will be lifting the Champions League trophy in Madrid next June?
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