UEFA Champions League 2025-26
LEAGUE PHASE: SEP 16 – JAN 28, 2026
FINAL: MAY 30, 2026, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Europe’s premier club football competition returns with the second season of the
innovative 36-team league phase format, praised for excitement and unpredictability,
delivering more drama, while creating high-stakes matches against diverse opposition

Top-ranked
teams: 1-9
Ranked
10-18
Ranked
19-27
Lowest
rank: 27-36

PERENNIAL HEAVYWEIGHTS
Liverpool, coached by Arne Slot, are considered
favourites for title based on simulations by Opta’s
Supercomputer – despite early exit last season

% chance		Top 8	QF	SF	Final	Winner
Liverpool	79.5	72.7	51.5	34.0	20.4
Arsenal		75.4	68.0	44.8	27.6	16.0
PSG		52.5	57.6	37.3	22.3	12.1
Man City		59.0	54.6	31.1	16.6	8.4
Barcelona	51.2	51.3	29.5	16.4	8.4
Chelsea		55.8	51.3	28.5	15.0	7.0
Real Madrid	49.1	46.7	24.9	12.4	5.8
Bayern		30.8	38.1	20.0	9.7	4.3
Inter		35.0	34.7	15.7	7.0	3.0
Newcastle	27.8	32.7	15.9	6.8	3.0

Puskás Aréna
(Capacity: 68,000)
Built for UEFA Euro 2020,
set to host showpiece final

Kylian
Mbappé
Wears iconic
No.10 shirt
for Real
Madrid
this
season

FIXTURES
Each team plays eight matches
– four at home and four away –
against different opposition
Top eight qualify directly
to knockout stages, while places
9-24th contest play-off to advance

1 Sep 16-18
Athletic Club	Arsenal 
PSV	Union SG 
Juventus	Dortmund
Real Madrid	Marseille
Benfica	Qarabağ
Tottenham	Villarreal
	
Olympiacos	Pafos 
Sl. Prague	Bodø/Glimt 
Ajax	Inter
Bayern	Chelsea
Liverpool	Atlético
PSG	Atalanta
	
Club Brugge	Monaco 
Copenhagen	Leverkusen 
Frankfurt	Galatasaray
Man City	Napoli
Newcastle 	Barcelona
Sporting CP	Kairat Almaty
	
2 Sep 30-Oct 1
Atalanta	Club Brugge 
Kairat Almaty	Real Madrid 
Atlético	Frankfurt
Chelsea	Benfica
Inter	Sl. Prague
Bodø/Glimt	Tottenham
Galatasaray	Liverpool
Marseille	Ajax
Pafos	Bayern
	
Qarabağ	Copenhagen 
Union SG	Newcastle  
Arsenal	Olympiacos
Monaco	Man City
Leverkusen	PSV
Dortmund	Athletic Club
Barcelona	PSG
Napoli	Sporting CP
Villarreal	Juventus
	
3 Oct 21-22
Barcelona	Olympiacos 
Kairat Almaty	Pafos 
Arsenal	Atlético
Leverkusen	PSG
Copenhagen	Dortmund
Newcastle 	Benfica
PSV	Napoli
Union SG	Inter
Villarreal	Man City
	
Athletic Club	Qarabağ 
Galatasaray	Bodø/Glimt 
Monaco	Tottenham
Atalanta	Sl. Prague
Chelsea	Ajax
Frankfurt	Liverpool
Bayern	Club Brugge
Real Madrid	Juventus
Sporting CP	Marseille
	
4 Nov 4-5
Sl. Prague	Arsenal 
Napoli	Frankfurt 
Atlético	Union SG
Bodø/Glimt	Monaco
Juventus	Sporting CP
Liverpool	Real Madrid
Olympiacos	PSV
PSG	Bayern
Tottenham	Copenhagen
	
Pafos	Villarreal 
Qarabağ	Chelsea 
Ajax	Galatasaray
Club Brugge	Barcelona
Inter	Kairat Almaty
Man City	Dortmund
Newcastle 	Athletic Club
Marseille	Atalanta
Benfica	Leverkusen
	
5 Nov 25-26
Ajax	Benfica 
Galatasaray	Union SG 
Dortmund	Villarreal
Chelsea	Barcelona
Bodø/Glimt	Juventus
Man City	Leverkusen
Marseille	Newcastle 
Sl. Prague	Athletic Club
Napoli	Qarabağ
	
Copenhagen	Kairat Almaty 
Pafos	Monaco 
Arsenal	Bayern
Atlético	Inter
Frankfurt	Atalanta
Liverpool	PSV
Olympiacos	Real Madrid
PSG	Tottenham
Sporting CP	Club Brugge
	
6 Dec 8-9
Kairat Almaty	Olympiacos
Bayern	Sporting CP 
Monaco	Galatasaray
Atalanta	Chelsea
Barcelona	Frankfurt
Inter	Liverpool
PSV	Atlético
Union SG	Marseille
Tottenham	Sl. Prague
	
Qarabağ	Ajax 
Villarreal	Copenhagen 
Athletic Club	PSG
Leverkusen	Newcastle 
Dortmund	Bodø/Glimt
Club Brugge	Arsenal
Juventus	Pafos
Real Madrid	Man City
Benfica	Napoli
	
7 Jan 20-21
Kairat Almaty	Club Brugge
Bodø/Glimt	Man City 
Copenhagen	Napoli
Inter	Arsenal
Olympiacos	Leverkusen
Real Madrid	Monaco
Sporting CP	PSG
Tottenham	Dortmund
Villarreal	Ajax
	
Galatasaray	Atlético 
Qarabağ	Frankfurt 
Atalanta	Athletic Club
Chelsea	Pafos
Bayern	Union SG
Juventus	Benfica
Newcastle 	PSV
Marseille	Liverpool
Sl. Prague	Barcelona
	
8 Jan 28
Ajax	Olympiacos
Arsenal	Kairat Almaty
Monaco	Juventus
Athletic Club	Sporting CP
Atlético	Bodø/Glimt
Leverkusen	Villarreal
Dortmund	Inter
Club Brugge	Marseille
Frankfurt	Tottenham
Barcelona	Copenhagen
Liverpool	Qarabağ
Man City	Galatasaray
Pafos	Sl. Prague
PSG	Newcastle 
PSV	Bayern
Union SG	Atalanta
Benfica	Real Madrid
Napoli	Chelsea


SHOOTING BOOTS
Robert Lewandowski
has most UEFA Champions
League goals of active players
in 2025-26 tournament

R. Lewandowski		Barcelona 	105 *(133)
Kylian Mbappé		Real Madrid	55 (87)
Erling Haaland		Man City		49 (48)
Mohamed Salah		Liverpool	47 (88)
Antoine Griezmann	Atletico		42 (105)
Harry Kane		Bayern		40 (57)
Vinícius Júnior		Real Madrid	29 (68)

Source: UEFA
Pictures: Getty Images
*Appearances (Sep 10)
© GRAPHIC NEWS