Champions League returns this season as the biggest clubs in European football prepare to face each other.
Last season’s competition was won by Paris Saint-Germain under the leadership of manager Luis Enrique, who guided the French club to their first Champions League triumph.
The Champions League journey for 2025/26 has been quietly but steadily unfolding for months, long before the group stage glamour and the lights of Europe’s biggest arenas take center stage.
Since early July, the competition has been bubbling away with the qualifying rounds, where lesser-known clubs from across the continent battled fiercely for a place among Europe’s elite.
In total, 53 teams were part of this rigorous process. Of those, 42 sides entered via the Champions Path, which is specifically designed for league winners from smaller European nations, while the remaining 11 clubs joined through the League Path, reserved for non-champions from the stronger leagues.
At stake were just seven coveted slots in the newly formatted league phase of the Champions League, a prize that can transform the financial and sporting fortunes of a club overnight.
This week brought the final round of qualifiers to a dramatic conclusion. On Wednesday night, European regulars Benfica, along with Qarabag and Club Brugge, emerged triumphant from their ties, securing their places in the main draw.
With the qualifying rounds wrapped up, the full lineup of 36 teams is now confirmed. All of them will begin their quest to follow in the footsteps of last season’s winners, Paris Saint-Germain, who claimed their maiden European crown in emphatic fashion.
The Champions League league phase promises drama, iconic nights, and perhaps even the birth of another historic story, just as PSG wrote theirs last season.
2025/26 Champions League fixtures
POT 1
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
Arsenal
PSG
Club Brugge
Sporting
Union SG
Pafos
PSV
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Benfica
Atalanta
Ajax
Napoli
Pafos
Qarabag
Inter Milan
Liverpool
Dortmund
Arsenal
Atletico Madrid
Slavia Prague
Ajax
Kairat
Union SG
Barcelona
Chelsea
PSG
Frankfurt
Club Brugge
Olympiacos
Slavia Prague
Copenhagen
Newcastle
Liverpool
Real Madrid
Inter
Atletico Madrid
Frankfurt
PSV
Marseille
Qarabag
Galatasaray
Borussia Dortmund
Inter
Man City
Villarreal
Juventus
Bodo/Glimt
Tottenham
Athletic
Copenhagen
Real Madrid
Man City
Liverpool
Juventus
Benfica
Marseille
Olympiacos
Monaco
Kairat
Manchester City
Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid
Leverkusen
Villarreal
Napoli
Bodo/Glimt
Galatasaray
Monaco
POT 2
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Inter
Club Brugge
Atletico Madrid
Olympiacos
Slavia Prague
Kairat
Athletic
Bayer Leverkusen
PSG
Man City
Villarreal
Benfica
PSV
Olympiacos
Newcastle
Copenhagen
Atalanta
Chelsea
PSG
Club Brugge
Frankfurt
Slavia Praha
Marseille
Athletic
Union SG
Benfica
Real Madrid
Chelsea
Leverkusen
Juventus
Napoli
Ajax
Qarabag
Newcastle
Club Brugge
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Arsenal
Atalanta
Marseille
Sporting
Monaco
Kairat Almaty
Eintracht Frankfurt
Liverpool
Barcelona
Atalanta
Atletico Madrid
Tottenham
Napoli
Galatasaray
Qarabag
Juventus
Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid
Benfica
Villarreal
Sporting
Bodo/Glimt
Pafos
Monaco
Atletico Madrid
Inter Milan
Liverpool
Eintracht Frankfurt
Arsenal
Bodo/Glimt
PSV
Union SG
Galatasaray
Villarreal
Man City
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Leverkusen
Ajax
Tottenham
Copenhagen
Pafos
POT 3
Olympique Marseille
Liverpool
Real Madrid
Atalanta
Club Brugge
Ajax
Sporting
Newcastle
Union SG
Tottenham
Borussia Dortmund
PSG
Villarreal
Eintracht Frankfurt
Slavia Praha
Bodo/Glimt
Copenhagen
Monaco
Bodo/Glimt
Man City
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Atletico Madrid
Tottenham
Slavia Praha
Monaco
Galatasaray
Sporting
PSG
Bayern Munich
Club Brugge
Juventus
Marseille
Napoli
Kairat Almaty
Athletic
Olympiacos
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal
PSV
Ajax
Pafos
Kairat Almaty
AFC Ajax
Inter
Chelsea
Benfica
Villarreal
Olympiacos
Marseille
Galatasaray
Qarabag
Slavia Praha
Barcelona
Inter
Arsenal
Atalanta
Bodo/Glimt
Tottenham
Athletic
Pafos
PSV
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Atletico
Bayer Leverkusen
Napoli
Olympiacos
Union SG
Newcastle
Napoli
Chelsea
Man City
Eintracht Frankfurt
Benfica
Sporting
PSV
Qarabag
Copenhagen
POT 4
Athletic
PSG
Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal
Atalanta
Sporting
Slavia Praha
Qarabag
Newcastle
Qarabag
Chelsea
Liverpool
Eintracht Frankfurt
Benfica
Ajax
Napoli
Copenhagen
Athletic
AS Monaco
Man City
Real Madrid
Juventus
Club Brugge
Tottenham
Bodo/Glimt
Galatasaray
Pafos
Galatasaray
Liverpool
Man City
Atletico
Eintracht Frankfurt
Bodo/Glimt
Ajax
Union SG
Monaco
Newcastle United
Barcelona
PSG
Benfica
Bayer Leverkusen
PSV
Marseille
Athletic
Union SG
Union SG
Inter
Bayern Munich
Atalanta
Atletico
Marseille
PSV
Newcastle
Galatasaray
Pafos
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
Villarreal
Juventus
Slavia Praha
Olympiaco
Monaco
Kairat Almaty
Kairat Almaty
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
Club Brugge
Arsenal
Olympiacos
Sporting
Pafos
Copenhagen