The 36 teams taking part in the 2025-26 Champions League have learned their opponents for the league phase, along with their specific fixture dates. The tournament is entering its second season using the revamped "Swiss model" where all the clubs are grouped together, and each side plays eight different teams in the opening round to determine who makes the knockout stage.
Under the revamped format, where every team is drawn against two sides from each of the four pots, heavyweight matchups between the perennial contenders in Pot 1 are inevitable. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain have one of the most difficult schedules, including clashes with Bayern Munich - a rematch of the 2020 final - and Barcelona. The latter could be one of the most entertaining fixtures of the opening round. The league phase will also see Trent Alexander-Arnold return to Anfield when Real Madrid take on Liverpool.
Last season's Champions League semifinalists Arsenal will likely be pleased with the totality of their draw. The Gunners have to tangle with Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid, but largely avoided the most notable sides from the final two pots. Teams from the same league cannot be drawn against one another in the opening round of the tournament, which worked to the advantage of the English sides with six Premier League squads involved.
The proverbial "dark horse" pot included several domestic champions, along with Europa League holders Tottenham. Thomas Frank's men have a daunting trip to the French capital to take on PSG but otherwise should be confident of authoring a solid showing in the league phase. Napoli, who've invested heavily in the summer transfer window ahead of a grueling season that'll force them to balance domestic and continental duties, will visit Manchester City on Matchday 1 in a reunion for Kevin De Bruyne.
Pot 4 is loaded with wild cards and tournament debutants, but the likes of Galatasaray, Athletic Bilbao, and Newcastle United will fancy their chances of causing problems for the tournament favorites, particularly when they host matches at their raucous home stadiums. Cypriot side Pafos and Kazakh club Kairat Almaty, meanwhile, will be out to create lifelong memories after navigating the playoffs to reach the tournament proper.
This season's Champions League, the 71st edition of Europe's elite club competition, begins Sept. 16. The league phase concludes Jan. 28, when every match will be played at the same time.
The tournament culminates with the final May 30 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.