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KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain will face European heavyweights Barcelona and Manchester City in the 2026/27 league phase after UEFA’s draw produced a series of high-profile encounters involving some of the continent’s biggest clubs.
PSG, who retained the Champions League title by defeating Arsenal on penalties in the final in May, will welcome Barcelona to Paris and travel to England to face Manchester City. Luis Enrique’s side will also play Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como during the eight-game league phase.
The meeting with Barcelona adds another compelling storyline for PSG, particularly given Luis Enrique’s previous association with the Spanish giants.
According to UEFA’s official draw, PSG’s four home opponents are Barcelona, Roma, Galatasaray and Slovan Bratislava. Their four away matches will be against Manchester City, Aston Villa, Villarreal and Como.
Manchester City will therefore host the defending champions while also facing another major Spanish opponent, Barcelona, away from home.
City’s complete draw features home games against PSG, Sporting CP, Napoli and AEK Athens, while Enzo Maresca’s side will travel to Barcelona, Porto, Leipzig and Lens.
Barcelona will also have two major fixtures against PSG and City.
The Spanish champions will host Manchester City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord and Como, while their away assignments include PSG, Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Sabah.
The PSG fixture will bring Luis Enrique back against the club he previously guided to Champions League glory, while Barcelona’s clash with Manchester City will provide another major European test for Hansi Flick’s team.
Record 15-time European champions Real Madrid were also handed several challenging opponents.
Madrid will host Inter Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Leipzig and LASK at home, while travelling to face Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens.
The meeting with Inter brings together two of Europe’s most decorated clubs, while the trip to Arsenal is expected to be another standout fixture of the league phase.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will host Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Sabah before travelling to Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague.
Six-time European champions Liverpool, now managed by Andoni Iraola, were drawn against Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid among their toughest assignments.
Liverpool’s home opponents are Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while their four away fixtures will take them to Inter, Club Brugge, Fenerbahçe and LASK.
A trip to Inter will provide an early examination of Liverpool’s European ambitions under their new manager, while Atletico’s visit to Anfield promises another high-intensity contest.
Bayern Munich were another major club handed a challenging schedule.
The German champions will welcome Arsenal, Real Betis, Bodø/Glimt and Slavia Prague to Munich.
Their away schedule features trips to Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Lille and Viking.
The fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester United revive familiar Champions League rivalries, while Atletico’s home strength is likely to make Bayern’s visit to Madrid another demanding test.
Manchester United return to the Champions League after missing the competition for two consecutive seasons.
Their comeback will not be straightforward.
United will host Bayern Munich, Roma, Leipzig and Sabah, while their away opponents are Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal and Como.
The visits of Bayern and Roma provide major European nights at Old Trafford, while an away fixture against Diego Simeone’s Atletico represents one of United’s toughest assignments.
Reuters described Atletico’s schedule as among the most difficult produced by the draw.
Atletico will host Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Fenerbahçe and Viking, while travelling to face Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Bodø/Glimt and Stuttgart.
The Madrid club therefore face three former European champions in Bayern, United and Liverpool during their eight league-phase matches.
The Premier League and LaLiga have the largest representation in this season’s Champions League, with five teams each.
England will be represented by Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Spain’s five representatives are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis.
The complete competition consists of 36 clubs, with each team playing eight different opponents — four at home and four away — rather than the traditional four-team group format.
League Phase Starts September 8
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase will begin on September 8, 2026.
UEFA has scheduled eight matchdays running through January 27, 2027, after which the competition will move into the knockout stage.
The league-phase matchdays are scheduled for:
- Matchday 1 — Sept. 8-10, 2026
- Matchday 2 — Oct. 13-14
- Matchday 3 — Oct. 20-21
- Matchday 4 — Nov. 3-4
- Matchday 5 — Nov. 24-25
- Matchday 6 — Dec. 8-9
- Matchday 7 — Jan. 19-20, 2027
- Matchday 8 — Jan. 27.
UEFA said the detailed fixture list, including specific match dates and kick-off times, will be announced no later than Aug. 29.
The knockout phase begins with the play-offs in February before the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals take place during March, April and May.
The 2027 Champions League final is scheduled for June 5 at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.
It will be the stadium’s second Champions League final after hosting Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.
With PSG facing Barcelona and Manchester City, Real Madrid travelling to Arsenal, Liverpool meeting Inter and Atletico, and Bayern going up against Arsenal and Manchester United, the latest draw has produced major fixtures from the beginning of the competition.
The expanded league-phase format means Europe’s leading clubs will encounter a wider range of opponents before the knockout rounds, increasing the number of heavyweight clashes during the opening months of the tournament.
For defending champions PSG, the challenge of winning a third consecutive European crown begins with one of the most demanding schedules in the draw as Luis Enrique prepares his side for another campaign against the continent’s elite.
