The draw for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was conducted in Monaco on Thursday, ushering in the second season of the competition’s expanded format.
Thirty-six clubs will now compete in a single league table instead of the traditional group stage. Each team will play eight matches; four at home and four away, against opponents drawn from four seeding pots. Two opponents are drawn from each pot, with one match played at home and the other away.
With the new format, clubs from the same country cannot face each other, and no team can be paired with more than two opponents from any one association.
The top eight teams in the final standings will qualify directly for the round of 16. Clubs finishing 9th to 24th will contest a two-legged knockout play-off to decide the remaining places, while teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated from Europe entirely.
A total of 29 clubs qualified automatically through their league positions, while the remaining seven places were secured via the play-off round.
Below is the full seeding list for the draw:
Pot 1 (Top Seeds):
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Pot 2:
Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge
Pot 3:
Tottenham, PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Bodø/Glimt, Marseille
Pot 4:
Copenhagen, Monaco, Galatasaray, Union Saint-Gilloise, Qarabag, Athletic Club, Newcastle United, Pafos, Kairat Almaty
Full Fixture List
Pot 1 Teams
Real Madrid
Home: Manchester City, Juventus, Marseille, Monaco
Away: Liverpool, Benfica, Olympiacos, Kairat Almaty
Manchester City
Home: Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Galatasaray
Away: Real Madrid, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt, Monaco
Bayern Munich
Home: Chelsea, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, Union Saint-Gilloise
Away: Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Pafos
Liverpool
Home: Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Qarabağ
Away: Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille, Galatasaray
Paris Saint-Germain
Home: Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Tottenham, Newcastle
Away: Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP, Athletic Club
Inter Milan
Home: Liverpool, Arsenal, Slavia Prague, Kairat Almaty
Away: Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Ajax, Union Saint-Gilloise
Chelsea
Home: Barcelona, Benfica, Ajax, Pafos
Away: Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Napoli, Qarabağ
Borussia Dortmund
Home: Inter Milan, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt, Athletic Club
Away: Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham, Copenhagen
Barcelona
Home: Paris Saint-Germain, Eintracht Frankfurt, Olympiacos, Copenhagen
Away: Chelsea, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague, Newcastle
Pot 2 Teams
Home: Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Olympiacos, Kairat Almaty
Away: Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague, Athletic Club
Bayer Leverkusen
Home: Paris Saint-Germain, Villarreal, PSV Eindhoven, Newcastle
Away: Manchester City, Benfica, Olympiacos, Copenhagen
Atlético Madrid
Home: Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/Glimt, Union Saint-Gilloise
Away: Liverpool, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray
Benfica
Home: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Qarabağ
Away: Chelsea, Juventus, Ajax, Newcastle
Atalanta
Home: Chelsea, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague, Athletic Club
Away: Paris Saint-Germain, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille, Union Saint-Gilloise
Villarreal
Home: Manchester City, Juventus, Ajax, Copenhagen
Away: Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Pafos
Juventus
Home: Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Sporting CP, Pafos
Away: Real Madrid, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt, Monaco
Eintracht Frankfurt
Home: Liverpool, Atalanta, Tottenham, Galatasaray
Away: Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Qarabağ
Club Brugge
Home: Barcelona, Arsenal, Marseille, Monaco
Away: Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Sporting CP, Kairat Almaty
Pot 3 Teams
Tottenham Hotspur
Home: Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, Copenhagen
Away: Paris Saint-Germain, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/Glimt, Monaco
PSV Eindhoven
Home: Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Union Saint-Gilloise
Away: Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Olympiacos, Newcastle
Ajax
Home: Inter Milan, Benfica, Olympiacos, Galatasaray
Away: Chelsea, Villarreal, Marseille, Qarabağ
Napoli
Home: Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting CP, Qarabağ
Away: Manchester City, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Copenhagen
Sporting CP
Home: Paris Saint-Germain, Club Brugge, Marseille, Kairat Almaty
Away: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Napoli, Athletic Club
Olympiacos
Home: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven, Pafos
Away: Barcelona, Arsenal, Ajax, Kairat Almaty
Slavia Prague
Home: Barcelona, Arsenal, Bodø/Glimt, Athletic Club
Away: Inter Milan, Atalanta, Tottenham,
Bodø/Glimt
Home: Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham, Monaco
Away: Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Slavia Prague, Galatasaray
Marseille
Home: Liverpool, Atalanta, Ajax, Newcastle
Away: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, Union Saint-Gilloise
Pot 4 Teams
Copenhagen
Home: Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Kairat Almaty
Away: Barcelona, Villarreal, Tottenham, Qarabağ
Monaco
Home: Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham, Galatasaray
Away: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt,
Galatasaray
Home: Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Bodø/Glimt, Union Saint-Gilloise
Away: Manchester City, Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax, Monaco
Union Saint-Gilloise
Home: Inter Milan, Atalanta, Marseille, Newcastle
Away: Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Galatasaray
Qarabağ
Home: Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax, Copenhagen
Away: Liverpool, Benfica, Napoli, Athletic Club
Athletic Club
Home: Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Sporting CP, Qarabağ
Away: Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Slavia Prague, Newcastle
Newcastle United
Home: Barcelona, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club
Away: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Union Saint-Gilloise
Home: Bayern Munich, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, Monaco
Away: Chelsea, Juventus, Olympiacos, Kairat Almaty
Kairat Almaty
Home: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Pafos
Away: Inter Milan, Arsenal, Sporting CP, Copenhagen
Matches will run from September 16, 2025 to January 28, 2026, with UEFA expected to release the full fixture calendar before the weekend.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
