When Will Champions League Matches Begin? Fixture Information Inside

The UEFA Champions League draw for the 2025/26 season has been completed, giving fans across Europe a glimpse of the exciting challenges ahead. With six English clubs participating Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Manchester City the anticipation is now building as teams prepare for the league phase.

League Phase Draw Completed

The draw has made each club's league opponents for the eight-match league stage, comprising four home games and four away games. The top eight clubs after the league stage will qualify directly for the last-16, and the next 16 clubs enter a knock-out play-off to qualify for the round of 16.

UEFA has verified that it is a huge logistical challenge to schedule 36 teams over eight gameweeks between September and January. For this reason, the specific fixtures and kick-off times have yet to be released. But fans have been reassured that the entire fixture list will be announced no later than Saturday, 30 August 2025.

Champions League League Phase Dates

The league phase will adhere to a structured schedule to suit all 36 teams:

• Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025

• Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025

• Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025

• Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025

• Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025

• Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025

• Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026

• Matchday 8: 28 January 2026 (all matches kick off simultaneously)

The first matchweek will take place over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, while the next six matchweeks will be played on just Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Champions League Knockout Phase Dates

The knockout rounds will follow the schedule below:

• Knockout play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026

• Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026

• Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026

• Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026

• Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)

English Clubs' Opponents

• Liverpool: Real Madrid (H), Inter Milan (A), Atletico Madrid (H), Frankfurt (A), PSV (H), Marseille (A), Qarabag (H), Galatasaray (A)

• Arsenal: Bayern Munich (H), Inter (A), Atletico Madrid (H), Club Brugge (A), Olympiacos (H), Slavia Praha (A), Kairat (H), Athletic Bilbao (A)

• Chelsea: Barcelona (H), Bayern Munich (A), Benfica (H), Atalanta (A), Ajax (H), Napoli (A), Pafos (H), Qarabag (A)

• Manchester City: Dortmund (H), Real Madrid (A), Leverkusen (H), Villarreal (A), Napoli (H), Bodo/Glimt (A), Galatasaray (H), AS Monaco (A)

• Tottenham Hotspur: Borussia Dortmund (Home), Paris Saint-Germain (Away), Villarreal (Home), Frankfurt (Away), Slavia Prague (Home), Bodo/Glimt (Away), Copenhagen (Home), Monaco (Away)

• Newcastle United: Barcelona (Home), Paris Saint-Germain (Away), Benfica (Home), Bayer Leverkusen (Away), PSV (Home), Marseille (Away)

What Fans Can Expect

With fixtures to be announced soon, supporters can now begin organizing their European escapades. Clubs will have to endure challenging fixtures in the early part of the season, and with the shortened calendar, it will be paramount to be able to manage player fitness and rotation. The 2025/26 Champions League will be an exciting season as clubs battle it out for Europe's most coveted club title.

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