2026-27 Champions League Draw: Confirmed League Phase Pots
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League field is set with 36 teams confirmed following the final playoff round. The tournament will feature a new league phase format replacing the traditional group stage, with the official draw scheduled for Thursday.
Why it matters
The shift to a single league ladder represents a major structural change to Europe's premier club football competition, impacting scheduling and competitive dynamics.
The last of the 36 qualifiers for the 2026–27 Champions League league phase were confirmed on Wednesday night, with AEK Athens, Slovan Bratislava, Fenerbahçe and Viking coming through the final playoff to join the existing sides that will be competing on Europe’s biggest stage.
LASK of Austria, Azerbaijan’s Sabah and the returning Bodø/Glimt had advanced on Tuesday, potentially mixing it with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United or Arsenal.
This is now the third season since UEFA changed the Champions League format, doing away with the group stage and introducing a single league ladder.
Each club will face eight others between September and January, with fixture lists determined by the annual draw taking place at UEFA HQ in Nyon, Switzerland on Thursday.
The Champions League draw is staged on Thursday. | Kristian Skeie/UEFA/Getty Images. The idea is relatively straightforward. There are four draw pots with nine teams in each.
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