The draw for the league phase of the Champions League has posed a significant challenge for Paris Saint-Germain as they prepare to defend their title. The draw revealed that they will host former coach Luis Enrique’s old team, Barcelona and will also travel to face 2023 champions Manchester City and Europa League winners Aston Villa.
PSG has recorded three consecutive victories at Barcelona, including a 2-1 win during the league phase last October, overcoming their previous humiliation in the infamous 6-1 loss from March 2017, known as the “Remontada.”
In addition to these high-profile matches, PSG will also face Champions League newcomers Como, led by Cesc Fàbregas, in their eight-game schedule, which kicks off in two weeks.
Last year’s runners-up, Arsenal, are also confronted with a challenging lineup, facing record 15-time champions Real Madrid along with German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/OKyCVzJAJR
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 27, 2026
Other notable matchups from Thursday’s draw in Monaco include Manchester United, who return to the competition after a two-year hiatus, facing a rematch against Bayern, the team they famously defeated in the 1999 final.
Returning to Real Madrid this summer, coach José Mourinho will square off against Inter Milan, the team he led to Champions League victory in 2010 before moving back to Madrid.
Madrid will also make two trips to London, facing Arsenal and playing against Shakhtar Donetsk, who are currently hosting home matches at Stamford Bridge, favored by fans during Mourinho’s successful tenure with Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will welcome two English teams, Man City and Villa, along with their former player Fàbregas with Como. They will also embark on a long trip to Azerbaijan to face newcomers Sabah in Baku.
Liverpool will travel to meet Inter Milan and Fenerbahce, presenting one of the more favorable sets of fixtures. Atlético Madrid is expected to return to Anfield, where Liverpool secured a 3-2 victory last September.
Atlético will also play against two teams from Norway and is among the four teams heading to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt on their artificial turf. Dortmund, Lille, and newcomer LASK will also make the journey to the remote fishing town, with one team likely facing a trip in January.
Four teams will be making their Champions League debut this year: Como from Italy; LASK from Austria; Viking from Norway; and Azerbaijani champions Sabah, established only in 2017.
Como will also make a second trip to Spain to face Real Betis along with playing against Barcelona, and they will welcome PSG and Man United to their picturesque lakeside stadium.
Sabah will host games against Dortmund, Napoli, and Slavia Prague, while also undertaking two long trips to England for matches against Arsenal and Man United.
The UEFA draw software has assigned schedule details for each team, consisting of four home and four away matches, with opponents drawn from two different seeding pots. The seeding was based on teams’ European performances over the last five years, ensuring that no team faces an opponent from their own country.
The opening round of matches kicks off from September 8-10, with the first six rounds continuing through December. The league phase will resume in January, culminating in the final round on January 27.
The complete match schedule for each team will be disclosed on Saturday.
The top eight teams at the conclusion of the group stage will advance directly to the round of 16 in March, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter knockout playoffs in February to determine the remaining eight teams in the round of 16. Teams finishing from 25th to 36th will be eliminated.
The 36 teams are set to share approximately €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) in prize money.
Report contributed by The Associated Press.