UEFA Champions League preview

Europe’s premier club football competition returns with the third
season of the innovative 36-team league phase format, delivering more
dramatic moments while creating high-stakes matches against diverse opposition

Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium (Capacity: 70,000)
Set to host second showpiece, after staging 2019 final

Financial incentives

Paris St-Germain earned €146m from defending title
in 2026, with beaten finalists Arsenal projected income at €143m.
Prize money remains unchanged for 2026-27, with gross
revenue from UEFA competitions estimated at €4.4bn

Total
prize money
2026-27
€3.317bn
74.38%
17.02%
8.6%

€2.467bn

UEFA Champions League /
Super Cup: Split between
participation fee, club
rankings and performances

UEFA Europa League: €565m
UEFA Conference League: €285m

Performance pay:			Per team
League phase			€2.1m (win), €0.7m (draw)
Knock-out round play-off		€1.0m
Round of 16			€11.0m
Quarter-final			€12.0m
Semi-final			€15.0m
Final				€18.5m
Tournament winner		€25.0m

Squad valuations

Premier League clubs have broken their
all-time summer transfer record, spending
more than €4bn – exceeding the combined
expenditure of top-flight clubs in Spain,
Italy, France and Germany

Outside
Premier League,
most expensive
transfer saw
Yan Diomande
join Real Madrid
in €140m
deal

Most valuable teams in UEFA Champions League (Sep 4)

		Average age	Transfermarkt estimated value (€bn)
Real Madrid	25.9		1.46
Man City		25.4		1.43
PSG		24.9		1.36
Arsenal		26.4		1.33
Barcelona	25.2		1.26
Bayern		27.0		1.04
Liverpool	25.9		1.03

Harry Kane
In talks with Bayern
to extend contract with
Bundesliga champions

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

Matchday 1		
Tuesday 8 September 2026		
AEK Athens	-	LASK 
Club Brugge	-	Aston Villa 
Dortmund	-	Villarreal 
Porto	-	Man City 
Lille	-	Real Betis
Real Madrid	-	Inter
		
Wednesday 9 September 2026		
Barcelona	-	Feyenoord 
Stuttgart	-	Viking 
Liverpool	-	Atlético 
PSG	-	Sl. Bratislava 
Sporting CP	-	Galatasaray 
Napoli	-	Arsenal
		
Thursday 10 September 2026		
Fenerbahçe	-	Roma 
PSV	-	Shakhtar 
Como	-	Leipzig
Bayern	-	Bodø/Glimt
Man Utd	-	Sabah 
Sl. Prague	-	Lens
		
Liverpool		Atleti: Watch 2020 Morata winner
Matchday 2		
Tuesday 13 October 2026		
Lens	-	Sporting CP 
Sabah	-	Sl. Prague 
Arsenal	-	Lille 
Atlético	-	Man Utd
Inter	-	Club Brugge
Galatasaray	-	Barcelona
Leipzig	-	PSV
Viking	-	Bayern 
Villarreal	-	Napoli
		
Wednesday 14 October 2026		
Feyenoord	-	Como 
LASK	-	Liverpool 
Roma	-	Real Madrid
Aston Villa	-	Fenerbahçe 
Shakhtar	-	AEK Athens 
Bodø/Glimt	-	Dortmund 
Man City	-	PSG 
Real Betis	-	Porto
Sl. Bratislava	-	Stuttgart
		
Matchday 3		
Tuesday 20 October 2026		
Fenerbahçe	-	Sl. Prague 
Sabah	-	Dortmund 
Roma	-	Sl. Bratislava 
Porto	-	PSV 
Liverpool	-	Villarreal
Man City	-	AEK Athens
PSG	-	Barcelona
Napoli	-	Bodø/Glimt
Stuttgart	-	Atlético
		
Wednesday 21 October 2026		
Como	-	Man Utd 
Lille	-	Galatasaray 
Aston Villa	-	Viking 
Club Brugge	-	Lens 
Bayern	-	Arsenal 
Inter	-	Shakhtar 
Real Madrid	-	Leipzig
Real Betis	-	Feyenoord 
Sporting CP	-	LASK
		
		
Matchday 4		
Tuesday 3 November 2026		
Shakhtar	-	Sporting CP 
Galatasaray	-	Stuttgart 
Atlético	-	Bayern
Barcelona	-	Aston Villa 
Feyenoord	-	Inter
Bodø/Glimt	-	Lille
LASK	-	Sl. Bratislava
Man Utd	-	Roma
Villarreal	-	PSG
		
Wednesday 4 November 2026		
AEK Athens	-	Real Madrid 
Fenerbahçe	-	Liverpool 
Dortmund	-	Real Betis 
Porto	-	Napoli
PSV	-	Club Brugge 
Leipzig	-	Man City
Lens	-	Como
Sl. Prague	-	Arsenal
Viking	-	Sabah
		
Matchday 5		
Tuesday 24 November 2026		
Bodø/Glimt	-	LASK 
Galatasaray	-	Aston Villa 
Arsenal	-	Dortmund 
Como	-	AEK Athens
Feyenoord	-	Porto 
Man City	-	Napoli 
Leipzig	-	Lens 
Real Madrid	-	PSV 
Sl. Bratislava	-	Real Betis
		
Wednesday 25 November 2026		
Sabah	-	Barcelona 
Sl. Prague	-	Villarreal 
Atlético	-	Viking 
Club Brugge	-	Liverpool
Inter	-	Stuttgart
Shakhtar	-	Fenerbahçe 
Lille	-	Bayern
PSG	-	Roma 
Sporting CP	-	Man Utd
		
Matchday 6		
Tuesday 8 December 2026 		
Viking	-	Feyenoord 
Villarreal	-	Sabah 
AEK Athens	-	Galatasaray 
Roma	-	Sporting CP 
Aston Villa	-	PSG 
Barcelona	-	Man City
Bayern	-	Sl. Prague 
Man Utd	-	Leipzig 
Napoli	-	Club Brugge
		
Wednesday 9 December 2026 		
Real Betis	-	Como 
Sl. Bratislava	-	Shakhtar 
Arsenal	-	Real Madrid 
Dortmund	-	Inter 
LASK	-	Fenerbahçe  
Liverpool	-	Porto  
PSV	-	Atlético  
Lens	-	Bodø/Glimt  
Stuttgart	-	Lille
		
Paris		Aston Villa: Their 2025 Champions League quarter-final
Matchday 7 		
Tuesday 19 January 2027 		
Bodø/Glimt	-	Atlético 
Galatasaray	-	Feyenoord 
AEK Athens	-	Roma  
Aston Villa	-	Dortmund  
Inter	-	Liverpool  
Porto	-	Sl. Prague  
Lille	-	Sl. Bratislava  
Real Madrid	-	LASK  
Stuttgart	-	Club Brugge
		
Wednesday 20 January 2027 		
Fenerbahçe	-	Villarreal 
Sabah	-	Napoli 
Como	-	PSG   
Man Utd	-	Bayern  
Leipzig	-	Shakhtar  
Lens	-	Man City  
Real Betis	-	Arsenal
Sporting CP	-	Barcelona  
Viking	-	PSV
		
Matchday 8		
Wednesday 27 January 2027		
Arsenal	-	Sabah  
Roma	-	Lille  
Atlético	-	Fenerbahçe  
Dortmund	-	AEK Athens  
Club Brugge	-	Bodø/Glimt  
Bayern	-	Real Betis 
Barcelona	-	Como  
Shakhtar	-	Real Madrid 
Feyenoord	-	Leipzig 
LASK	-	Porto  
Liverpool	-	Lens 
Man City	-	Sporting CP  
PSG	-	Galatasaray 
PSV	-	Stuttgart 
Sl. Prague	-	Aston Villa 
Napoli	-	Viking 
Villarreal	-	Man Utd  
Sl. Bratislava	-	Inter 

Anthony Gordon Barcelona

Source: UEFA, Transfermarkt
Picture: Getty Images
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