Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws: All you need to know

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League league phase draws will take place on 27 and 28 August 2026.

We run through what to expect from the ceremonies at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.

When are Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws?

The 2026/27 Champions League league phase draw will be held from 18:00 CET on Thursday 27 August, while the Europa League and Conference League league phase draws take place from 13:00 CET on Friday 28 August.

Which teams are in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws?

There are 36 teams in each of the draws.

The Champions League draw will feature the 29 automatic qualifiers and seven play-off round winners.

The Europa League draw comprises of 13 automatic qualifiers, 12 play-off round winners, four teams transferring from the Champions League third qualifying round (league path) and the seven defeated sides in the Champions League play-offs.

The Conference League draw involves the 24 play-off round winners and the 12 defeated sides from the Europa League play-offs.

Teams in the Champions League and Europa League will be drawn to face eight opponents in the league phase, while the Conference League teams will find out their six league phase opponents.

Where can I watch the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws?

All the draws are live and free to watch on UEFA.com and UEFA.tv.

What happens after the draws?

The Champions League fixture list with match dates and kick-off times will be communicated no later than Saturday 29 August, with the Europa League and Conference League fixture lists communicated no later than Sunday 30 August. UEFA will publish a notification across social media channels shortly before the publication of each competition's fixtures to announce the pending publication.

How does the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase work?

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, all three competitions contain a single 36-team league phase. In the Champions League and Europa League, each side faces eight different teams (four at home, four away); in the Conference League each club faces six different teams (three at home, three away).

In all three competitions, the top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.

Teams that finish 25th or lower in the league phase of all three competitions will be eliminated from Europe, with no access to other tournaments.

When are the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League matches?

The match and draw schedule for the three competitions can be found in our season lowdown articles below.

UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League