Chelsea discover UEFA Champions League opponents ahead of upcoming league phase
Credit: Francesco Scaccianoce / UEFA / Getty Images
After making their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022/23 season, Chelsea have learned the teams they will be facing in the upcoming European season.
Enzo Maresca's side were drawn from Pot A due to a positive UEFA coefficient ranking, achieved thanks to their UEFA Conference League title and a fourth-placed finish in last season's Premier League.
The club were also honoured with a commemorative trophy on the night, recognising them as the first to win every UEFA club competition.
Their eight group stage opponents were drawn from all four pots, with a home and away fixture selected from each pot. The picks included some familiar foes, as well as several reunions with former players and managers - not to mention a tie against a debutant in the competition.
Here are the eight opponents the Blues will face in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League:
FC Barcelona (h)
When polled on who the current Blues squad wanted to face in the group stages - FC Barcelona was a standout selection.
It seems their wish has been granted, as Hansi Flick's title-winning side will make the trip to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea's first home tie of the group stage.
The two sides have produced some classic games over the years: the standout being the 2-2 second leg during the 2011/12 season, where Fernando Torres rounded Victor Valdes to send Chelsea into the final.
This will be the first time the two sides have met in Europe since 2018 - Barca got the better of the Blues on that occasion, winning 4-1 in the knockout round thanks to goals in both legs by Lionel Messi.
Chelsea will once again travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich - 13 years on from their famous victory in Berlin to claim their first Champions League title.
The Bavarian side returned to the top of the Bundesliga table under the management of Vincent Kompany - and he will be hoping for more progress in Europe this season, after they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage last time around.
The Blues have lost every meeting since the 2012 final, which includes the most recent encounter - a 4-1 defeat during Bayern's sextuple-winning season under Hansi Flick.
Benfica (h)
The Blues boast an unbeaten record against Benfica, defeating them across both legs of their quarter-final tie in the 2011/12 Champions League, as well as a 2-1 win in the 2013 Europa League final.
Most recently, the two sides met in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup in a game that featured penalties, red cards and thunderstorm warnings. Chelsea were taken to extra time and scored thrice in quick succession to progress.
The Portuguese outfit will travel to the Bridge this time around and will hope to put an end to their unfortunate losing streak.
Atalanta (a)
This will be the first professional meeting between the two sides, though there is some shared history elsewhere.
Midfielder Mario Pasalic is a former Blue - though he never made a first team appearance for the club and was sent on a variety of loan moves before settling permanently in Italy in 2020.
Davide Zappacosta will also be reunited with his former side. Signed as a back-up option at right-back, he helped the club to FA Cup and Europa League triumphs under Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri.
Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini led Atalanta to Europa League glory in 2023/24 and a 3rd place league finish in 2024/25, but departed the club in May, with former Southampton head coach Ivan Juric now in the hot seat.
Ajax (h)
Chelsea's 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge against Erik ten Hag's Ajax is one of the more memorable Champions League ties the club has seen in recent years.
The Dutch side were up 4-1 before the hour mark, but were reduced to nine men after having both centre halves removed from the game - which sparked a Blues comeback.
A 19-year-old Reece James scored the equaliser in frantic fashion, and if it wasn't for a Tammy Abraham handball, Chelsea could have pulled off one of the best comebacks in Champions League history.
Understandably, both sets of fans will be eagerly anticipating this tie, and they will be hoping for a performance as chaotic as this one.
Napoli (a)
Scudetto holders Napoli will meet the Blues once again in the Champions League.
Former Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte edged out rivals Inter Milan to claim his fifth Italian league title, and will now face his fellow compatriot Enzo Maresca for the first time.
Several former Blues have followed Conte to Naples, including academy graduate Billy Gilmour, and Romelu Lukaku - who Chelsea re-signed from Inter Milan for a then-club record fee.
The only other meeting between the two clubs came in the 2011/12 Champions League, with Chelsea emerging as 5-4 winners after overcoming a 3-1 loss in the first leg.
Pafos FC (h)
Pafos FC will be making their competition debut this season; the Cyprus-based outfit defeated Red Star Belgrade 3-2 on aggregate in the playoff round to seal their spot.
While they are not expected to progress beyond the group stages, it will certainly be a memorable experience for the club - as they face the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus, Monaco and Villarreal, as well as Chelsea.
There will also be a familiar face for Blues fans - David Luiz, who won the Champions League with Chelsea, currently plays for Pafos. The 38-year-old penned a contract until 2027 with the club, and many will be eager to see the Brazilian defender make a return to Stamford Bridge.
Qarabag (a)
Chelsea round off their group stage against Qarabag, and will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan - where they lifted their second Europa League title in 2019.
The two sides have met before in the Champions League, being grouped together in the 2017/18 season. Chelsea won both meetings convincingly, producing an aggregate score of 10-0.
Head coach Gurban Gurbanov has managed the team since 2008, and will be hoping to produce a better performance this time around. His side topped the Misli Premier League last season, winning 28 out of 36 games and conceding just 19 goals in the process.