2026–27 UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League isn't just a football tournament; it's a global spectacle where Europe's elite clubs clash for ultimate glory. The 2026–27 season promises another thrilling chapter, showcasing the pinnacle of continental club football. Join us as we delve into the intricate pathways teams must navigate to reach the grand final in Madrid and etch their names into history. The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League final will be hosted by Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium, marking its second time staging this prestigious event. Qualification for the tournament is determined by a country's UEFA association coefficient, a five-year performance metric, ensuring only the strongest leagues send multiple teams. Special entry berths, including those for title holders and two 'European Performance Spots', add additional layers to the intricate qualification system.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

The UEFA Champions League isn't just a football tournament; it's a global spectacle where Europe's elite clubs clash for ultimate glory. The 2026–27 season promises another thrilling chapter, showcasing the pinnacle of continental club football. Join us as we delve into the intricate pathways teams must navigate to reach the grand final in Madrid and etch their names into history.

The Pinnacle of European Club Football

The UEFA Champions League — often simply called the Champions League — is the absolute pinnacle of European club football. This upcoming 72nd season, and the 35th under its current name, brings together the continent's best teams to crown the undisputed champion. Paris Saint-Germain enters as the two-time defending champion, adding extra pressure and prestige to the competition.

What's at Stake for the Victor?

Winning the Champions League isn't just about lifting a magnificent trophy; it unlocks a cascade of other prestigious opportunities. The champions automatically secure a spot in the next season's Champions League league phase, ensuring continuity at the highest level.

They also earn tickets to global showcases, including the 2027 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final and a guaranteed place in the group stage of the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. Plus, a chance to battle the Europa League winners in the 2027 UEFA Super Cup awaits.

The Grand Finale: Madrid Beckons

Mark your calendars for June 5, 2027 — that's when the eyes of the football world will turn to Madrid, Spain. The magnificent Metropolitano Stadium, home to Atlético Madrid, will host the final.

This won't be the Metropolitano's first time in the spotlight; it previously hosted the 2019 Champions League Final. Its modern facilities and passionate atmosphere make it an ideal stage for such a momentous occasion.

The Road to Glory: Qualification

So, how do teams earn their coveted places in this elite competition? A total of 81 teams from 53 of UEFA's 55 member associations are set to participate, each dreaming of European glory.

The only exceptions are Liechtenstein, which doesn't have its own domestic league, and Russia, whose national and club teams are currently suspended from UEFA competitions.

The UEFA Association Coefficients

The primary determinant for how many teams an association can send is its UEFA association coefficient. This isn't just about a single season; it's a rolling five-year performance metric, tallying how well clubs from each country have fared in all UEFA club competitions, from the 2020–21 to the 2024–25 seasons.

Essentially, stronger national leagues, whose clubs perform consistently well in the Champions League and Europa League, are rewarded with more entries. This system fosters continuous competition and rewards sustained excellence across European football.

Allocation Breakdown: Who Gets How Many?

Associations ranked 1–5: four teams each Association ranked 6: three teams Associations ranked 7–15: two teams each Associations ranked 16–55 (excluding Russia and Liechtenstein): one team each

Special Entry Pathways

Beyond the standard league positions, there are a few special pathways into the Champions League. The previous season's Champions League (TH) and Europa League (EL) winners are always guaranteed a spot, even if they don't qualify domestically.

A relatively new and exciting addition is the 'European Performance Spot' (EPS). These two extra berths are awarded to the associations with the best collective coefficient performance in the previous season, offering an additional entry to a deserving league.

Understanding the Allocation Symbols

TH: Champions League title holders EL: Europa League title holders EPS: European Performance Spot, for associations with top 2 coefficients in 2025–26

For instance, England and Spain, ranking 1st and 3rd respectively in overall coefficients, each earned an additional European Performance Spot, boosting their total qualified teams. This dynamic system constantly reshapes the competitive landscape.

Navigating the Tournament Structure

The Champions League unfolds in distinct phases, starting with a series of qualifying rounds for teams from lower-ranked associations and progressing through to the grand league phase and knockout stages.

The Distribution of Teams

During the qualifying stages, teams are divided into two distinct routes: the 'Champions Path' (CH) and the 'League Path' (LP). The Champions Path is for domestic league champions who didn't automatically qualify, while the League Path is for non-champions from higher-ranked leagues.

Adjustments Due to Title Holders

Occasionally, the Champions League or Europa League title holders also qualify through their domestic leagues. When this happens, their vacated spot frees up places, allowing other deserving clubs to enter the competition at later stages.

Champions League Title Holder Impact

For instance, because Paris Saint-Germain qualified domestically, their vacated Champions League title holder spot meant that Shakhtar Donetsk, as the domestic champion with the highest club coefficient, was elevated from the second qualifying round directly into the league phase. Similarly, Slovan Bratislava and Celje were bumped up from the first to the second qualifying round.

Europa League Title Holder Impact

A similar effect occurred with Aston Villa, the Europa League title holders. Their domestic qualification allowed Sporting CP, a club with a high coefficient, to jump directly into the league phase instead of the third qualifying round. Bodø/Glimt and Olympiacos also saw their entry point advanced to the third qualifying round.

A Look at Initial Team Entries

The league phase boasts a stellar lineup, featuring powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain (1st)TH, Aston Villa (4th)EL, Arsenal (1st), Inter Milan (1st), and Real Madrid (2nd). This season also marks a historic moment with several teams making their debut in the league phase: Como and LASK, along with Azerbaijan's Sabah and Norway's Viking FK. For Norway, having two clubs in the main stage is a first since 1999–2000, and Turkey also sees two sides qualify for the first time since 2007–08, showcasing an evolving competitive landscape.

The Full Season Schedule

Phase	Round	Draw date	First leg	Second leg
Qualifying	First qualifying round	16 June 2026	7–8 July 2026	14–15 July 2026
	Second qualifying round	17 June 2026	21–22 July 2026	28–29 July 2026
	Third qualifying round	20 July 2026	4–5 August 2026	11 August 2026
Play-offs	Play-off round	3 August 2026	18–19 August 2026	25–26 August 2026
League phase	Matchday 1	27 August 2026	8–10 September 2026	
	Matchday 2		13–14 October 2026	
	Matchday 3		20–21 October 2026	
	Matchday 4		3–4 November 2026	
	Matchday 5		24–25 November 2026	
	Matchday 6		8–9 December 2026	
	Matchday 7		19–20 January 2027	
	Matchday 8		27 January 2027	
Knockout phase	Knockout phase play-offs	29 January 2027	16–17 February 2027	23–24 February 2027
	Round of 16	26 February 2027	9–10 March 2027	16–17 March 2027
	Quarter-finals	—N/a	6–7 April 2027	13–14 April 2027
	Semi-finals		27–28 April 2027	4–5 May 2027
	Final		5 June 2027 at Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid

From the early qualifying rounds in July 2026 to the grand final in June 2027, the calendar is packed with thrilling encounters. Each matchday builds anticipation, leading us closer to crowning Europe's next champion. The initial qualifying rounds have already seen exciting clashes, setting the stage for the main event.

Article

2026–27 UEFA Champions League

The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League is the 72nd season of Europe's premier football tournament organised by UEFA and the 35th season since it was rebranded from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League.

The final will be held on 5 June 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. It will be the second time the Metropolitano Stadium has hosted the UEFA Champions League final after (/wiki/2019UEFAChampionsLeaguefinal). The winners of the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the 2027–28 UEFA Champions League league phase, the 2027 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup group stage and earn the right to play against the winners of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League in the 2027 UEFA Super Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain are the two-time defending champions.

Association team allocation

2026–27 UEFA Champions League

A total of 81 teams from 53 of the 55 UEFA member associations are participating in the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League (the exceptions being Liechtenstein which did not organise a domestic league and Russia which is currently suspended). The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:

• Associations 1–5 each have four teams. • Association 6 has three teams. • Associations 7–15 each have two teams. • Associations 16–55 (except Russia and Liechtenstein) each have one team. • The winners of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League and 2025–26 UEFA Europa League were each given an additional entry if they did not qualify for the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League through their domestic league. • The two associations with the best coefficients in the 2025–26 season each have one European Performance Spot into the league phase. The winners of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League could not fill the European Performance Spots.

Association ranking

For the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2025 UEFA association coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2020–21 to 2024–25. The table reflects Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA.

Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:

• (EPS) – European Performance Spot, the additional berths for associations who finished in the top 2 of the 2025–26 association coefficients • (TH) – Additional berth for UEFA Champions League title holders • (EL) – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Association</th><th>Coeff.</th><th>Teams</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th>1</th><td> England</td><td>115.196</td><td rowspan="5">4</td><td>+1 (EPS)</td></tr><tr><th>2</th><td> Italy</td><td>97.231</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>3</th><td> Spain</td><td>94.453</td><td>+1 (EPS)</td></tr><tr><th>4</th><td> Germany</td><td>86.331</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>5</th><td> France</td><td>73.093</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>6</th><td> Netherlands</td><td>67.150</td><td>3</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>7</th><td> Portugal</td><td>62.266</td><td rowspan="9">2</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>8</th><td> Belgium</td><td>56.850</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>9</th><td> Czech Republic</td><td>44.100</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>10</th><td> Turkey</td><td>43.900</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>11</th><td> Norway</td><td>39.687</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>12</th><td> Greece</td><td>39.312</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>13</th><td> Austria</td><td>36.450</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>14</th><td> Scotland</td><td>35.550</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>15</th><td> Poland</td><td>35.000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>16</th><td> Denmark</td><td>33.981</td><td rowspan="4">1</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>17</th><td> Switzerland</td><td>33.625</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>18</th><td> Israel</td><td>31.625</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>19</th><td> Cyprus</td><td>27.537</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Association</th><th>Coeff.</th><th>Teams</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th>20</th><td> Sweden</td><td>27.125</td><td rowspan="6">1</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>21</th><td> Croatia</td><td>27.025</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>22</th><td> Serbia</td><td>25.500</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>23</th><td> Ukraine</td><td>24.400</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>24</th><td> Hungary</td><td>24.000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>25</th><td> Romania</td><td>23.250</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>26</th><td> Russia</td><td>22.632</td><td rowspan="1">0</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>27</th><td> Slovakia</td><td>21.250</td><td rowspan="12">1</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>28</th><td> Slovenia</td><td>20.343</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>29</th><td> Bulgaria</td><td>19.875</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>30</th><td> Azerbaijan</td><td>19.625</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>31</th><td> Republic of Ireland</td><td>14.968</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>32</th><td> Moldova</td><td>14.500</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>33</th><td> Iceland</td><td>13.520</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>34</th><td> Bosnia and Herzegovina</td><td>13.031</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>35</th><td> Armenia</td><td>12.250</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>36</th><td> Latvia</td><td>12.250</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>37</th><td> Kosovo</td><td>12.041</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>38</th><td> Finland</td><td>11.750</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Association</th><th>Coeff.</th><th>Teams</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th>39</th><td> Kazakhstan</td><td>11.125</td><td rowspan="5">1</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>40</th><td> Faroe Islands</td><td>10.750</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>41</th><td> Malta</td><td>8.500</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>42</th><td> Northern Ireland</td><td>8.333</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>43</th><td> Lithuania</td><td>8.250</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>44</th><td> Liechtenstein</td><td>8.000</td><td rowspan="1">0</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>45</th><td> Estonia</td><td>7.957</td><td rowspan="11">1</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>46</th><td> Albania</td><td>7.875</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>47</th><td> Montenegro</td><td>7.208</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>48</th><td> Luxembourg</td><td>6.875</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>49</th><td> Wales</td><td>6.791</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>50</th><td> Georgia</td><td>6.625</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>51</th><td> North Macedonia</td><td>6.166</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>52</th><td> Belarus</td><td>6.000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>53</th><td> Andorra</td><td>5.498</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>54</th><td> Gibraltar</td><td>5.457</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>55</th><td> San Marino</td><td>2.498</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Distribution

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2"></th><th>Teams entering in this round</th><th>Teams advancing from the previous round</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">First qualifying round (28 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">Second qualifying round (28 teams)</th><th>Champions Path (24 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th>League Path (4 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">Third qualifying round (20 teams)</th><th>Champions Path (12 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th>League Path (8 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">Play-off round (14 teams)</th><th>Champions Path (10 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th>League Path (4 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2">League phase (36 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2">Knockout phase play-offs (16 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2">Round of 16 (16 teams)</th><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

The information here reflects the continued suspension of Russia from European football, and so the following changes to the default access list have been made:

• The champions of association 23 (Ukraine) entered the second qualifying round (Champions Path) instead of the first qualifying round.

As the Champions League title holders (Paris Saint-Germain) qualified via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list were made:

• Shakhtar Donetsk as the domestic champions with the highest club coefficient among the clubs that would otherwise have entered the Champions Path of the qualifying phase or play-off round, entered the league phase instead of the Champions Path second qualifying round. • Slovan Bratislava and Celje, as the two clubs with the highest club coefficient that would otherwise have entered the Champions Path first qualifying round, entered the Champions Path second qualifying round.

As the Europa League title holders (Aston Villa) qualified via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list were made:

• Sporting CP, as the club with the highest club coefficient among all clubs that would otherwise have entered either the Champions Path or the League Path of the qualifying phase or play-off round, entered the league phase instead of the League Path third qualifying round. • Bodø/Glimt and Olympiacos, as the two clubs with the highest club coefficient that would otherwise have entered the League Path second qualifying round, entered the League Path third qualifying round.

Teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

• TH: Champions League title holders • EL: Europa League title holders • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season • EPS: European Performance Spots – the additional berths given to clubs from the two associations with the highest coefficient points in 2025–26

The label of European Performance Spots and title holders already qualified via league position are superscripted.

The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and League Path (LP).

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2">Entry round</th><th colspan="4">Teams</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" rowspan="8">League phase</th><td>Paris Saint-Germain (1st)TH</td><td>Aston Villa (4th)EL</td><td>Arsenal (1st)</td><td>Manchester City (2nd)</td></tr><tr><td>Manchester United (3rd)</td><td>Liverpool (5th)EPS</td><td>Inter Milan (1st)</td><td>Napoli (2nd)</td></tr><tr><td>Roma (3rd)</td><td>Como (4th)</td><td>Barcelona (1st)</td><td>Real Madrid (2nd)</td></tr><tr><td>Villarreal (3rd)</td><td>Atlético Madrid (4th)</td><td>Real Betis (5th)EPS</td><td>Bayern Munich (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Borussia Dortmund (2nd)</td><td>RB Leipzig (3rd)</td><td>VfB Stuttgart (4th)</td><td>Lens (2nd)</td></tr><tr><td>Lille (3rd)</td><td>PSV Eindhoven (1st)</td><td>Feyenoord (2nd)</td><td>Porto (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Sporting CP (2nd)</td><td>Club Brugge (1st)</td><td>Slavia Prague (1st)</td><td>Galatasaray (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Shakhtar Donetsk (1st)</td><td colspan="3"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="6"></th></tr><tr><th>Play-off round</th><th>CH</th><td>Viking (1st)</td><td>AEK Athens (1st)</td><td>LASK (1st)</td><td>Celtic (1st)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="6"></th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">Third qualifying round</th><th rowspan="2">LP</th><td>Lyon (4th)</td><td>NEC (3rd)</td><td>Union Saint-Gilloise (2nd)</td><td>Sparta Prague (2nd)</td></tr><tr><td>Bodø/Glimt (2nd)</td><td>Olympiacos (2nd)</td><td colspan="2"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="6"></th></tr><tr><th rowspan="4">Second qualifying round</th><th rowspan="3">CH</th><td>Lech Poznań (1st)</td><td>AGF (1st)</td><td>Thun (1st)</td><td>Hapoel Be'er Sheva (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Omonia (1st)</td><td>Mjällby AIF (1st)</td><td>Dinamo Zagreb (1st)</td><td>Red Star Belgrade (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Slovan Bratislava (1st)</td><td>Celje (1st)</td><td colspan="2"></td></tr><tr><th>LP</th><td>Fenerbahçe (2nd)</td><td>Sturm Graz (2nd)</td><td>Heart of Midlothian (2nd)</td><td>Górnik Zabrze (2nd)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="6"></th></tr><tr><th rowspan="7">First qualifying round</th><th rowspan="7">CH</th><td>ETO Győr (1st)</td><td>Universitatea Craiova (1st)</td><td>Levski Sofia (1st)</td><td>Sabah (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Shamrock Rovers (1st)</td><td>Petrocub Hîncești (1st)</td><td>Víkingur Reykjavík (1st)</td><td>Borac Banja Luka (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Ararat-Armenia (1st)</td><td>Riga (1st)</td><td>Drita (1st)</td><td>KuPS (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Kairat (1st)</td><td>KÍ (1st)</td><td>Floriana (1st)</td><td>Larne (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Kauno Žalgiris (1st)</td><td>Flora (1st)</td><td>Egnatia (1st)</td><td>Sutjeska (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>Atert Bissen (1st)</td><td>The New Saints (1st)</td><td>Iberia 1999 (1st)</td><td>Vardar (1st)</td></tr><tr><td>ML Vitebsk (1st)</td><td>Inter Club d'Escaldes (1st)</td><td>Lincoln Red Imps (1st)</td><td>Tre Fiori (1st)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Schedule

2026–27 UEFA Champions League

<table><thead><tr><th>Phase</th><th>Round</th><th>Draw date</th><th>First leg</th><th>Second leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="3">Qualifying</td><td>First qualifying round</td><td>16 June 2026</td><td>7–8 July 2026</td><td>14–15 July 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Second qualifying round</td><td>17 June 2026</td><td>21–22 July 2026</td><td>28–29 July 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Third qualifying round</td><td>20 July 2026</td><td>4–5 August 2026</td><td>11 August 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Play-offs</td><td>Play-off round</td><td>3 August 2026</td><td>18–19 August 2026</td><td>25–26 August 2026</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="8">League phase</td><td>Matchday 1</td><td rowspan="8">27 August 2026</td><td colspan="2">8–10 September 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 2</td><td colspan="2">13–14 October 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 3</td><td colspan="2">20–21 October 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 4</td><td colspan="2">3–4 November 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 5</td><td colspan="2">24–25 November 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 6</td><td colspan="2">8–9 December 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 7</td><td colspan="2">19–20 January 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 8</td><td colspan="2">27 January 2027</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Knockout phase</td><td>Knockout phase play-offs</td><td>29 January 2027</td><td>16–17 February 2027</td><td>23–24 February 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Round of 16</td><td>26 February 2027</td><td>9–10 March 2027</td><td>16–17 March 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Quarter-finals</td><td rowspan="3">—N/a</td><td>6–7 April 2027</td><td>13–14 April 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Semi-finals</td><td>27–28 April 2027</td><td>4–5 May 2027</td></tr><tr><td>Final</td><td colspan="2">5 June 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid</td></tr></tbody></table>

Qualifying rounds

First qualifying round

The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 16 June 2026. The first legs were played on 7 and 8 July, and the second legs were played on 14 and 15 July 2026.

The winners of the ties advanced to the Champions Path second qualifying round. Twelve of the losing teams were transferred to the Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round, while the losers of matches 4 and 5, selected following an additional draw for rebalancing purposes, were transferred to the Conference League Champions Path third qualifying round.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team 1</th><th>Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score</th><th>Team 2</th><th>1st leg</th><th>2nd leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Sabah </td><td>4–1</td><td> The New Saints</td><td>2–0</td><td>2–1</td></tr><tr><td>Floriana </td><td>3–5</td><td> Shamrock Rovers</td><td>2–0</td><td>1–5</td></tr><tr><td>Flora </td><td>4–5</td><td> Iberia 1999</td><td>2–3</td><td>2–2</td></tr><tr><td>Lincoln Red Imps </td><td>4–2</td><td> Inter Club d'Escaldes</td><td>3–1</td><td>1–1</td></tr><tr><td>Tre Fiori </td><td>1–3</td><td> Larne</td><td>0–1</td><td>1–2</td></tr><tr><td>Ararat-Armenia </td><td>4–3</td><td> Riga</td><td>2–0</td><td>2–3</td></tr><tr><td>Vardar </td><td>3–4</td><td> KuPS</td><td>0–2</td><td>3–2 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Kauno Žalgiris </td><td>4–3</td><td> Drita</td><td>1–1</td><td>3–2</td></tr><tr><td>ML Vitebsk </td><td>1–5</td><td> Universitatea Craiova</td><td>1–4</td><td>0–1</td></tr><tr><td>Petrocub Hîncești </td><td>2–7</td><td> Egnatia</td><td>1–1</td><td>1–6</td></tr><tr><td>Borac Banja Luka </td><td>1–5</td><td> Levski Sofia</td><td>1–1</td><td>0–4</td></tr><tr><td>Víkingur Reykjavík </td><td>3–2</td><td> ETO Győr</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–2</td></tr><tr><td>Kairat </td><td>4–1</td><td> Sutjeska</td><td>2–1</td><td>2–0</td></tr><tr><td>KÍ </td><td>4–2</td><td> Atert Bissen</td><td>2–1</td><td>2–1</td></tr></tbody></table>

Second qualifying round

The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 17 June 2026. The first legs were played on 21 and 22 July, and the second legs were played on 28 and 29 July 2026.

The winners of the ties advanced to the third qualifying round. The losers were transferred to the Europa League third qualifying round.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team 1</th><th>Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score</th><th>Team 2</th><th>1st leg</th><th>2nd leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Champions Path</td></tr><tr><td>Mjällby AIF </td><td>3–0</td><td> Lincoln Red Imps</td><td>3–0</td><td>0–0</td></tr><tr><td>Larne </td><td>0–9</td><td> Red Star Belgrade</td><td>0–4</td><td>0–5</td></tr><tr><td>Sabah </td><td>3–0</td><td> KuPS</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–0</td></tr><tr><td>KÍ </td><td>0–1</td><td> Kauno Žalgiris</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–1</td></tr><tr><td>AGF </td><td>5–5 (4–3 p)</td><td> Lech Poznań</td><td>1–4</td><td>4–1 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Ararat-Armenia </td><td>3–2</td><td> Shamrock Rovers</td><td>2–0</td><td>1–2</td></tr><tr><td>Levski Sofia </td><td>3–2</td><td> Universitatea Craiova</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–2</td></tr><tr><td>Omonia </td><td>1–1 (5–6 p)</td><td> Kairat</td><td>1–0</td><td>0–1 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Thun </td><td>3–4</td><td> Dinamo Zagreb</td><td>1–1</td><td>2–3 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Víkingur Reykjavík </td><td>2–3</td><td> Hapoel Be'er Sheva</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–2</td></tr><tr><td>Iberia 1999 </td><td>1–3</td><td> Slovan Bratislava</td><td>0–2</td><td>1–1</td></tr><tr><td>Egnatia </td><td>5–5 (1–4 p)</td><td> Celje</td><td>3–3</td><td>2–2 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td colspan="5">League Path</td></tr><tr><td>Fenerbahçe </td><td>2–1</td><td> Górnik Zabrze</td><td>1–0</td><td>1–1</td></tr><tr><td>Sturm Graz </td><td>6–0</td><td> Heart of Midlothian</td><td>4–0</td><td>2–0</td></tr></tbody></table>

Third qualifying round

The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 20 July 2026. The first legs were played on 4 and 5 August, and the second legs were played on 11 August 2026.

The winners of the ties advanced to the play-off round. The losers of the Champions Path were transferred to the Europa League play-off round, and the losers of the League Path were transferred to the Europa League league phase.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team 1</th><th>Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score</th><th>Team 2</th><th>1st leg</th><th>2nd leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Champions Path</td></tr><tr><td>Dinamo Zagreb </td><td>7–1</td><td> Kauno Žalgiris</td><td>5–0</td><td>2–1</td></tr><tr><td>Mjällby AIF </td><td>1–4</td><td> Slovan Bratislava</td><td>1–2</td><td>0–2</td></tr><tr><td>Levski Sofia </td><td>2–0</td><td> Kairat</td><td>1–0</td><td>1–0</td></tr><tr><td>AGF </td><td>2–5</td><td> Sabah</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–4</td></tr><tr><td>Ararat-Armenia </td><td>2–3</td><td> Celje</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–2</td></tr><tr><td>Hapoel Be'er Sheva </td><td>3–0</td><td> Red Star Belgrade</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="5">League Path</td></tr><tr><td>Olympiacos </td><td>1–2</td><td> NEC</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–2 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Union Saint-Gilloise </td><td>5–6</td><td> Bodø/Glimt</td><td>3–3</td><td>2–3 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Fenerbahçe </td><td>3–0</td><td> Sturm Graz</td><td>2–0</td><td>1–0</td></tr><tr><td>Sparta Prague </td><td>2–4</td><td> Lyon</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–3</td></tr></tbody></table>

Play-off round

2026–27 UEFA Champions League

The draw for the play-off round was held on 3 August 2026. The first legs were played on 18 and 19 August, and the second legs were played on 25 and 26 August 2026.

The winners of the ties advanced to the league phase. The losers were transferred to the Europa League league phase.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team 1</th><th>Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score</th><th>Team 2</th><th>1st leg</th><th>2nd leg</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Champions Path</td></tr><tr><td>Levski Sofia </td><td>0–4</td><td> AEK Athens</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–4</td></tr><tr><td>Celtic </td><td>4–5</td><td> LASK</td><td>3–0</td><td>1–5 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Dinamo Zagreb </td><td>3–5</td><td> Viking</td><td>2–2</td><td>1–3</td></tr><tr><td>Slovan Bratislava </td><td>3–2</td><td> Celje</td><td>1–1</td><td>2–1 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td>Hapoel Be'er Sheva </td><td>4–6</td><td> Sabah</td><td>2–1</td><td>2–5 (a.e.t.)</td></tr><tr><td colspan="5">League Path</td></tr><tr><td>Fenerbahçe </td><td>3–2</td><td> Lyon</td><td>1–1</td><td>2–1</td></tr><tr><td>NEC </td><td>1–6</td><td> Bodø/Glimt</td><td>1–3</td><td>0–3</td></tr></tbody></table>

League phase

2026–27 UEFA Champions League

Como, LASK, Sabah and Viking will make their debut appearances since the introduction of the group stage or league phase, with Sabah making their debut appearance in a major UEFA competition group or league phase and Como qualifying for European football for the first time in their history. For the first season since 1999–2000, Norway had two clubs in the Champions League main stage. Additionally, two Turkish sides qualified for the main phase for the first time since the 2007–08 season.

A total of 16 national associations will be represented in the league phase.

Table

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>W</th><th>D</th><th>L</th><th>GF</th><th>GA</th><th>GD</th><th>Pts</th><th>Qualification</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><th>AEK Athens</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td rowspan="8">Advance to round of 16 (seeded)</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th>Arsenal</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th>Aston Villa</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th>Atlético Madrid</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th>Borussia Dortmund</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th>Barcelona</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><th>Bayern Munich</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><th>Bodø/Glimt</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><th>Club Brugge</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td rowspan="8">Advance to knockout phase play-offs (seeded)</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><th>Como</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><th>Fenerbahçe</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><th>Feyenoord</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><th>Galatasaray</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><th>Inter Milan</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><th>LASK</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><th>RB Leipzig</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><th>Lens</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td rowspan="8">Advance to knockout phase play-offs (unseeded)</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><th>Lille</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><th>Liverpool</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><th>Manchester City</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><th>Manchester United</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><th>Napoli</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><th>Paris Saint-Germain</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><th>Porto</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><th>PSV Eindhoven</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td rowspan="12"></td></tr><tr><td>26</td><th>Real Betis</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><th>Real Madrid</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><th>Roma</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><th>Slovan Bratislava</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><th>Sabah</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>31</td><th>Shakhtar Donetsk</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>32</td><th>Slavia Prague</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>33</td><th>Sporting CP</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>34</td><th>VfB Stuttgart</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>35</td><th>Viking</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>36</td><th>Villarreal</th><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr></tbody></table>