The draw for the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League season has been officially conducted on Thursday, with top European clubs handed tough and exciting fixtures in the league phase of the competition.
This season, UEFA will continue to use the new Swiss-style league format, which replaced the traditional group stage from the 2024/25 campaign. Under this format, 36 teams will compete in a single league table.
Each team will play eight matches—four at home and four away—against eight different opponents. After all matches are played, the top eight teams will advance directly to the Round of 16. Teams that finish from 9th to 24th will enter a two-legged play-off to fight for a place in the last 16, while those placed from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from all UEFA competitions for the season.
Several mouth-watering ties were confirmed as part of the fixtures, with fans set to enjoy early clashes between Europe’s football giants.
Bayern Munich will host Chelsea, while also taking on Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) away. Other matches for the German champions include games against Arsenal, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, PSV, Union SG, and Pafos.
Chelsea, who are returning to Europe’s top competition, face a tough path. They will play Barcelona at home, travel to Bayern Munich, host Benfica and Ajax, and face away games at Atalanta, Napoli, Qarabag, and Pafos.
Reigning champions Real Madrid have been handed challenging fixtures. They will face Manchester City at home and travel to face rivals Liverpool. Their other opponents include Juventus, Benfica, Marseille, Olympiacos, Monaco, and Kairat Almaty.
Inter Milan will play Liverpool, Dortmund, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Ajax, Slavia Praha, Kairat Almaty, and Union SG. With such a tough list, Inter’s league phase will be anything but easy.
Borussia Dortmund will battle Inter Milan, Manchester City, Juventus, Villarreal, Tottenham, Athletic Club, Bodo/Glimt, and Copenhagen.
Liverpool, who are aiming for a strong campaign after missing out on silverware last season, will face a mix of elite and tricky sides. The Reds will host Real Madrid, play Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid, and also take on Frankfurt, PSV, Marseille, Qarabag, and travel to Galatasaray.
Barcelona will have to be at their best as they face PSG at home, travel to Newcastle, and take on Chelsea, Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, and Copenhagen.
The Swiss format was introduced to make the Champions League more competitive and unpredictable. Unlike the old group stage, where clubs played the same three teams twice, the new system ensures a wider variety of opponents and reduces predictability in early rounds.
However, the new system also means more matches, more travel, and tougher qualification for the knockout stage. Clubs now need to be consistent across eight different fixtures to secure qualification, and even more disciplined to avoid an early exit.
For fans, it promises more exciting matchups, with big teams meeting earlier in the competition rather than waiting for the knockout stage.
As always, Nigerian fans will be keeping a close eye on the competition, especially clubs where Nigerian players are involved. Players like Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), and others will be hoping to shine on the biggest stage in European football.
The Champions League 2025/26 season promises to deliver top-quality football, drama, and unforgettable moments once again.
Kick-off dates and full match schedules are expected to be released in the coming weeks
