MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 29: A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League Trophy during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 29, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 29: A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League Trophy during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 29, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool get their Champions League campaign underway less than a fortnight after Thursday’s draw for the league stage is made.
As the Champions League returns for its 72nd edition, Andoni Iraola enters European competition as a manager for just the second time – he previously competed in the Europa League at AEK Larnaca.
Since the Swiss-style league phase was introduced, UEFA’s draws have been slightly less painful affairs due to the computerisation of the previously drawn-out process.
Liverpool will be placed in Pot A thanks to their favourable coefficient ranking and will be looking to make light work of the league phase, as they have done in the past two seasons.
When is the 2026 Champions League league phase draw?
NYON, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 5: A view of the draw balls ahead of the UEFA Champions League, 2024/25 Play-offs Round Draw at the UEFA Headquarters, The House of the European Football, on August 5, 2024 in Nyon, Switzerland (Photo by Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
NYON, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 5: A view of the draw balls ahead of the UEFA Champions League, 2024/25 Play-offs Round Draw at the UEFA Headquarters, The House of the European Football, on August 5, 2024 in Nyon, Switzerland (Photo by Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The draw for the 2026/27 league phase takes place at 5pm (BST) on Thursday, August 27, held in Monaco.
Proceedings from the Grimaldi Forum will be broadcast live on YouTube by TNT Sports, as Liverpool find out their eight opponents for the first stage of the competition proper.
Champions League League Phase Draw 2026: At a Glance
5pm (BST)
TV
UEFA.com / TNT Sports 1 / HBO Max / Prime
The draw will be held live at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
How does the Champions League draw work?
MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 29: A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League draw during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 29, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 29: A detailed view of the UEFA Champions League draw during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 29, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Clubs are seeded and placed into four pots of nine teams.
Each team will be drawn by the supercomputer to face two opponents from each pot, playing one at home and one away.
The top eight finishers qualify automatically for the last 16, while ninth to 24th must play an extra knockout round.
The bottom 12 teams are eliminated and do not drop into the Europa League.
The eight clubs who win their knockout playoff will meet one of the top-eight finishers in the last 16.
Who can Liverpool face in the Champions League league phase?
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - Wednesday, January 21, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk before the UEFA Champions League match between Olympique de Marseille and Liverpool FC at the Stade Vélodrome. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - Wednesday, January 21, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk before the UEFA Champions League match between Olympique de Marseille and Liverpool FC at the Stade Vélodrome. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Pot 1
PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Man City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Man United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo-Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce
Pot 4
Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens, Sabah, AEK Athens, Viking, Celje/Slovan Bratislava
* Liverpool can’t meet English clubs in the league phase.
Liverpool are in Pot 1 thanks to being ranked eighth in Europe based on UEFA’s coefficient system.
The Reds will play two teams from Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4.
However, they cannot face teams from England until the knockout stages and they cannot draw Real Madrid at Anfield, because that fixture has been played in both of the last two seasons.
When will the Champions League league phase fixtures be played?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool will find out their opponents on Thursday, but they will have to wait an extra day to know the order and dates on which they will play.
The Champions League fixture list with match dates and kickoff times will be published no later than Saturday, August 29, say UEFA.
We do already know the approximate dates for each round of games:
• Matchday 1: Sep 8/9/10
• 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
• Matchday 8: Jan 27
Key dates for 2026/27 Champions League
LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 10, 2024: The UEFA Champions League trophy. General. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 10, 2024: The UEFA Champions League trophy. General. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Of course, Liverpool will be looking well beyond the league phase.
Reaching the final at Atletico Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, where the Reds lifted the trophy in 2019, should be the team’s ambition.
• Playoff round: Feb 16/17 and Feb 23/24
• Round of 16: Mar 9/10 and Mar 16/17
• Quarter-finals: Apr 6/7 and Apr 13/14
• Semi-finals: Apr 27/28 and May 4/5
• Final: June 5
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Bradley Barcola, PSG (Image: UEFA)
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