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UEFA Champions League 2025-26 draw: New format explained, pots confirmed and how to watch live
The 71st edition of the Champions League will have 14 different former title holders, with a combined 50 trophies
The stage is set for the draw for the 2025/26 season of the UEFA Champions League on Thursday in Monaco, where Europe's top teams will learn their fate for the league phase of the tournament.
The format, introduced last season, will remain the same. The Champions League eliminated the group-stage format and combined all 36 teams into one league. The top eight teams advanced to the knockout stage, while the remaining teams played two-legged playoffs for a spot in the round of 16. In Thursday's draw, all the teams will be assigned eight matches - four away and four home. The weighted schedule gives each team two opponents drawn from each of the four seeding pots Thursday in Monaco. Teams are seeded based on their ranking over five seasons of results in UEFA competitions. The matches will begin on September 16, with the final league game on January 28
The 71st edition of the Champions League will have 14 different former title holders, with a combined 50 trophies, including reigning holder Paris Saint-Germain. Five-time winning coach Carlo Ancelotti left Real Madrid to coach Brazil, but Pep Guardiola is currently the most successful coach in the draw, having won three titles—two with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 and the other with Manchester City in 2023.
Who is in the Champions League draw?
More than half (19) are from the four highest-ranked countries: England, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Six are from England. Meanwhile, this edition of the European Cup will have four debutants - Bodo/Glimt of Norway, Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan, Pafos of Cyprus and Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium.
Athletic Bilbao will be making a long-awaited return to the tournament, having last played in the 2014-15 group stage. Olympiakos, on the other hand, have not participated in the last four editions, while Villarreal are back for the first time since losing in the semifinals to Liverpool in 2022. For the first time in 20 years, no teams from Ukraine are participating, while all Russian clubs are banned for the fourth straight season since the full military invasion of Ukraine.
Champions League 2025/26: League phase draw pots
Pot 1: Paris (FRA), Real Madrid (ESP), Man City (ENG), Bayern München (GER), Liverpool (ENG), Inter (ITA), Chelsea (ENG), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Barcelona (ESP)
Pot 2: Arsenal (ENG), Leverkusen (GER), Atleti (ESP), Benfica (POR), Atalanta (ITA), Villarreal (ESP), Juventus (ITA), Frankfurt (GER), Club Brugge (BEL)
Pot 3: Tottenham (ENG), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Ajax (NED), Napoli (ITA), Sporting CP (POR), Olympiacos (GRE), Slavia Praha (CZE), Bodø/Glimt (NOR), Marseille (FRA)
Pot 4: Copenhagen (DEN), Monaco (FRA), Galatasaray (TUR), Union SG (BEL), Qarabağ (AZE), Athletic Club (ESP), Newcastle (ENG), Pafos (CYP), Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
What is the format for the league phase draw?
The 36 teams in the draw are split into groups of four based on their individual coefficient ranking, with the current champion PSG the top seed in Pot 1. One physical ball will be drawn from Pot 1 and an automated software will then assign eight opponents for them, two from each spot. Rules prevent same-nation clashes and limit opponents to a maximum of two per association. This process continues until every team is paired for the group stage.
STREAMING GUIDE:
When is the UEFA Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw will take place on August 28, 2025 (Thursday).
What time is the UEFA Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw is scheduled for 9:30 PM IST.
How to watch Champions League draw?
The Champions League draw can be streamed on UEFA.com. The draw will also be live on Sony Sports Network on TV in India and SonyLIV for live streaming.
