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UEFA holds the Champions League 2026-2027 league phase draw in Monaco on Thursday, setting the opponents for 36 qualified clubs, including Türkiye's Galatasaray.
The format, which replaced the traditional group stage in 2024, splits participating clubs into four pots based on UEFA coefficient rankings. Each club is drawn against eight opponents, two from each pot, rather than facing a fixed group of three rivals.
Galatasaray, already confirmed for the league phase, faces two teams from each of the four pots. The Istanbul club hosts one team from each pot at RAMS Park and travels to face the other away.
Of the 36 total participants, 32 clubs have already secured their places. The remaining four spots will be decided after playoff second-leg matches on Wednesday.
Fenerbahce, also based in Istanbul, is among the clubs still contesting a playoff spot. The team travels to face France's Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
A win over Lyon would secure Fenerbahce's place in the league phase alongside Galatasaray.
Greece's AEK hosts Bulgaria's Levski Sofia after a scoreless first leg, Slovenia's Celje hosts Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava following a 1-1 draw, and Norway's Viking hosts Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb after a 2-2 first leg.
Clubs already confirmed for the league phase include England's Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool, Spain's Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis, Germany's Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and Stuttgart, and Italy's Inter, Napoli, Roma and Como. Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Lille represent France, while Galatasaray remains Turkiye's sole confirmed representative.
The league phase runs across eight matchweeks: Sept. 8-10, Oct. 13-14, Oct. 20-21, Nov. 3-4, Nov. 24-25, Dec. 8-9, Jan. 19-20 2027 and Jan. 27, 2027.
The knockout rounds follow the league phase. The round of 16 playoff round is scheduled for Feb. 16-17 and 23-24, 2027, the round of 16 for March 9-10 and 16-17, 2027, the quarterfinals for April 6-7 and 13-14, 2027, and the semifinals for April 27-28 and May 4-5, 2027.
The final takes place on June 5, 2027, at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain's capital.
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