UEFA Youth League: League phase begins Tuesday
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Article summary
The UEFA Youth League UEFA Champions League path league phase begins on Tuesday.
Article top media content
Article body
The UEFA Youth League UEFA Champions League path league phase begins on Tuesday 8 September with holders Real Madrid starting their title defence at home to Inter among the opening games.
In the UEFA Champions League path, the fixture list mirrors the first six matchdays of the league phase in the senior competition. The full fixture list for Matchdays 2 to 6 will be confirmed shortly.
The top 22 clubs progress to the round of 32. The clubs ranked 1 to 6 will be drawn at home to the clubs ranked 17 to 22. The clubs ranked 7 to 16 will visit the ten clubs that qualify via the domestic champions path. The round of 32 draw is on Friday 11 December.
League phase fixtures
Matchday 1
All times CET
Tuesday 8 September
AEK Athens vs LASK (11:00)
Porto vs Manchester City (13:00)
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (14:00)
Lille vs Real Betis (15:00)
Real Madrid vs Inter (16:00)
Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal (16:00)
Wednesday 9 September
Barcelona vs Feyenoord (12:00)
Stuttgart vs Viking (12:30)
Napoli vs Arsenal (14:00)
Paris Saint-Germain vs Slovan Bratislava (14:30)
Sporting CP vs Galatasaray (15:00)
Liverpool vs Atlético de Madrid (16:00)
Thursday 10 September
Fenerbahçe vs Roma (TBC)
Manchester United vs Sabah (TBC)
PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk (14:00)
Slavia Praha vs Lens (14:00)
Como vs Leipzig (15:00)
Bayern München vs Bodø/Glimt (16:00)
League phase: What happens if teams are level on points?
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the league phase matches then, as per paragraph 16.01 of the competition regulations, the following criteria are applied, in this order, to determine their rankings:
a. Superior goal difference in the league phase
b. Higher number of goals scored in the league phase
c. Higher number of away goals scored in the league phase
d. Higher number of wins in the league phase
e. Higher number of away wins in the league phase
f. Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents
g. Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents
h. Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents
i. Lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all league phase matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
j. Drawing of lots
Between Matchday 1 and Matchday 5, teams that are level on points are separated using the following criteria:
a. Superior goal difference in the league phase
b. Higher number of goals scored in the league phase
c. Higher number of away goals scored in the league phase
d. Higher number of wins in the league phase
e. Higher number of away wins in the league phase
If teams are still equal in all aspects with the application of these criteria, they are given equal ranking in the table, ordered alphabetically based on their abbreviated name.
Team guide
• Along with holders Real Madrid, who secured their second title last season, also involved in the league phase are sole three-time winners Barcelona and further past champions Porto. Last season's runners-up Club Brugge also return, as do fellow former finalists Shakhtar Donetsk and Paris Saint-Germain (who reached the semis last season).
• Atleti, Barcelona, Bayern, Manchester City, Paris and Real Madrid (like Benfica in the domestic champions path) maintain their perfect record of having entered all 13 editions of this competition. On Matchday 3, Atleti and Barcelona will emulate Real Madrid in reaching 100 matches in this competition (as will Benfica when they begin their domestic champions path campaign).
• Making their competition debuts are Como, Fenerbahçe, LASK and Viking.
Format
The UEFA Youth League introduced a new format in 2024/25, adapting to the format change of the senior UEFA club competitions.
As before, the contenders are split into two paths, the UEFA Champions League path and the domestic champions path, both of which are played through the rest of the year, before they come together for the knockout phase in 2027.
The UEFA Champions League path includes the 36 youth teams of the clubs that have qualified for the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. The league stage will mirror the Champions League league phase but is limited to the first six matchdays, with the same matches played in both competitions (three at home and three away).
The top 22 clubs after the six matchdays progress to the round of 32. The clubs ranked 1 to 6 (Champions League path) will play against the clubs ranked 17 to 22. The clubs ranked 7 to 16 will face the ten clubs that qualify via the domestic champions path.
A further open draw will be held for the round of 16 onwards. The tournament will, as before, conclude with a final four (semi-finals and final).
Knockout draw and match dates
Round of 32 draw: 11 December, Nyon
Round of 32: 2/3 February
Knockout draw (round of 16 onwards): 5 February, Nyon
Round of 16: 23/24 February
Quarter-finals: 16/17 March
Semi-finals: 16 April
Final: 19 April
