Will this finally be Barcelona's year in the Champions League. Back when Luis Enrique's team beat Juventus 3-1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in 2015, the Catalan giants' fourth European title in ten seasons, it would have been ridiculous to suggest Barça would not get to another final.
Well, that is the reality, with Hansi Flick's side ruing defeats against Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid during the German coach's tenure. Thus, Barça's number one aim this season is success on the continent. Barcelona's Champions League campaign will start sooner than you might think, so here is everything you need to know ahead of the draw.
When is the Champions League league phase draw?
The Champions League draw takes place in Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum on Thursday 27 August. It is scheduled to start at 6pm (CEST), which is noon on the east coast of the United States. There will be a lot of filler before any teams are actually drawn, which usually starts about half an hour in.
How can I watch the Champions League draw?
The draw is available live on all your usual Champions League rights holders. These include Movistar Liga de Campeones in Spain, CBS Sports Golazo and Paramount+ in the U.S. as well as TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the UK.
What pot are Barcelona in for the Champions League draw?
FC Barcelona are currently eighth in the UEFA Club Coefficient Ranking. This means, as one might expect, are in pot 1, albeit this is not as advantageous as it once was.
Who has qualified for the Champions League league phase?
Barcelona are one of 29 clubs who qualifed directly for the Champions League league phase. They are joined by the seven teams who have come through the play-offs this week, taking the total up to 36. These teams are divided into four pots, as outlined below.
Pot 1
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Internazionale Milano
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atlético Madrid
Pot 2
- Borussia Dortmund
- AS Roma
- Sporting Clube de Portugal
- Aston Villa
- FC Porto
- Manchester United
- Club Brugge
- Real Betis
- PSV Eindhoven
Pot 3
- Feyenoord
- LOSC Lille
- Bodø/Glimt
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Fenerbahçe
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
Pot 4
- Slavia Prague
- ŠK Slovan Bratislava
- VfB Stuttgart
- AEK Athens
- LASK
- Como
- Lens
- Viking
- Sabah
Who can Barcelona not face in the Champions League?
Barcelona cannot meet any other Spanish teams, namely Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis nor Villarreal. This significantly limits their potential pot 1 opponents, guaranteed to face two of Inter Milan, PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City.
The only other condition is that Barça can only face a maximum of two clubs from any country. So, as an example, were they to draw Arsenal and Liverpool from pot 1, they'd be unable to face pot 2 sides Aston Villa and Manchester United.
How does the Champions League league phase draw work?
Barcelona will play eight matches against eight different opponents - four at Camp Nou and four away from home. The Blaugrana will take on two teams from each pot, one in Catalonia and one on the road, taking their tally to eight matches. The full fixture calendar will be released on Saturday morning.
Champions League 2026/27 league phase dates
- League phase draw: Thursday 27 August - 6pm (CEST) start.
- Matchday 1: 8-10 September.
- Matchday 2: 13 & 14 October.
- Matchday 3: 20 & 21 October.
- Matchday 4: 3 & 4 November.
- Matchday 5: 24 & 25 November.
- Matchday 6: 8 & 9 December.
- Matchday 7: 19 & 20 January.
- Matchday 8: Wednesday 27 January.
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