Liverpool will discover their eight opponents in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase this evening. The draw takes place in Monaco at 5pm, and they go in as one of 29 teams already assured of a place after qualifying automatically at the end of last season. They are also in pot one.
Draw rules around Liverpool
UEFA rules are also set to prevent the Reds from being drawn at home to Real Madrid in this season’s league phase. English sides cannot be paired with other English sides either, so Liverpool cannot land Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal or Aston Villa in the draw.
The Real Madrid wrinkle is the one that stands out. UEFA's own line is clear enough on that point, but it does not remove Real Madrid from Liverpool's list altogether. The Spanish side can still come out as an away opponent, with the Bernabéu still in play.
Liverpool's standing in last season's league phase is the other reason they are in this position. They finished third in the 2025 UEFA Champions League league phase, played 8 matches and collected 18 points. Real Madrid finished ninth and won 5 of their 8 league-phase matches, which is part of why they remain a serious name in the same draw even if Anfield is off limits.
What the new format means
Each team will be paired with two teams from Pots 1 to 4 to make up their eight league phase matches, with four at home and four away. A top-eight finish in the 36-team league table sends a side straight into the last 16, while places ninth to 24th mean a playoff round first.
Liverpool already handled the new format well last season, but the draw still matters because the path is fixed before a ball is kicked. Tonight's Monaco ceremony will not decide the full campaign, yet it will decide which eight opponents Liverpool have to deal with before the knockout rounds begin.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
