Seven of the nine pot one places in the Europa League phase draw are already spoken for, and that is what gives Friday's event its shape before the qualifiers are even finished. Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan and Marseille are the standout names in that group, while Celtic are already locked into pot two. The draw for the 2026-27 league phase takes place on Friday, 28 August at 12:00 BST in Monaco.

BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team summed up the top line neatly: "Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Real Sociedad and Marseille will take seven of the nine pot one places."

The clubs shaping pot one

The obvious appeal here is name value, but the seeding picture is not running on reputation alone. Leverkusen finished the 2025 Bundesliga season with 59 points and a +21 goal difference. They also sit sixth in the current Bundesliga standings, which is a fair reminder that they remain a serious side even if they do not arrive as runaway favourites.

Juventus bring a strong European baseline into this draw. They finished 13th in the 2025-26 Champions League table and took 13 points from eight matches. That does not make them untouchable, but it does explain why they sit naturally in the upper seeding bracket for this competition.

Milan and Marseille are slightly different cases. Milan ended the 2025 Serie A season in fifth place, so their status is built on staying close to the top end domestically rather than storming through Europe. Marseille also finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season, although their 25th-place finish in the 2025-26 Champions League league phase points to a team with more volatility in the draw than the bigger names around them.

That is why the early seeding picture feels heavyweight without being settled. These are big clubs, but not all of them arrive with the same level of recent control.

The British angle in the middle pots

Celtic's position is much cleaner. The Scottish champions are guaranteed to enter pot two, which gives them certainty that several others do not yet have.

The English trio still sit in a far murkier band. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland will all enter pot two or three, and that is a more awkward place to be than it sounds. It leaves open the chance of a fairly kind spread of fixtures, but it can also throw up a nasty mix if the draw leans the wrong way.

No club is guaranteed to land in pot three or pot four yet, which is an important distinction in a draw like this. There is still too much movement left in the qualifying process to pretend the middle of the board is fixed.

The format makes the seeding matter

This version of the Europa League is built to widen the field and increase the risk. Thirty-six teams will enter the draw, split across four pots. Each club will face eight different teams once, with four home matches and four away matches.

That format leaves far less room to hide behind a soft group, because there are no groups. The top eight qualify directly for the round of 16. Teams from ninth to 24th go into the play-off knockout round, while the 12 clubs placed from 25th to 36th are out when the league phase ends.

So the seeding line matters straight away. A club can still recover from a tough draw, but the route gets messier very quickly in this format, especially for sides sitting between pot two and pot three rather than safely among the elite names.

BBC Sport noted the timing clearly: "The league phase draw for the 2026-27 Europa League takes place on Friday, 28 August at 12:00 BST in Monaco." By then, the headline names at the top will still be Leverkusen, Juventus, Milan and Marseille, and Celtic will still know they are starting from pot two.

FAQ

Which clubs are leading the Europa League pot one picture before the draw?

The early pot one picture is led by Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, AC Milan and Marseille. BBC Sport also reports that AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos and Real Sociedad are among the seven clubs already set to take seven of the nine pot one places.

When is the Europa League league phase draw for 2026-27?

The league phase draw for the 2026-27 Europa League takes place on Friday, 28 August at 12:00 BST in Monaco. The draw is for a 36-team league phase rather than the old group-stage format.

How does the Europa League league phase format work this season?

Thirty-six teams go into four pots. Each club faces eight different opponents once, with four home matches and four away matches. The top eight go straight to the round of 16, places ninth to 24th enter the play-off knockout round, and teams from 25th to 36th are eliminated.

Are Celtic in pot two for the Europa League draw?

Yes. Celtic are already guaranteed to enter pot two. English clubs Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland are expected to land in pot two or three, but none of them are guaranteed a specific pot yet.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →