Italy's former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon shows the paper slip of Arsenal (ENG) during the group stage of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League foot...
Italy's former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon shows the paper slip of Arsenal (ENG) during the group stage of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League football tournament, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on August 29, 2024. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
All of Arsenal’s potential Champions League League Phase opponents have now been confirmed, but a rule change means the Gunners won’t be playing at the San Siro.
The UEFA Champions League trophy during the draw for the UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 at The Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
The UEFA Champions League trophy during the draw for the UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 at The Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Following the final round of Champions League qualifiers in midweek, Arsenal now know all of their potential opponents in the League Phase of this year’s competition.
The draw will take place on Thursday, August 27th at 17:00 BST, and a fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be communicated no later than Saturday, August 29th, according to UEFA.
UEFA have also confirmed they’ll send a notification via their social media channels shortly before the publication of the fixtures, alerting fans to the fact they’re about to be revealed.
Draw balls displayed on set prior to the draw ceremony for the UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 Group Stage at The Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco on August 31, 2023. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Draw balls displayed on set prior to the draw ceremony for the UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 Group Stage at The Grimaldi Forum in the Principality of Monaco on August 31, 2023. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal will be in Pot 1 as Premier League champions, but that’s largely unimportant. Regardless of your pot, you still face two teams from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from Pot 3, and two from Pot 4, with one game at home and one game away in each case.
You can’t face teams from your own country, so Arsenal will avoid games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Manchester United until the knockout stages. And thanks to a new rule, the Gunners also can’t play away to Inter Milan.
The new rule is that teams can’t play the same League Phase fixture three seasons in a row, and since Arsenal played away to Inter in 2024/25 and 2025/26, they can’t play the fixture again in 2026/27. But the Gunners could still draw Inter at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s potential League Phase opponents
Jurrien Timber of Arsenal challenges William Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain as he clears the ball during the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Pot 1
Paris Saint-Germain
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Inter Milan (but only at home)
FC Barcelona
Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
Borussia Dortmund
AS Roma
Sporting CP
FC Porto
Club Brugge
Real Betis
PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
Feyenoord
Lille
Bodo/Glimt
Napoli
Leipzig
Villarreal
Fenerbahce
Shakhtar (whose home games will be played at Stamford Bridge)
Galatasaray
Pot 4
Slavia Praha
Slovan Bratislava
VfB Stuttgart
AEK Athens
LASK
Como 1907
Lens
Viking
Sabah
MILAN, ITALY - JANUARY 20: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal FC celebrates with his team-mates after scoring their team's secons goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Arsenal FC at Stadio San Siro on January 20, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
MILAN, ITALY - JANUARY 20: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal FC celebrates with his team-mates after scoring their team's secons goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Arsenal FC at Stadio San Siro on January 20, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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