The prize on offer for 36 teams.
The prize on offer for 36 teams. | David Ramos/Getty Images
Riding a sudden wave of popularity off the back of Gianni Infantino’s latest antics, UEFA is readying itself for another season of Champions League soccer.
The novelty of the new format somewhat wore off in its second iteration, and there’s no doubt that the bloated league phase will once again draw criticism amid ever-increasing fears over player welfare. The 2026 World Cup extended the seasons of so many, and the 2026–27 calendar is unlikely to offer much respite.
The draw for the league phase is upcoming, and automation is set to come to the fore once more. Gone are the days of man-staffed Champions League draws, with artificial intelligence (as well as the format change) facilitating far greater efficiency but considerably less excitement.
Here are all the confirmed teams for the 2026–27 Champions League and their respective pot placements for the league phase draw.
2026–27 Champions League Confirmed Teams
Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi
PSG are aiming to win a third consecutive Champions League. | Kevin Voigt/Getty Images
The 36 teams competing in the 2026–27 will be confirmed after the playoffs, with seven spots still up for grabs.
The Premier League and La Liga are the two most heavily represented divisions, with five teams from each qualifying for the league phase. Of these 10 teams, six (Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid) will be drawn from Pot 1.
Last season’s finalists Arsenal have leapfrogged Borussia Dortmund on the coefficient front, finding themselves in the premier pot. Holders Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan join the aforementioned six in Pot 1.
Europa League winners Aston Villa are in Pot 2, having reached the quarterfinals of this competition two seasons ago. They’re joined by Manchester United, back in the big time after a two-year absence. Despite Roma and Real Betis’s lengthy waits to return to the Champions League, both clubs find themselves in Pot 2.
Sporting CP, Porto, Club Brugge and PSV Eindhoven have also been admitted to Pot 2, having emerged as regulars in the competition this decade.
While Pots 1 and 2 are decided, gaps still need to be filled in Pots 3 and 4. We know that Feyenoord, Lille, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Villarreal, Galatasaray and Shakhtar Donetsk will occupy the former, while Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, Como and Lens sit in the latter.
As it stands, Serie A outfit Como are the only Champions League debutants in the 2026–27 league phase.
When is the 2026–27 Champions League League Phase Draw
The draw for the 2026–27 league phase takes place on Aug. 27—the day after the playoffs conclude.
The automated draw will take place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, likely starting at 5 p.m. BST, 12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT
2026–27 Champions League League Phase Projected Pots
*To be confirmed
Pot 1
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Club Country UEFA Coefficient
Paris Saint-Germain (holders) France 132.000
Bayern Munich Germany 147.500
Real Madrid Spain 144.500
Liverpool England 130.000
Inter Milan Italy 127.000
Man City England 125.500
Arsenal England 119.000
Barcelona Spain 113.250
Atlético Madrid Spain 104.750
Pot 2
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Club Country UEFA Coefficient
Borussia Dortmund Germany 100.750
Roma Italy 97.750
Sporting CP Portugal 84.000
Aston Villa England 83.000
Porto Portugal 80.750
Man Utd England 76.500
Club Brugge Belgium 75.250
Real Betis Spain 74.500
PSV Eindhoven Netherlands 71.250
Pot 3
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Club Country UEFA Coefficient
Feyenoord Netherlands 71.000
Lille France 68.750
Lyon* France 65.750
Bodø/Glimt* Norway 64.000
Napoli Italy 63.000
RB Leipzig Germany 61.000
Villarreal Spain 59.000
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine 56.250
Galatasaray Türkiye 53.500
Pot 4
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Club Country UEFA Coefficient
Dinamo Zagreb* Croatia 46.500
Celtic* Scotland 44.000
Slavia Prague Czechia 44.000
Slovan Bratislava* Slovakia 36.000
Stuttgart Germany 27.500
AEK Athens* Greece 24.000
Como Italy 19.989
Lens France 16.699
AGF* Denmark 8.421
When is The 2026–27 Champions League Final?
Riyadh Air Metropolitano
The Metropolitano hosts its second Champions League final. | Bradley Collyer/PA Images/Getty Images
The two finalists will convene in Madrid for the 2027 Champions League final, with the Spanish capital hosting the competition’s showpiece event for the third time since 2010.
Atlético Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano will stage its second final since opening in 2017, having hosted the drab 2019 final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
The final is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, 2027.
READ THE LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS AND PLAYER RATINGS
James Cormack is a writer for SI FC. Opting against a football coaching undergraduate degree at the last minute, he instead decided to take on a six-month internship with 90min in 2019 and hasn't looked back. Cormack's current SEO focus means he tends to venture to the land of match previews and predicted lineups, but he also has a wealth of experience in news and feature writing. A passion for soccer's history and the European game often takes his work beyond the familiarity of the Premier League, but it's with Tottenham Hotspur where his strongest allegiance lies.