Women's Champions League Matchday 1: Barcelona vs Paris FC facts
Friday, September 18, 2026
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Four-time UEFA Women's Champions League winners Barcelona begin their title defence against Paris FC at Estadi Johan Cruyff on Matchday 1, the second successive season in which the sides have been drawn together.
Last match
The teams met for the first time on Matchday 6 last season, goals from Vicky López and Caroline Graham Hansen giving Barcelona a 2-0 win in Paris.
Barcelona failed to win any of their first eight contests against French opponents (D2 L6), but have now been victorious in four of the last five (L1), defeating OL Lyonnes 4-0 in last season's final. They have kept clean sheets in their last three – all victories.
Having been winless in their first three home games against French visitors (D1 L2), Barça recorded a 2-1 success in the second leg of their 2020/21 semi-final against Paris SG (3-2 agg) – their most recent fixture.
This is Paris' fifth game against Spanish opponents in the last 12 months. In addition to the Barça defeat, they faced Real Madrid three times in 2025/26, sharing a 1-1 draw in the league phase before losing 2-3 at home and 0-2 away in the knockout phase play-offs. Their overall record against Spanish sides is W2 D1 L4, their last victory 1-0 at Madrid in the 2023/24 group stage.
All three of Paris' previous trips to Spain have involved fixtures against Real Madrid (W1 D1 L1).
This is Barcelona's 15th Women's Champions League campaign, all in succession. Four-time winners after reclaiming the trophy last season with a 4-0 triumph against OL Lyonnes in Oslo, they have reached the final in seven of the past eight editions as well as six in succession – a competition record. Their other successes came in the span of four seasons, beating Chelsea in 2021 (4-0), Wolfsburg in 2023 (3-2) and OL in 2024 (2-0).
On their way to the final last season, the Spanish champions topped the inaugural league phase with 16 points from a possible 18, before defeating Spanish rivals Real Madrid 12-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals (6-2 a, 6-0 h) and Bayern München 5-3 in the last four (1-1 a, 4-2 h).
Earning eight points in finishing tenth in last season’s league phase, Paris FC progressed to the knockout phase play-offs, where they suffered that 2-5 aggregate defeat by Real Madrid. Formerly known as Juvisy, they reached the semi-finals in 2012/13.
The French club entered the league phase directly this season having finished runners-up to OL in the French league in 2025/26. They are making their third group stage/league phase appearance, all in the last four seasons.
Key stats
Barcelona have won all 15 of their home Women's Champions League group stage/league phase matches, scoring 77 goals and conceding just three.
The Spanish side have lost only two of their 30 fixtures at this stage (W26 D2).
The Catalan club have scored in 29 of those 30 group stage/league phase games, the exception a 0-2 defeat at Manchester City on 9 October 2024.
Overall Barça have lost only one of their last 21 games in the competition (W18 D2).
Barcelona's Marta Torrejón could make her 90th appearance in the Women's Champions League/Women's Cup, equalling the Spanish record held by Alexia Putellas.
Paris have lost their last three Women's Champions League matches, all against Spanish opponents.
The French side have lost only one of their last five away group stage/league phase games (W2 D2).
Paris are aiming to win on Matchday 1 for the first time, having lost 1-2 at home against Häcken in 2023/24 and drawn 2-2 at home against OH Leuven last season.
Paris' Evelyne Viens is one goal away from equalling Jordyn Huitema's Canadian record of 12 in the competition.