The draw for the 2025/26 Champions League group stage takes place on Thursday with a record six Premier League sides set to be involved in the draw in Monaco
Newcastle United players celebrate after qualifying for the Champions League
Newcastle United players celebrate after qualifying for the Champions League
(Image: PA)
The Premier League is set to have a record six teams in today's Champions League draw. Newcastle United are among the 36 teams entering the league phase on European football's grandest stage.
The star-studded draw will be held by UEFA in Monaco at 5pm UK time, with the first round of matches kicking off on 16 September. Alongside Newcastle - Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Europa League victors Tottenham, who have been promoted into the Champions League, will represent the Premier League.
This is a record for the Premier League, which secured an additional fifth spot through coefficient rankings due to the impressive performance of English teams in last season's European competition.
Spurs' victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final in May further bolstered this achievement, earning them a sixth place and entry into the competition.
This means that English teams now hold a significant power base in the competition, alongside the likes of PSG, Harry Kane's Bayern Munich and Italian champions Napoli. Spain also boasts five teams: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal, reports the Mirror.
The first match round will span Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, placing the Champions League at the heart of the European week. All teams are vying for a spot in the final, scheduled to take place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, 30 May 2026.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is set on making a deeper run in this year's tournament after being ousted in the last 16 by eventual champions PSG. It was unfortunate to face such a formidable opponent, especially considering PSG nearly didn't make it past the league phase due to their sluggish start to the season.
Despite this hiccup, the revamped Champions League format was generally well-received, with all teams playing an additional two matches - eight in total - during the league phase, leading to some thrilling encounters.
Arsenal made it as far as the semi-finals, outperforming all other English teams in the competition. They managed to eliminate Real Madrid in the quarter-finals before succumbing to PSG.
However, this impressive run hasn't secured them a spot in pot one among the top seeds, which is determined by UEFA club coefficients based on recent European success.
Consequently, Chelsea - the current Club World Cup champions - find themselves in pot one after triumphing in the Europa Conference League last season. Manchester City also join the top seeds, having clinched the Champions League title in 2023.
Tottenham have been placed in pot three, while Newcastle are in pot four. The league phase will mirror last season with the top eight securing a place in the last 16 of the knock-out phase and the subsequent 16 entering a play-off phase.
The pots.
Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona.
Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge.
Pot 3: Tottenham, PSV, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Bodo/Glimt, Marseille.
Pot 4: Copenhagen, Monaco, Galatasaray, Union Saint-Gilloise, Qarabag, Athletic Club, Newcastle, Pafos, Kairat.
Match dates.
Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025.
Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025.
Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025.
Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025.
Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025.
Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025.
Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026.
Matchday 8: 28 January 2026.
Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 and 24/25 February 2026.
Round of 16: 10/11 and 17/18 March 2026.
Quarter-finals: 7/8 and 14/15 April 2026.
Semi-finals: 28/29 April and 5/6 May 2026.
Final: 30 May 2026.