Kathmandu: Paris Saint-Germain will chase a rare third Champions League title in a row this season. The French club has already become only the second team to win the trophy twice in a row since the competition changed its format.

Last season, PSG beat Arsenal on penalties in the final held in Budapest. The year before, in 2025, PSG had won even more easily beating Inter Milan 5–0 in the final.

This season, 36 teams, including PSG, will battle for the trophy with the other 35 all hoping to stop the French side from winning it a third time in a row. Qualifying matches are already being played and the tournament’s opening round of matches will begin in September.

When Is the Draw?

The draw for the 2026–27 Champions League league phase will be held on Thursday, August 27, at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw usually can be watched live on UEFA’s official website and YouTube channel.

Who Has Qualified So Far?

Twenty nine of the 36 teams have already qualified directly based on how they finished in their home leagues last season. The remaining seven spots will be decided through a qualifying process ending with play off matches in August.

England and Spain currently have the most teams in the competition with five clubs each. England’s list includes Manchester United and Europa League champions Aston Villa who are both returning after time away.

Germany and Italy have four teams each while France has three.

Italian club Como will play in the Champions League for the first time ever.

Teams Already Qualified (as of now)

• England: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa
• Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis, Villarreal
• Germany: Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund
• Italy: Napoli, Inter, Roma, Como
• France: Paris Saint-Germain, Lens, Lille
• Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
• Portugal: Sporting CP, Porto
• Others: Galatasaray (Türkiye), Slavia Prague (Czechia), Club Brugge (Belgium), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

How Does the Format Work?

Each of the 36 teams will be placed into one of four groups, called “pots.” Every team will play eight matches in total, two matches each against teams from all four pots, one game at home and one away.

After these matches, the top eight teams move straight into the last 16 of the tournament. Teams that finish between 9th and 24th place will play a two legged playoff round for a place in the last 16. From there, it becomes a normal knockout competition until the final.

How Will Qualifying Work?

Teams that did not qualify directly must play in the qualifying rounds instead. UEFA decides which round each team starts in by looking at how strong that team’s country is in European football, based on a ranking system.

Each qualifying match up is played twice, once at each team’s home ground and the winner is the team that does better across both games.

The qualifying rounds and play offs are scheduled as follows:

• First qualifying round: July 7/8 and 14/15, 2026
• Second qualifying round: July 21/22 and 28/29, 2026
• Third qualifying round: August 4/5 and 11, 2026
• Play offs: August 18/19 and 25/26, 2026

Teams that win through the play offs will join the other 29 sides in the league phase.

When Are the League Phase Matches?

The new season starts a week earlier than last year. The eight rounds of league phase matches, known as matchdays, are scheduled as follows:

• Matchday 1: September 8–10, 2026
• Matchday 2: October 13/14, 2026
• Matchday 3: October 20/21, 2026
• Matchday 4: November 3/4, 2026
• Matchday 5: November 24/25, 2026
• Matchday 6: December 8/9, 2026
• Matchday 7: January 19/20, 2027
• Matchday 8: January 27, 2027

The Final

The 2027 Champions League final will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027. This will be the stadium’s second time hosting a Champions League final.

It last hosted the final in 2019 when Liverpool beat fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur in a match many fans found dull, even though it capped off a memorable tournament that year.

What Do the Winners Get?

Besides the glory, the winners of the 2026–27 Champions League will lift the famous UEFA Champions League trophy which stands 73.5cm tall and weighs 7.5kg.

The champions will also earn a place in the league phase of the 2027–28 Champions League, if they have not already qualified through their domestic league. In August 2027, they will play the winners of the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League in the UEFA Super Cup.