Champions League 2025-26 Draw Unveiled: Which Teams Got Lucky and Who Faces a Nightmare Path?
The Champions League league phase draw occurred on Thursday, August 28, with 36 European clubs discovering their initial eight opponents for the tournament.
For those who missed last season's competition and are curious about the absence of the traditional group stage, UEFA eliminated the four-team groups format in 2024–25, promising a more thrilling structure where elite clubs clash more regularly throughout the competition. Clubs participate in eight matches within a league table format. The scoring system remains unchanged: three points for victories, one for draws, and zero for defeats. The top 24 clubs in the standings progress to the subsequent round, with the leading eight earning direct qualification to the round of 16, while the remaining 16 teams enter a playoff stage for advancement.
Supporters watched with anticipation as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Kaká selected club names from four different pots to establish the matchups. Naturally, following the announcement of results, fans either rejoiced or voiced concerns about how challenging their fixtures appeared theoretically.
Opta proceeded to analyze the 18 most favorable and challenging draws for each participating club.
Opta emphasizes that a team's difficult path may ultimately prove irrelevant, citing Paris Saint-Germain as an example—they received the most challenging draw last season yet became first-time champions.
Below are the 18 most favorable and difficult Champions League draws for the league phase, according to Opta's analytical assessment based on their strength rankings.
Most Favorable 2025–26 Champions League Draws
Team | Avg. Opp. Rating | Rating Excl. Kariat* | Notable Fixture |
|---|---|---|---|
Pafos | 88.7 | 90.5 | Chelsea (A) |
FC Copenhagen | 88.7 | 90.5 | Barcelona (A) |
Arsenal | 88.8 | 90.7 | Bayern Munich (H) |
Tottenham Hotspur | 89.1 | 89.1 | PSG (A) |
Villarreal | 89.6 | 89.6 | Manchester City (H) |
Ajax | 89.8 | 89.8 | Inter Milan (H) |
Liverpool | 89.9 | 89.9 | Real Madrid (H) |
Chelsea | 89.9 | 89.9 | Barcelona (H) |
Inter Milan | 89.9 | N/A | Liverpool (H) |
Juventus | 89.9 | 89.9 | Real Madrid (A) |
Olympiacos | 89.9 | N/A | Barcelona (A) |
Real Madrid | 90.0 | N/A | Liverpool (A) |
Sporting CP | 90.0 | N/A | PSG (H) |
Manchester City | 90.2 | 90.2 | Real Madrid (A) |
Borussia Dortmund | 90.5 | N/A | Manchester City (A) |
Napoli | 90.5 | 90.5 | Chelsea (H) |
Monaco | 90.6 | 90.6 | Real Madrid (A) |
Bodø/Glimt | 90.7 | 90.7 | Manchester City (H) |
An important note regarding the dual ratings: the initial numerical column shows their average opponent rating including a fixture against Kazakhstan Premier League club FC Kairat. While teams cannot control their draw opponents, Opta provided a separate analysis excluding Kairat. Therefore, clubs facing Kairat have an additional rating showing how significantly this matchup influences the overall figure.
Consequently, four of the six Premier League clubs—Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Chelsea—received advantageous draws. Other representatives from Europe's top five leagues with favorable fixtures include Villarreal, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Monaco.
Most Challenging 2025–26 Champions League Draws
Team | Avg. Opponent Rating | Notable Fixture |
|---|---|---|
Bayern Munich | 92.9 | Paris Saint-Germain (A) |
Paris Saint-Germain | 92.7 | Barcelona (H) |
PSV Eindhoven | 92.6 | Bayern Munich (A) |
Marseille | 92.5 | Real Madrid (A) |
Newcastle United | 92.2 | Barcelona (H) |
Atlético Madrid | 92.1 | Inter Milan (H) |
Bayer Leverkusen | 92.0 | Manchester City (A) |
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | 91.8 | Bayern Munich (A) |
Slavia Prague | 91.6 | Inter Milan (A) |
Eintracht Frankfurt | 91.6 | Liverpool (H) |
Athletic Bilbao | 91.5 | Dortmund (A) |
Qarabağ | 91.4 | Bayern Munich (A) |
FC Kairat | 91.2 | Arsenal (A) |
Atalanta | 91.0 | Chelsea (H) |
Barcelona | 90.9 | Paris Saint-Germain (H) |
Club Brugge | 90.8 | Barcelona (H) |
Galatasaray | 90.8 | Liverpool (H) |
Benfica | 90.7 | Real Madrid (H) |
Bayern Munich holds the distinction of having the highest average opponent rating, as they will encounter Chelsea, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal from Pots 1 and 2 respectively. However, based purely on club reputation, PSG appears to face the more demanding path.
The reigning champions confront Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle, Sporting Lisbon and Athletic Club. While this represents a grueling schedule, they previously navigated a difficult draw and emerged victorious, defeating Inter Milan convincingly in the final.
Newcastle United also encounters a demanding journey, traveling to face PSG, Leverkusen and Marseille while welcoming Barcelona and Benfica among other opponents at home.