The Champions League draw takes place on Thursday at 6pm CET (5pm UK time) in Monaco, with 36 teams set to learn their league phase opponents. A computer will be used to assign fixtures, and two Premier League matchups are banned from occurring for a third consecutive year.
Why the draw has changed
Since the 2024/25 season, the Champions League has moved to a Swiss-style system instead of the previous group stage. Each of the 36 competitors now faces eight different teams during this phase, rather than three opponents home and away.
UEFA explains: "If the old draw concept for the group stage were to be applied to the new league phase format, nearly 1,000 balls would be required, with at least 36 bowls on stage, resulting in an unbearably lengthy draw."
How the draw is conducted
Each of the 36 teams has a physical ball assigned, but when a team is drawn, a computer assigns their opponents for eight matches. The outcome is displayed on screen for viewers in Monaco and at home. The software also decides which team has home advantage for each match.
Which fixtures are banned
UEFA rules state that the same exact fixture cannot be played three years in a row with the same team at home. This affects two Premier League clubs: Inter Milan vs Arsenal and Liverpool vs Real Madrid cannot take place for a third straight year. However, Arsenal can still play Inter at home, and Liverpool can head to the Bernabeu.
Teams cannot face another side from the same country in the league phase, and can only meet two teams at most from one country. The software ensures these rules are followed automatically, avoiding a deadlock. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool are the five Premier League teams involved, and cannot face one another until later in the competition. There has not been an all-English match-up in the Champions League since the 2021 final, when Chelsea beat Manchester City.
When the matches take place
The first league phase matches are scheduled for September 8, with games spread across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that week. Six rounds of fixtures occur before the turn of the year, with the final two gameweeks in January. The last of those, on January 27, involves 18 matches kicking off at the same time as the final qualifiers for the knockout stages are determined.
