The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League begins on Tuesday, 8 September, with Paris St-Germain handed a demanding league-phase campaign that includes Premier League clubs Manchester City and Aston Villa, as well as five-time winners Barcelona.
The reigning European champions will be among 36 teams competing in the competition’s new league phase, with each side facing eight different opponents before the final in Madrid on 5 June 2027.
PSG will travel to the Etihad Stadium to play Manchester City and to Villa Park to meet Aston Villa, while Barcelona will visit the Parc des Princes.
Luis Enrique’s side go into the tournament as the team to beat after defeating Arsenal in last season’s final to win the Champions League for a second successive year.
Arsenal face Real Madrid and Bayern Munich
Premier League champions Arsenal have also been given a difficult route through the opening phase.
Mikel Arteta’s team will welcome 15-time European champions Real Madrid to Emirates Stadium and will travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich.
Arsenal, who lost to PSG on penalties in last season’s final, will also play Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Azerbaijani champions Sabah and Slavia Prague.
The schedule means the Gunners must overcome a series of established European clubs if they are to reach another deep stage of the tournament.
Manchester City to meet Rodri and De Bruyne
Manchester City will host PSG at the Etihad Stadium and visit Barcelona, where they will face former midfielder Rodri.
The Spanish World Cup winner moved to Barcelona in a £65m deal this summer, creating the prospect of a reunion with Enzo Maresca’s side.
City will also come up against another former player when Napoli travel to Manchester. Kevin de Bruyne now plays for the Italian club.
Sporting Club, Porto, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens complete Manchester City’s league-phase opponents.
Aston Villa return to Europe’s elite
Aston Villa are back in the Champions League after spending a season away from European football’s top competition.
The Europa League winners will host PSG and Borussia Dortmund. Unai Emery’s side will also travel to Barcelona and Galatasaray.
Their remaining opponents are Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking and Slavia Prague.
Villa’s return therefore includes two particularly high-profile fixtures against PSG and Barcelona as Emery seeks to build on the club’s recent European success.
How the new league phase works
Each of the 36 participating teams will play four matches at home and four away against different opponents.
The teams finishing in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16.
Those placed from ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged knockout play-off, with the winners joining the top eight in the last 16. Any team finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not transfer into the Europa League.
The first league-phase fixtures are scheduled for Tuesday, 8 September, while the final round will be played on 27 January 2027. The final will take place in Madrid on 5 June 2027.
What happened last season?
Arsenal finished top of last season’s league-phase standings with 24 points after winning all eight of their matches.
Liverpool were third on 18 points, behind Bayern Munich in second, while Tottenham finished fourth with 17 points.
Chelsea and Manchester City also went directly into the last 16 after ending the league phase in sixth and eighth place respectively. Newcastle finished 12th and had to take part in the knockout play-offs.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham were all eliminated in the last 16. Liverpool’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals against PSG.
PSG ultimately lifted the trophy after beating Arsenal in the final, securing their second consecutive Champions League crown. The Premier League’s five representatives now begin another attempt to challenge for European honours.