Champions League Draw 2026: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd & Man City Opponents

Manchester City have been handed meetings with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, while Premier League champions Arsenal face heavyweight trips including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Liverpool will welcome Atletico Madrid to Anfield and travel to Inter Milan, while Aston Villa have landed another blockbuster meeting with PSG alongside an away trip to Barcelona.

Manchester United are also back in Europe's biggest competition following their third-place Premier League finish last season.

Manchester City Handed PSG and Barcelona Blockbusters

Manchester City have been given one of the most eye-catching draws of the Premier League clubs.

Enzo Maresca's side will host back-to-back European champions PSG at the Etihad and travel to Barcelona in two of the standout fixtures of the entire league phase.

City have undergone major changes during the summer, but this draw should give an early indication of how their rebuilt squad compares with Europe's strongest sides.

PSG at home and Barcelona away are obvious headline fixtures, although trips to Porto and Leipzig should not be underestimated either.

Liverpool Face Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan

Liverpool have also been handed several heavyweight European nights.

Atletico Madrid will travel to Anfield while Liverpool head to the San Siro to face Inter Milan.

There is a good mixture of major names and difficult away trips in Liverpool's draw.

Fenerbahce away is unlikely to be straightforward, while Villarreal and Porto both have considerable European experience.

The biggest two fixtures, though, are clearly Atletico at Anfield and the trip to Inter.

Arsenal Draw Real Madrid and Bayern Munich

Arsenal's reward for winning the Premier League is another demanding Champions League campaign.

The Gunners will travel to Real Madrid, putting them up against José Mourinho's side at the Bernabeu, while Bayern Munich are also among their league-phase opponents.

Those fixtures immediately stand out as two of the biggest tests Mikel Arteta's side will face as they try to go one better after reaching last season's Champions League final.

Arsenal came agonisingly close to lifting the trophy before losing to PSG on penalties in May, so expectations will be high again this season.

Aston Villa Get PSG and Barcelona

Aston Villa have been handed a draw packed with big European nights.

PSG will visit Villa Park, while Unai Emery's side travel to Barcelona.

PSG at Villa Park and Barcelona away will naturally grab most of the attention, but Dortmund at home should be another huge occasion.

The trips to Galatasaray and Club Brugge also give Villa a couple of awkward away fixtures where taking points could prove important.

Manchester United Back in the Champions League

Manchester United's return to the Champions League is another major storyline heading into the new European season.

Michael Carrick guided United to third place in the Premier League last season, earning the club a return to Europe's elite competition after missing out in 2025/26.

United entered the draw from Pot 2, meaning they were always guaranteed two opponents from the group of Europe's highest-ranked clubs.

After significant summer recruitment, Champions League football will provide an early test of whether United are ready to challenge consistently at the highest level again.

How Does the Champions League League Phase Work?

The traditional Champions League group stage is no longer used.

All 36 clubs compete in a single league table, but each team plays eight matches against eight different opponents rather than facing every team.

Each club plays two opponents from every seeding pot, with four games at home and four away.

The top eight teams in the final standings automatically qualify for the last 16.

Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off, while teams finishing 25th or below are eliminated from European competition.

When Will the Champions League Fixtures Be Confirmed?

The opponents are now known, but the exact order of the matches has not yet been confirmed.

UEFA will release the complete fixture list, including dates and kick-off times, no later than Saturday 29 August.

The opening matchday takes place between September 8 and 10, with the league phase running through until January 27.

The final will be played at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium on June 5, 2027.

Some Huge European Nights Ahead

There is no shortage of big fixtures for the Premier League clubs.

Man City against PSG, Barcelona against City, Real Madrid against Arsenal, Liverpool against Atletico Madrid and Villa against PSG should all attract huge attention when the dates are confirmed.

For Arsenal, the target will be returning to the final and finishing the job this time. City and Liverpool will expect deep runs, while Manchester United and Aston Villa will both believe they can cause problems for Europe's biggest clubs.

We will have more analysis once the exact fixtures are confirmed. You can follow all the latest developments through our Football News, keep track of matches with our Live Scores and check the latest Premier League Table.