To help you follow every step on the road to the final, we explain what you need to know about the upcoming 2026/27 Champions League season in what follows, from the key dates to the draws, and more.
Qualifying phase: How does it work?
29 teams have already directly qualified for the league phase. The remaining seven spots are decided in a qualifying phase that ends with the play-offs in August, with clubs participating according to the coefficient ranking of their respective federations. All knockout rounds are played over two legs.
Dates for the knockout rounds and play-offs
First qualifying round: July 7th/8th and 14th/15th, 2026
Second qualifying round: July 21st/22nd and 28th/29th, 2026
Third qualifying round: August 4th/5th and 11th, 2026
Play-offs: August 18th/19th and 25th/26th, 2026
Follow the Champions League qualifiers with Flashscore!
Which teams have already qualified?
The following 29 teams have already qualified for the Champions League proper:
Arsenal (England); Manchester City (England); Manchester United (England); Aston Villa (England); Liverpool (England); Real Madrid (Spain); FC Barcelona (Spain); Atletico Madrid (Spain); Villarreal (Spain); Real Betis (Spain); Inter Milan (Italy); Napoli (Italy); AS Roma (Italy); Como (Italy); Bayern Munich (Germany); Borussia Dortmund (Germany); RB Leipzig (Germany); VfB Stuttgart (Germany); Paris Saint-Germain (France); RC Lens (France); LOSC Lille (France); PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands); Feyenoord (Netherlands); FC Porto (Portugal); Sporting CP (Portugal); Club Brugge (Belgium); Galatasaray (Turkey); Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Slavia Prague (Czechia)
When are the league phase matchdays?
Matchday 1: September 8th-10th, 2026
Matchday 2: October 13th-14th, 2026
Matchday 3: November 20th-21st, 2026
Matchday 4: November 3rd-4th, 2026
Matchday 5: November 24th-25th, 2026
Matchday 6: December 8th-9th, 2026
Matchday 7: January 19th-20th, 2027
Matchday 8: January 27th, 2027
When are the knockout rounds played?
Knockout play-offs: February 16th-17th and 23rd-24th, 2027
Round of 16: March 9th-10th and 16th-17th, 2027
Quarter-finals: April 6th-7th and 13th-14th, 2027
Semi-finals: April 27th-28th and May 4th-5th, 2027
Final: June 5th, 2027
When are the various Champions League draws?
First qualifying round: June 16th, 2026
Second qualifying round: June 17th, 2026
Third qualifying round: July 20th, 2026
Play-offs: August 3rd, 2026
League phase: August 27th, 2026
(The dates for the knockout phase draws are yet to be confirmed.)
When and where is the Champions League final?
The Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atletico Madrid, will host the final of the 2026/27 Champions League on Saturday, June 5th, 2027, where the winner will be crowned.
This will be the second time this stadium hosts the Champions League final. The first was in 2019, when Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in the an all-English decider.