UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Pots, draw format, timings and live streaming details

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2025-26 league phase draw pots have been revealed. Just like last season, the upcoming UCL tournament will also start with a 36-team league phase. France’s Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions, but four countries – France, England, Spain and Italy – have 19 teams in the pot.

The draw for the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 league phase will take place on Thursday (28 August) in Monaco. The league phase will feature teams from only 16 out of 55 UEFA member countries. Also, half of the teams in the pots did not take part in the competition last season, adding a new flavour to the Champions League 2025-26 edition.

How does the UCL league stage draw work?

While the league phase will include 36 teams, each team will only play eight matches. There are four pots in total. Each team will face two clubs from each pot. Teams from the same country cannot play against each other. This means we cannot get an El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the league phase. Also, a team can only face a maximum of two teams from another country.

Champions League 2025-26: League phase draw pots

Pot 1

Paris (FRA)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Man City (ENG)

Bayern München (GER)

Liverpool (ENG)

Inter (ITA)

Chelsea (ENG)

Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Barcelona (ESP)

Pot 2

Arsenal (ENG)

Leverkusen (GER)

Atleti (ESP)

Benfica (POR)

Atalanta (ITA)

Villarreal (ESP)

Juventus (ITA)

Frankfurt (GER)

Club Brugge (BEL)

Pot 3

Tottenham (ENG)

PSV Eindhoven (NED)

Ajax (NED)

Napoli (ITA)

Sporting CP (POR)

Olympiacos (GRE)

Slavia Praha (CZE)

Bodø/Glimt (NOR)

Marseille (FRA)

Pot 4

Copenhagen (DEN)

Monaco (FRA)

Galatasaray (TUR)

Union SG (BEL)

Qarabağ (AZE)

Athletic Club (ESP)

Newcastle (ENG)

Pafos (CYP)

Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

When is the UEFA Champions League draw?

The draw for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 season will take place on Thursday (28 August) in Monaco.

What time will the UEFA Champions League draw start?

The Champions League draw will begin at 9.30pm IST (6pm CET/11pm ET/4pm GMT/5pm UK).

Where can we watch the Champions League draw live in India?

The Champions League draw in India will be broadcast LIVE on Sony Network TV channels in India and the live streaming will be available on the SonyLiv app and website.