Overview
- UEFA will hold the league‑phase draw in Monaco on Thursday 27 August to assign eight opponents to each of the 36 clubs and to produce the match schedule for the first stage.
- Twenty‑nine teams are already confirmed for the 36‑team league phase and seven playoff ties this week will decide the remaining places, with specific matchups already listed by UEFA.
- The single‑table league phase runs from 8 September 2026 to 27 January 2027 and uses a format where teams play eight matches, the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16, teams placed 9–24 enter two‑leg playoffs, and 25–36 are eliminated.
- UEFA published four pots that set seeding and match limitations so clubs face two opponents from each pot, cannot meet a club from the same national federation, and can meet at most two teams from any other federation.
- The competition calendar beyond the league phase is fixed: playoff ties in February, knockout rounds from March to May, and the final on 5 June 2027 at Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano, a schedule that will shape clubs’ travel, TV planning, and revenue forecasts.