Champions League draw set for August 27 in Monaco as 36 clubs confirmed

UEFA has announced that the main-round draw for the 2026-27 Champions League will be held on Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. GMT in the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco. Of the 36 clubs entering the group phase, 29 qualified automatically based on their domestic league rankings, while seven earned places through a qualifying competition that concluded just before the draw. Recent qualifiers include Bodo/Glimt, LASK and Sabah, leaving four remaining slots to be decided.

The league phase will run from early September to late January, followed by knockout rounds that lead to a final on June 5 at the Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atletico Madrid. Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain aim for a third straight title, while traditional powerhouses such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich seek to reclaim the trophy. The tournament’s new format pits each team against eight opponents drawn from four pots, with an equal split of home and away matches.