The UEFA Champions League enters another defining stage today as the draw for the league phase takes place, with 36 clubs set to discover the opponents they will face in Europe’s premier club competition.

The draw will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco at 10pm Bangladesh time. Unlike the traditional format, there will be no separate groups. The competition has retained the expanded league-phase structure introduced in the 2024–25 season, with every participating club facing eight different opponents.

The new format has already produced two different champions in its opening two editions, with Paris Saint-Germain winning both tournaments. Luis Enrique’s side will now begin its pursuit of a third consecutive title, although the road towards another European crown will start with a league phase involving some of the continent’s leading clubs.

The final round of qualifying play-offs concluded last night, completing the field for the league phase. Four remaining places were settled through the final play-off ties, following the three clubs that secured qualification earlier in the week.

How the draw will work

A total of 29 clubs have secured direct qualification for the league phase through their performances in their domestic leagues. The remaining seven places have been filled through the qualifying rounds and play-offs.

Before the draw, the 36 clubs will be divided into four pots according to their UEFA club coefficient rankings. Each pot will contain nine teams. The draw will then determine eight different opponents for every club.

Under the league-phase system, each team will play eight matches against eight separate opponents. The draw is therefore considerably different from the previous group-stage system, when clubs were placed into groups of four and played six matches in the first phase.

The new arrangement is designed to create a broader league table and more varied fixtures. A club’s position after the league phase will determine its route into the knockout rounds, making every result potentially significant.

The coefficient rankings will determine which pot each club occupies, with the final pot allocation due to be confirmed ahead of the evening draw.

The 29 clubs already through

The directly qualified teams include some of the biggest names in European football. England has five representatives, while Spain also has five. Italy and Germany have four clubs each, and France has three.

The presence of five English and five Spanish clubs means supporters could see several high-profile fixtures emerge from the draw. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are among the established European powers already confirmed for the league phase.

For Paris Saint-Germain, the draw carries particular significance. The French champions have won the first two editions under the expanded structure and will now attempt to extend that run. However, the league-phase format leaves little room for complacency, as clubs must accumulate enough points across eight matches to secure the most favourable route into the knockout stages.

The top eight teams in the league table will progress directly to the last 16. Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will enter a knockout play-off, where they will compete for the remaining places in the last 16. Those finishing from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition.

That makes the league-phase draw more than a ceremonial event. The identity of a club’s eight opponents can have a major bearing on its prospects of finishing among the top eight and avoiding the additional play-off round.

With the qualifying campaign now complete, attention turns to Monaco. By the end of the draw, all 36 clubs will know the opponents standing between them and a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.