The league phase begins on 8 September 2026 and runs through 27 January 2027, with the final scheduled for 5 June 2027 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
The 2026/27 season will feature a new 36-team Swiss format, with record British representation — six Premier League clubs competing for Europe's ultimate prize.
All 36 teams are placed in a single league table. Each club plays eight matches — four at home and four away — against different opponents. The top 8 clubs qualify directly for the Round of 16; clubs ranked 9th to 24th enter two-leg knockout play-offs; clubs ranked 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Clubs from the same country cannot meet until the Round of 16, and no club can face more than two opponents from the same domestic league. All matches in the final phase matchday are played simultaneously.
Key tournament details for 2026/27:
|
Category |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Tournament Dates |
8 September 2026 – 27 January 2027 |
|
Total Teams |
36 |
|
Final Venue |
Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid |
|
Final Date |
5 June 2027 |
|
Defending Champion |
Paris Saint-Germain |
The Champions League Participants in the Season 2025/26
The matches are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as a rule. A total of 29 teams have already secured their places directly in the league phase, with the remaining seven spots to be decided through the qualifying rounds culminating in late August 2026.
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England (5): Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United
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Spain (5): Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona, Real Betis, Real Madrid, Villarreal
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Italy (4): AS Roma, Como, Inter Milan, Napoli
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Germany (4): Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart
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France (3): Lens, Lille, Paris Saint-Germain
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Netherlands (2 + 1 TBC): Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven
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Portugal (2): Porto, Sporting CP
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Belgium (1): Club Brugge
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Czechia (1): Slavia Praha
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Türkiye (1): Galatasaray
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Ukraine (1): Shakhtar Donetsk
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7 teams TBC (via qualifying rounds, play-offs conclude 26 August 2026)
The winner of the 2026/27 season gains automatic qualification for the following Champions League, regardless of domestic league position.
Champions League Winner Odds 2026/27
UK Champions League betting odds for the 2026/27 season are already available at all leading bookmakers. PSG are the outright favourites to complete a historic three-peat: bet365 price them at 5/1, making them the shortest-priced team in the market. Only Real Madrid have previously won three consecutive European Cups — a feat that would put PSG in elite company.
Arsenal, beaten finalists in Budapest, are second favourites at 6/1 — their hunger to go one better after losing on penalties makes them the most compelling challenger. Bayern Munich are also priced at 6/1 after reaching the semi-finals last season under Vincent Kompany. Manchester City and Barcelona follow at 7/1, while Real Madrid — chasing a 16th European crown — sit just behind at around 9/1. Liverpool have shortened to 10/1 following Arne Slot's departure, while Manchester United return to the competition at 16/1 under new manager Michael Carrick.
2026/27 Champions League winner odds
Alexander Semkin, Betting Expert at Legalbet
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer Odds 2026/27
UK bookmakers have not yet published full UEFA Champions League betting odds for the top scorer market ahead of the 2026/27 season. Once the league phase draw is confirmed in late August 2026, leading sportsbooks will open markets on the Golden Boot contenders.
Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé are expected to head the list when prices are released, consistent with their records in European competition.
Champions League Betting Odds: What You Need to Know
The odds and betting limits are high for Champions League games. There are several important things to know about this competition:
The favourite team wins in approximately 65% of Champions League matches. In the 2023-24 season, 80 of the 123 games were won by the top team, with only 18 won by the weaker one. But in knockout tournaments, there are often unexpected results. These betting stats help put favourite win rates and knockout volatility into perspective before you back a short-priced team.
The schedule is very important. Having a lot of fixtures can significantly affect team selection and how well they play. Premier League clubs have particular challenges with their domestic commitments. When important matches are followed by Champions League fixtures within 72 hours, teams often have to make changes to their players and tactics.
Goal-scoring trends are on the rise. The data shows a clear upward trend, with the 2024/25 season reaching 3.27 goals per match — the highest in recent Champions League history. This supports the betting strategy of targeting Over markets, particularly given that most bookmakers still price totals based on historical averages around 2.8–3.0.
Before placing your bets, you can always check Legalbet's Champions League predictions, with detailed match analysis for most fixtures, to identify the best betting markets and value opportunities across this extended tournament calendar.
|
Season |
Average Total |
|---|---|
|
2025/26 |
3.47 |
|
2024/25 |
3.27 |
|
2023/24 |
3.08 |
|
2022/23 |
2.85 |
|
2021/22 |
2.82 |
|
2020/21 |
2.85 |
|
2019/20 |
2.98 |
“Before placing your bets, you can always check Legalbet’s Champions League predictions, which include detailed match analysis for most fixtures, highlight the best betting markets and identify value opportunities across this 189-game tournament calendar.”
Alexander Semkin, Betting Expert at Legalbet
British Clubs in Champions League 2026/27
No league sends more clubs to the Champions League than the Premier League. Six English sides will compete in the 2026/27 season: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester United, who return to the competition under Michael Carrick after a one-year absence.
Arsenal
The Gunners arrive in the Champions League as Premier League champions, their first title in 22 years, and with unfinished European business. Arteta’s side won all eight league-phase matches, reached the final in Budapest and took PSG to penalties before falling short. Arsenal kept 19 clean sheets and conceded just 27 league goals, the best defensive record in England. With Mikel Arteta’s squad having now tasted silverware and experienced a European final, the next step feels inevitable rather than aspirational.
Liverpool
It was a painful title defence for the Reds. Arne Slot was sacked after Liverpool finished fifth with their lowest points tally since 2015/16, leaving the club to go into the 2026/27 season under new management. Andoni Iraola, who guided Bournemouth to Europa League football in his first Premier League season, is expected to take charge. Liverpool did reach the quarter-finals and retained elite individual quality throughout the squad. Whether Iraola can restore the high-intensity defensive identity that defined the Klopp years will determine how far they go in Europe.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola's decade at the Etihad ended with a domestic cup double but no league title for a second successive season and a last-16 exit in the Champions League. His replacement is Enzo Maresca, who previously served as Guardiola's assistant during the 2022/23 treble and knows the club's DNA inside out. Manchester City remain one of the richest and best-resourced clubs in world football, with a squad that still contains some of the best players in Europe. The question is how quickly Maresca can put his own stamp on a team accustomed to a very specific way of playing.
Chelsea
Chelsea enter the Champions League under their third manager in six months — Xabi Alonso, who joins on a four-year deal after being sacked by Real Madrid in January. A 10th-place Premier League finish and a messy managerial carousel mean Chelsea arrive in Europe via a cascading UEFA spot rather than domestic merit. But Alonso's credentials are beyond question: he guided Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and has the standing to command a dressing room full of young, talented players. The potential is there; the stability isn't yet.
Newcastle United
The Magpies return to the Champions League without earning it through the table — they qualified via the Premier League's additional UEFA Performance Spot. A gruelling campaign left them outside the top seven, undone by injuries and a habit of dropping points from winning positions. Newcastle's trademark high-energy pressing still makes them dangerous on the European stage, as they showed in reaching the Round of 16. Eddie Howe remains in charge with the full backing of the owners, but all parties agree this season's form cannot be repeated.
Manchester United
United are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2023/24, and the manner of their return is striking. Michael Carrick was handed the reins in January after Ruben Amorim's dismissal and won 11 of 16 league games to secure third place with 71 points — enough to earn a permanent two-year contract. Manchester United played just 40 competitive matches all season, having been knocked out of both domestic cups at the first attempt, so Carrick hasn't yet had to manage a full multi-front campaign.
