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2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw Pots Explained

The league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League will feature 36 teams split into four pots, each containing nine clubs. UEFA will confirm the final pot composition before the draw on August 27.

So far, 29 teams have secured their spots in this expanded format, with seven places still to be decided through the upcoming Champions League play-offs. The second legs of these play-offs are scheduled for August 25 and 26.

How Pots Are Assigned

UEFA assigns the pots based on club coefficient rankings at the season's start, except for the reigning Champions League winner, who automatically claims a top seed spot in Pot 1.

The current provisional pots, reflecting qualified teams and their coefficients, look like this:

  • Pot 1: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid
  • Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven
  • Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray
  • Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, Como, Lens

Draw Mechanics

Being in Pot 1 does not shield a team from facing other strong opponents. Each club will face eight distinct opponents during the league phase: two from each pot, including their own. They will play one home and one away match against each pot's pair.

For example, a club in Pot 1 will play two matches against fellow Pot 1 teams, two against Pot 2 teams, two against Pot 3, and two against Pot 4.

Teams from the same country generally cannot be drawn against one another in the league phase. However, a club may end up playing against up to two teams from another single association.

Key Dates and Schedule

The official draw is set for Thursday, August 27 at 18:00 CET in Monaco. After the play-offs conclude on August 25 and 26, the full lineup of 36 clubs will be finalized.

The league phase starts on September 8 and continues until January 27, 2027. Each club will host four matches and play four on the road.

Until UEFA releases the official seedings on August 27, any circulated lists of pots should be seen as tentative.

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