The UEFA Champions League is back! After a break of three months and nine days since Paris Saint-Germain hammered Inter Milan in last year’s final, the biggest club competition in Europe returns once again.
If last year’s group stage was a sign of things to come, fans should be in for a real treat. Heavyweights like Manchester City, Real Madrid and eventual champions PSG were at risk of not making it out of the first phase.
The draw for the UCL 2025-26 season was made on 28 August, and there are some spicy fixtures that will take place in the league phase. Once again, 36 teams will participate in the new Swiss-style league format.
Meet the teams: Who will play whom?
The competition begins on 16 September with PSV taking on Union Saint-Gilloise. Simultaneously, Athletic Bilbao will host Arsenal. The league stage fixtures will conclude on 28 January, with the top 8 teams advancing to the round of 16.
PSG will look to retain their crown, and they will have to face Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atalanta and Tottenham in the league phase. Les Parisiens have signed Lucas Chevalier, who will be the first-choice goalie this season.
Last year’s runners-up, Inter Milan, will take on Liverpool, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, among others. The Nerazzurri have signed Luis Henrique, Manuel Akanji and Ange-Yoan Bonny in the summer. Bodo/Glimt, Kairat Almaty, Russian-owned Pafos and Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise are the four new teams this year.
Tough league stage fixtures for Madrid, City & Arsenal
Record 15-time winners of the UCL, Real Madrid, will face Manchester City, Juventus, and Liverpool in the league phase. There could be a reunion on the cards as Trent Alexander-Arnold could face his former club after joining Los Blancos.
FC Barcelona, meanwhile, will face PSG, Chelsea and Newcastle United among others. The Catalans have signed goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford has also arrived on loan.
UCL 2023 winners Manchester City have also done good business in the summer. Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma have arrived at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s men will face Dortmund, Real Madrid, Napoli, and Villarreal in the league stage.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool have signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong to win their seventh UCL crown. The Reds will face Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and Marseille, among others.
Arsenal will have to navigate past Bayern, Inter, Atletico, and Athletic Bilbao, among others, to reach the next phase. Mikel Arteta’s side have added Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke to their ranks.
Chelsea, Bayern, and Atletico eye glory
FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea will take on Barcelona, Bayern, Napoli and Atalanta in the league phase. The Londoners will have Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap leading the charge for a third UCL title.
Bayern mean business this season. They have signed Luiz Diaz, Jonathan Tah, and Nicolas Jackson to support their star-studded roster. In the league phase, they will lock horns with Chelsea, PSG, Arsenal, and Sporting CP, to name a few.
Atletico Madrid will be in search of their maiden UCL title. Diego Simeone’s side has signed Alex Baena, David Hancko, Thiago Almada, and Giacomo Raspadori. In the league phase, they will take on Inter, Liverpool, Arsenal, and PSV, among others.
The likes of Tottenham, Napoli, AS Monaco, Marseille, Leverkusen, Juventus and Dortmund will look to qualify for the later rounds. For the likes of Ajax, Athletic Club, Benfica, Sporting CP, Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Frankfurt, and Olympiacos, the main goal would be the qualify for the round of 16 and cause a few upsets.
Top 10 fixtures in the UCL 2025-26 league phase
Defending champions PSG will face Barcelona away and FC Bayern at home; those two matches will definitely be a must-watch. Bayern will also take on Chelsea, while Real Madrid vs Liverpool will also be a feisty affair. Los Blancos suffered a 0-2 loss against the Reds last year.
Barcelona’s meeting against Chelsea could bring back memories of 2012. Juventus will take on Real Madrid in a repeat of the 2017 final. Manchester City will take on Napoli, as Kevin de Bruyne will get a reunion. Arsenal’s home game against Bayern will also bring back past memories for the Gunners.
For a fourth consecutive year, Real Madrid will take on Man City in the UCL. Atlético Madrid versus Inter Milan will also be a high-stakes battle between two teams that have come close to lifting the UCL trophy, but they faltered at the final hurdle.