Barcelona drawn against Man City and PSG as Real Madrid meet Arsenal again in Champions League draw
Real Madrid and Arsenal were paired together in a repeat of last season's meeting as the 2026-27 Champions League league phase draw unfolded in Monaco on 27 August 2026, with Barcelona handed a testing double header against Manchester City and holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The draw at the Grimaldi Forum, conducted with the help of former Barcelona and Arsenal forward Thierry Henry alongside David Villa, confirmed all 36 clubs' eight opponents for the competition's third season under its current format.
Real Madrid open their Pot 1 assignments away at Arsenal, having beaten the English side both home and away over the past two seasons in the competition. They also face Inter Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK and AEK Athens.
Arsenal's full set of opponents reads Real Madrid at home, Bayern Munich away, Borussia Dortmund at home, Real Betis away, Lille at home, Napoli away, Sabah at home and Slavia Prague away. Reflecting on the draw, former Gunner Thierry Henry said he hoped his old club could go all the way.
Barcelona will travel to Paris to face PSG and host Manchester City at the Camp Nou, alongside further fixtures against Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Como and Sabah. City's own run includes hosting PSG before travelling to face Barcelona later in the campaign.
PSG, chasing a third successive continental crown, were drawn against Barcelona at home and Manchester City away, along with Roma, Aston Villa, Galatasaray, Villarreal, Slovan Bratislava and Como. Luis Enrique's side avoided both Real Madrid and Liverpool in the opening draw.
Liverpool were spared the toughest names from the top seeds, drawn instead against Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Porto, Club Brugge, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Lens and LASK. Bayern Munich's list includes Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Manchester United, Bodo/Glimt, Lille, Slavia Prague and Viking.
A new UEFA rule barred certain repeat fixtures this year, preventing clubs from hosting the same opponent for a third straight season. That regulation meant Liverpool could not host Real Madrid again, while Inter Milan were similarly unable to host Arsenal for a third time running.
Away from the fixtures, PSG captain Marquinhos received UEFA's inaugural Respect award for consoling Arsenal's Gabriel after the Brazilian missed a decisive penalty in last season's final, which PSG won. Thierry Henry was also honoured with the UEFA President's Award for his contribution to the European game.
The Champions League league phase begins in September, with all 36 clubs playing eight matches apiece, four at home and four away, before the top eight advance directly to the round of 16 and the remainder enter a play-off round.