The Champions League 2025/26 fixtures have been revealed following the highly anticipated draw in Monaco on August 28, 2025. Football fans across the globe now know exactly when and where Europe’s elite clubs will clash in this historic new format.
From heavyweight showdowns like Real Madrid vs Liverpool and Barcelona vs Chelsea to underdog stories involving Pafos and Kairat Almaty, this season promises drama at every stage. Add in the revamped Swiss-model league phase and a Budapest final at the iconic Puskás Aréna, and you’ve got one of the most exciting editions of the Champions League yet.
Why the Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures Are Special
UEFA introduced sweeping changes to the competition starting this season:
- 36 teams instead of 32 now compete in the league phase.
- Clubs play eight matches each, facing two teams from each seeding pot.
- The top eight teams qualify directly for the Round of 16.
- Teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a play-off for the remaining eight knockout slots.
This structure ensures more big clashes in the league phase, greater balance across fixtures, and a fresher narrative for fans and broadcasters alike.
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures: Key Dates
Here’s the official UEFA calendar for the 2025/26 season:
| Phase | Dates |
|---|---|
| League Phase MD1 | 16–18 September 2025 |
| League Phase MD2 | 30 September–1 October 2025 |
| League Phase MD3 | 21–22 October 2025 |
| League Phase MD4 | 4–5 November 2025 |
| League Phase MD5 | 25–26 November 2025 |
| League Phase MD6 | 9–10 December 2025 |
| League Phase MD7 | 20–21 January 2026 |
| League Phase MD8 | 28 January 2026 |
| Play-off round | 17–25 February 2026 |
| Round of 16 | 10–18 March 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | 7–15 April 2026 |
| Semi-finals | 28 April – 6 May 2026 |
| Final (Budapest) | 30 May 2026, 5pm UK time |
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures: Full League Phase Draw
UEFA paired each team with eight rivals in the league phase. The fixtures promise heavyweight rivalries and exciting underdog stories.
Bayern Munich Fixtures
- Chelsea
- PSG
- Club Brugge
- Arsenal
- Sporting CP
- PSV
- Union SG
- Pafos
Chelsea Fixtures
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Benfica
- Atalanta
- Ajax
- Napoli
- Pafos
Real Madrid Fixtures
- Manchester City
- Liverpool
- Juventus
- Benfica
- Marseille
- Olympiacos
- Monaco
- Kairat Almaty
Inter Milan Fixtures
- Liverpool
- Borussia Dortmund
- Arsenal
- Atletico Madrid
- Slavia Prague
- Ajax
- Kairat Almaty
- Union SG
Borussia Dortmund Fixtures
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Villarreal
- Juventus
- Bodø/Glimt
- Tottenham
- Athletic Club
- FC Copenhagen
Liverpool Fixtures
- Real Madrid
- Inter Milan
- Atletico Madrid
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- PSV
- Marseille
- Qarabag
- Galatasaray
Barcelona Fixtures
- PSG
- Chelsea
- Frankfurt
- Club Brugge
- Olympiacos
- Slavia Prague
- Copenhagen
- Newcastle
PSG Fixtures
- Bayern Munich
- Barcelona
- Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Tottenham
- Sporting CP
- Newcastle
- Athletic Club
Bayer Leverkusen Fixtures
- PSG
- Manchester City
- Villarreal
- Benfica
- PSV
- Olympiacos
- Newcastle
- Copenhagen
Arsenal Fixtures
- Bayern Munich
- Inter Milan
- Atletico Madrid
- Club Brugge
- Olympiacos
- Slavia Prague
- Kairat
- Athletic Club
Atalanta Fixtures
- Chelsea
- PSG
- Club Brugge
- Frankfurt
- Slavia Prague
- Marseille
- Athletic Club
- Union SG
Club Brugge Fixtures
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Arsenal
- Atalanta
- Marseille
- Sporting CP
- Monaco
- Kairat
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/mWi7lwxw3I
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2025
Benfica Fixtures
- Real Madrid
- Chelsea
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Juventus
- Napoli
- Ajax
- Qarabag
- Newcastle
Eintracht Frankfurt Fixtures
- Liverpool
- Barcelona
- Atalanta
- Atletico Madrid
- Tottenham
- Napoli
- Galatasaray
- Qarabag
Atletico Madrid Fixtures
- Inter Milan
- Liverpool
- Frankfurt
- Arsenal
- Bodø/Glimt
- PSV
- Union SG
- Galatasaray
Villarreal Fixtures
- Manchester City
- Borussia Dortmund
- Juventus
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Ajax
- Tottenham
- Copenhagen
- Paphos
Marseille Fixtures
- Liverpool
- Real Madrid
- Atalanta
- Club Brugge
- Ajax
- Sporting CP
- Newcastle
- Union SG
Tottenham Fixtures
- Borussia Dortmund
- PSG
- Villarreal
- Frankfurt
- Slavia Prague
- Bodø/Glimt
- Copenhagen
- Monaco
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 2 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/Nqis4DXlU2
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2025
Bodø/Glimt Fixtures
- Manchester City
- Borussia Dortmund
- Juventus
- Atletico Madrid
- Tottenham
- Slavia Prague
- Monaco
- Galatasaray
Ajax Fixtures
- Inter Milan
- Chelsea
- Benfica
- Villarreal
- Olympiacos
- Marseille
- Galatasaray
- Qarabag
Slavia Prague Fixtures
- Barcelona
- Inter Milan
- Arsenal
- Atalanta
- Bodø/Glimt
- Tottenham
- Athletic Club
- Paphos
PSV Fixtures
- Bayern Munich
- Liverpool
- Atletico Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Napoli
- Olympiacos
- Union SG
- Newcastle
Napoli Fixtures
- Chelsea
- Manchester City
- Frankfurt
- Benfica
- Sporting CP
- PSV
- Qarabag
- Copenhagen
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 3 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/kEt1qqRglh
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2025
Sporting CP Fixtures
- PSG
- Bayern Munich
- Club Brugge
- Juventus
- Marseille
- Napoli
- Kairat
- Athletic Club
Olympiacos Fixtures
- Real Madrid
- Barcelona
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Arsenal
- PSV
- Ajax
- Paphos
- Kairat
Athletic Club Fixtures
- PSG
- Borussia Dortmund
- Arsenal
- Atalanta
- Sporting CP
- Slavia Prague
- Qarabag
- Newcastle
Newcastle Fixtures
- Barcelona
- PSG
- Benfica
- Bayer Leverkusen
- PSV
- Marseille
- Athletic Club
- Union SG
Paphos Fixtures
- Bayern Munich
- Chelsea
- Villarreal
- Juventus
- Slavia Prague
- Olympiacos
- Monaco
- Kairat
Kairat Almaty Fixtures
- Real Madrid
- Inter Milan
- Club Brugge
- Arsenal
- Olympiacos
- Sporting CP
- Paphos
- Copenhagen
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 4 teams 🏠✈️#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/a9gDwUKDMC
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 28, 2025
Most Anticipated Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures
Some ties already stand out:
- Liverpool vs Real Madrid – Another chapter in Europe’s most iconic modern rivalry.
- Barcelona vs Chelsea – A historic clash dating back to the early 2000s classics.
- PSG vs Bayern Munich – Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane against Jamal Musiala and co.
- Manchester City vs Real Madrid – Pep Guardiola vs the kings of Europe.
On the other end of the spectrum, fans are eager to see how debutants like Pafos (Cyprus) and Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) fare against footballing giants.
Champions League 2025/26 Knockout Path
After the league phase:
- Top 8 → straight into Round of 16.
- 9th–24th → play-off ties to join them.
- 25th–36th → eliminated from Europe entirely.
This setup keeps teams fighting until the final matchday, ensuring every fixture has weight. No more dead rubbers in December.
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures: What Fans Need to Know
- Kick-off times: UEFA has kept the standard split — early kick-offs (18:45 CET) and late kick-offs (21:00 CET).
- Final kick-off: For the first time, the Champions League Final will start at 5pm UK time (6pm CET) to make it more accessible worldwide.
- Host stadium: The Puskás Aréna in Budapest, a 65,000-seater, will welcome Europe’s best for the final.
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures by Date (Quick Reference)
September 2025
- Matchday 1 (16–18 Sept) – Opening fireworks.
October 2025
- Matchday 2 (30 Sept–1 Oct)
- Matchday 3 (21–22 Oct)
November 2025
- Matchday 4 (4–5 Nov)
- Matchday 5 (25–26 Nov)
December 2025
- Matchday 6 (9–10 Dec)
January 2026
- Matchday 7 (20–21 Jan)
- Matchday 8 (28 Jan)
February 2026
- Play-off rounds (17–25 Feb)
March–May 2026
- Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals
May 2026
- Final: 30 May, Budapest
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures: Format in Focus
This Swiss-model league phase changes how fans experience the Champions League:
- More top-tier clashes in the early months.
- Fairer distribution of opponents based on seeding.
- Bigger incentive to push for top 8, avoiding the dangerous play-offs.
It also means broadcasters and fans get a more intense schedule of must-watch fixtures from September to January.
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures: Predictions and Talking Points
- Manchester City enter as favorites, but Real Madrid’s experience always makes them dangerous.
- Arsenal and Liverpool look sharp domestically, and could surprise.
- PSG and Bayern Munich face tricky draws that could derail early momentum.
- The rise of clubs like Atalanta, Villarreal, and Newcastle adds spice, as they’ve proven giant-killers in recent years.
- Can outsiders like Pafos or Kairat Almaty steal a famous win?
Champions League 2025/26 Final: Everything You Need to Know
- Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026
- Kick-off: 17:00 UK time
- Venue: Puskás Aréna, Budapest
- Capacity: 65,000+
- Why it matters: First final under the new format, earlier kick-off for global viewership.
Champions League 2025/26 Fixtures Set the Stage for History
The Champions League 2025/26 fixtures showcase everything fans love about European football: heavyweight rivalries, underdog dreams, and a new format designed for maximum drama.
From Matchday 1 in September to the Budapest final in May, every week brings decisive action. Whether you’re watching Liverpool vs Real Madrid or Pafos vs Bayern Munich, the stakes are sky-high.
This season’s Champions League isn’t just a competition—it’s a marathon of elite football moments that will shape history.
