The Champions League league phase draw takes place on Thursday in Monaco, and the shape of the competition is already set. Thirty-six teams enter the league phase, with 29 qualified at the end of last season and seven places still to be decided by qualifiers. Each club will play eight different opponents, two from each of Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4, with four home and four away.
Monaco draw and league phase format
That format is the point here. There is no old-style small group stage to wait for, just a full field of 36 clubs and a draw that splits the schedule into eight distinct league-phase matches for every side.
The top eight sides in the league qualify automatically for the round of 16. Teams finishing 25th or lower are out and do not drop into the Europa League, so every fixture in the league phase carries more weight than the old group setup.
The final will be played at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
Where the English clubs sit
The English names already in the mix are Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa. Arsenal go in as Premier League winners, while Manchester United and Aston Villa have been placed in Pot 2.
Liverpool are in Pot 1 despite finishing fifth in the Premier League, and City arrive after finishing eighth in the Champions League league phase. Back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain headline Pot 1 as well, so the draw has enough heavyweight names without needing any manufactured drama.
The key thing to watch on Thursday is not a single headline tie, but the pots and the home-away split. Once the Monaco draw is done, each club will know the eight opponents standing between them and Madrid.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
