Champions League 2025-26 Draw Date Revealed: When Will Europe's Elite Learn Their Fate?

The 2025–26 campaign is approaching rapidly, which means we're getting ready to experience the iconic Champions League theme music echoing throughout venues across Europe.

Paris Saint-Germain delivered a spectacular Champions League final display to conclude another thrilling edition of the prestigious tournament in 2024–25, with the upcoming season promising more excitement and surprises.

The qualification process for Europe's top-tier competition has already begun, and we'll soon discover the complete lineup for the league phase, which UEFA introduced for the first time last season as part of their format overhaul.

But when will Champions League clubs learn about their adversaries for the upcoming season's tournament? Here's the most recent information regarding the league phase draw.

When Did 2025–26 Champions League Qualifying Start?

Several European powerhouses have already secured their Champions League spots based on previous season results, though some positions remain available for 2025–26. Numerous clubs must navigate the qualification rounds to reach the league phase, with these vital qualifying matches beginning on 8 July.

The Champions League preliminary stage features three qualifying rounds, followed by a play-off that determines the seven teams joining the 29 clubs already guaranteed their league phase participation.

The qualifying play-offs will take place over two legs from August 19-27.

When Is the 2025–26 Champions League League Phase Draw?

The league phase draw for the 2025–26 tournament will occur on Thursday, August 28, maintaining the same format as the previous season.

All 36 teams will be allocated into one of four seeded groups and then matched against two clubs from each group, playing half their matches at home and half away.

Following the league phase conclusion, the top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged play-off. Teams placing 25th or below face complete elimination without dropping to the Europa League.

Which Teams Have Qualified for the 2025–26 Champions League?

Among the 36 teams participating in next season's league phase, 29 have already confirmed their places. England leads with six clubs total after Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League victory, while Spain contributes five participants.

Italy and Germany each provide four clubs competing for European glory, while France features three teams in the league phase, including defending champions PSG. The Netherlands contributes two sides, and currently, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, Czechia and Greece each have one club confirmed for Europe's elite competition.

When Does the 2025–26 Champions League League Phase Start?

The inaugural round of league phase matches will commence three weeks following the draw completion, with Matchday 1 games scheduled for 16-18 September. For most teams, this represents approximately one month after their domestic season begins.

The initial six league phase matchdays will conclude before year-end, with the final two rounds scheduled for January 2026.