How to follow Thursday's Champions League draw - and who is in each pot?
August 27, 2026 00:05
The draw for the 2026-27 Champions League league phase is set for Thursday 27 August at 17:00 BST in Monaco. Thirty-six clubs will be placed into four pots and drawn into a new league-phase format in which each side plays eight different opponents once, with four home fixtures and four away.
For the draw, teams are split into pots according to their UEFA club coefficients across the five-season window ending in 2025-26. National protection remains in place (clubs cannot be drawn against a team from the same country), and UEFA has introduced a rule preventing a club from hosting the same opponent in three consecutive league phases — meaning certain home pairings that have occurred twice already cannot be repeated at the same venue this time (the fixtures could, however, be reversed so the same clubs still meet).
KEY CONTEXT
- The 36-team league phase includes 29 clubs who qualified by last season’s results and seven places decided through play-offs.
- Pot assignments are determined by each club’s UEFA coefficient over the specified five-season period.
- Under the league-phase structure, each club will meet two teams from each of the four pots, ensuring a mix of opponents across the draw.
WHY IT MATTERS
The pot structure and coefficient-based seeding will shape which clubs face tougher runs in the league phase and which are more likely to contest the top positions. The new hosting restriction alters fixture logistics for clubs that have repeatedly met, affecting where such repeat matchups can take place. The league-phase table carries direct consequences: the top eight progress straight to the Champions League round of 16, places nine to 24 go into a knockout play-off round, and the bottom 12 leave European competition at the phase’s end.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- The draw itself at 17:00 BST on 27 August in Monaco. BBC coverage will stream on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
- Which specific matchups are produced under the new hosting rule — some repeat pairings will be prevented at a common venue and may instead be reversed.
- The immediate effect of the seeding and national protection on which high-profile cross-border ties can or cannot be drawn.
KEY FACTS
- Draw: Thursday 27 August, 17:00 BST, Monaco.
- League phase: 36 teams; each plays eight opponents (four home, four away).
- Qualification: 29 clubs qualified directly; seven places from play-offs.
- Seeding: Four pots based on UEFA club coefficients across five seasons through 2025-26.
- Progression: Top 8 → round of 16; 9–24 → knockout play-off round; 25–36 → eliminated.
- New UEFA rule: clubs cannot host the same opponent in three successive league phases (meetings can still be drawn with the venue reversed).