By Martin Graham
The group stage fixtures for the new Champions League campaign have been confirmed, with several standout ties already guaranteed. Liverpool and Manchester City have both been matched against record 15-time winners Real Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain, who lifted the trophy last season after overcoming Inter Milan in the final, will have to contend with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur. Those contests follow their recent meeting with Spurs in the Super Cup.
Kevin De Bruyne is also poised for a high-profile return to Manchester, this time lining up for Napoli. Pep Guardiola’s team will additionally meet Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, presenting a demanding schedule.
Arsenal are preparing for the return of Harry Kane to north London when Bayern arrive, while visits to Inter’s San Siro and Atlético Madrid also stand out. The Spanish side will themselves travel to Anfield later in the campaign.
Chelsea, champions of the Club World Cup, are scheduled to take on Napoli, bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge. Enzo Maresca’s side also meet Bayern and Barcelona, with Hansi Flick aiming to guide the Catalans to continental success for the first time since 2015.
Confirmed home and away schedules
The full allocation of matches has been set. Real Madrid will host Manchester City, Juventus, Marseille and Monaco, but travel to Liverpool, Benfica, Olympiacos and Kairat Almaty. City welcome Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Galatasaray, but head to Madrid, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt and Monaco.
Among the other headline ties, Bayern entertain Chelsea, Club Brugge, Sporting CP and Union Saint-Gilloise, while their trips include Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven and Pafos. Liverpool’s Anfield opponents are Madrid, Atlético, PSV and Qarabağ, with journeys to Inter, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille and Galatasaray.
Paris will stage contests with Bayern, Atalanta, Tottenham and Newcastle, while their away program features Barcelona, Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Athletic Club. Inter are at home against Liverpool, Arsenal, Slavia Prague and Kairat Almaty but face Dortmund, Atlético, Ajax and Union Saint-Gilloise away.
Chelsea play Barcelona, Benfica, Ajax and Pafos in London, while leaving for Munich, Atalanta, Napoli and Qarabağ. Dortmund’s home schedule includes Inter, Villarreal, Bodø/Glimt and Athletic Club, with away matches against City, Juventus, Tottenham and Copenhagen. Barcelona, meanwhile, receive PSG, Frankfurt, Olympiacos and Copenhagen, while travelling to Chelsea, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague and Newcastle.
Competition calendar
The opening round of fixtures will be staged between 16 and 18 September. Six of the eight matchdays are scheduled to take place before the end of the calendar year. The final set of matches is set for 28 January 2026, ensuring every team concludes their program simultaneously.
Two days later, on 30 January, the draw for the knockout playoff stage will be made. The first legs of those ties will be played in mid-February 2026.
