Arsenal’s eight opponents for the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League have been confirmed.
Despite a computer being in charge of things these days, UEFA still forced everyone to sit through 30 minutes of self-indulgent twaddle, which mostly involved Zlatan Ibrahimovic trying to pull president Aleksander Ceferin from his ringpiece while that weird Thunderbird-lookalike Pedro Pinto stood nodding with his tongue hanging out.
It was so cringeworthy, you almost questioned whether it was worth qualifying for the competition at all.
Anyway, here are the teams we’ve been pitted against:
Bayern Munich (H)
Inter Milan (A)
Atletico Madrid (H)
Club Brugge (A)
Olympiacos (H)
Slavia Prague (A)
Kairat Almaty (H)
Athletic Bilbao (A)
If you’re looking to book flights and accommodation, the dates and kick-off times will be published no later than Saturday, 30 August, so keep an eye out.
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Head-to-Head Record
Bayern Munich – W3 D3 L8
Inter Milan – W1 D0 L2
Atletico Madrid – W0 D1 L1
Club Brugge – Never played competitively
Olympiacos – W6 D0 L6
Slavia Prague – W2 D2 L0
Kairat Almaty – Never played competitively
Athletic Bilbao – Never played competitively
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League Phase Schedule
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 Rounds Schedule
Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026
Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026
Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)
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Of the 36 teams in the league phase, 24 will progress. The top eight go straight to the round of 16, while those finishing 9th–16th will face play-offs against sides placed 17th–24th for the remaining spots.
Finishing in the top eight also secures home advantage in the second leg of knockout ties – a change from last season when quarter-final and semi-final legs were decided by draw.
Arsenal finished third in last year’s league phase before seeing off PSV and Real Madrid to set up a semi-final showdown with PSG, the eventual winners.
It’s been 20 years since Arsenal last reached the Champions League final. See you in Budapest…