2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw Pots Explained
The upcoming 2026/27 UEFA Champions League will feature 36 teams in the league phase, grouped into four pots containing nine clubs each. UEFA will confirm the final lineup before the draw scheduled for August 27.
So far, 29 teams have secured their spots, while seven places remain open and will be decided by the Champions League play-offs, with second-leg matches on August 25 and 26.
Criteria Behind the Pots
These 36 clubs are divided into four pots of nine teams each, based on UEFA club coefficient rankings at the start of the season. The only exception is that the reigning Champions League winner is automatically placed as the top seed in Pot 1.
Based on the current qualifiers and coefficients, the pots look like this:
- Pot 1: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid
- Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV Eindhoven
- Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray
- Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Stuttgart, Como, Lens
Understanding the Draw Mechanics
Being in Pot 1 does not guarantee avoiding other strong teams during the league phase. Each club will face eight different opponents: two from each pot, including its own. Matches are split evenly between home and away games.
For instance, a team from Pot 1 will compete against two other Pot 1 clubs, plus two teams each from Pots 2, 3, and 4.
Teams from the same country usually do not meet during this phase, and a club can face no more than two opponents from any single foreign association.
Key Dates and Next Steps
The draw is set for August 27 at 18:00 CET in Monaco. The league phase kicks off on September 8 and runs through January 27, 2027, with every team playing four home and four away matches.
Until UEFA confirms the seedings on the day of the draw, any circulating lists of the pots remain tentative.
