The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, with the league phase of the tournament getting under way.
Europe’s largest club competition is entering its 70th year, with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) the defending champions.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Here is all to know about the full league phase and knockout schedule:
What is the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League?
Now entering its second season, the expanded league phase features 36 teams all placed in a single big-league table. It replaced the old group phase, which had clubs drawn into smaller cohorts.
In the league phase, each team plays eight matches against opponents from other nations to determine the overall league standings.
The 24 highest-ranked teams proceed to the knockout phase of the tournament after Matchday 8: The top eight clubs proceed directly to the round of 16; the clubs ranked between ninth and 24th enter a two-legged playoff to reach the knockout phase; and the bottom 12 clubs are eliminated from the tournament.
2025-26 UEFA Champions League: When are the league-phase matches?
- Matchday 1: September 16-18, 2025
- Matchday 2: September 30-October 1, 2025
- Matchday 3: October 21-22, 2025
- Matchday 4: November 4-5, 2025
- Matchday 5: November 25-26, 2025
- Matchday 6: December 9-10, 2025
- Matchday 7: January 20-21, 2026
- Matchday 8: January 28, 2026
Where is the 2025-26 Champions League final being held?
The UEFA Champions League final will take place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest in May.
When are the 2025-26 Champions League knockout stages?
Advertisement
- Playoff draw: January 30, 2026
- Knockout play-offs: February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026
- Round of 16: March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026
- Quarterfinals: April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026
- Semifinals: April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026
- Final: Saturday, May 30, 2026
What is the prize money for the UEFA Champions League?
Clubs involved in the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League will have $2.6bn distributed among them.
The winner of the Champions League, along with all other teams, will be rewarded on a game-by-game basis.
Should the eventual champion win all their games throughout the competition, then more than 100 million euros ($116m) can be claimed.
Full league phase match schedule
*All matches kick off at 19:00 GMT unless otherwise stipulated.
Matchday 1
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Athletic Club vs Arsenal (16:45 GMT)
PSV Eindhoven vs Union Saint-Gilloise (16:45 GMT)
Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid vs Marseille
Benfica vs Qarabag
Tottenham vs Villarreal
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Olympiacos vs Pafos (16:45 GMT)
Slavia Praha vs Bodo/Glimt (16:45 GMT)
Ajax vs Inter
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Atletico de Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain vs Atalanta
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Club Brugge vs Monaco (16:45 GMT)
Copenhagen vs Leverkusen (16:45 GMT)
Frankfurt vs Galatasaray
Manchester City vs Napoli
Newcastle United vs Barcelona
Sporting CP vs Kairat Almaty
Matchday 2
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Atalanta vs Club Brugge (16:45 GMT)
Kairat Almaty vs Real Madrid (16:45 GMT)
Atletico de Madrid vs Frankfurt
Chelsea vs Benfica
Inter vs Slavia Praha
Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham
Galatasaray vs Liverpool
Marseille vs Ajax
Pafos vs Bayern Munich
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Qarabag vs Copenhagen (16:45 GMT)
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Newcastle United (16:45 GMT)
Arsenal vs Olympiacos
Monaco vs Manchester City
Leverkusen vs PSV Eindhoven
Borussia Dortmund vs Athletic Club
Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain
Napoli vs Sporting CP
Villarreal vs Juventus
Matchday 3
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Barcelona vs Olympiacos (16:45 GMT)
Kairat Almaty vs Pafos (16:45 GMT)
Arsenal vs Atletico de Madrid
Leverkusen vs Paris Saint-Germain
Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund
Newcastle United vs Benfica
PSV Eindhoven vs Napoli
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Inter
Villarreal vs Manchester City
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Athletic Club vs Qarabag (16:45 GMT)
Galatasaray vs Bodo/Glimt (16:45 GMT)
Monaco vs Tottenham
Atalanta vs Slavia Praha
Chelsea vs Ajax
Frankfurt vs Liverpool
Bayern Munich vs Club Brugge
Real Madrid vs Juventus
Sporting CP vs Marseille
Advertisement
Matchday 4
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Slavia Praha vs Arsenal (16:45 GMT)
Napoli vs Frankfurt (16:45 GMT)
Atletico de Madrid vs Union Saint-Gilloise
Bodo/Glimt vs Monaco
Juventus vs Sporting CP
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Olympiacos vs PSV Eindhoven
Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
Tottenham vs Copenhagen
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Pafos vs Villarreal (16:45 GMT)
Qarabag vs Chelsea (16:45 GMT)
Ajax vs Galatasaray
Club Brugge vs Barcelona
Inter vs Kairat Almaty
Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund
Newcastle United vs Athletic Club
Marseille vs Atalanta
Benfica vs Leverkusen
Matchday 5
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Ajax vs Benfica (16:45 GMT)
Galatasaray vs Union Saint-Gilloise (16:45 GMT)
Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
Chelsea vs Barcelona
Bodo/Glimt vs Juventus
Manchester City vs Leverkusen
Marseille vs Newcastle United
Slavia Praha vs Athletic Club
Napoli vs Qarabag
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Copenhagen vs Kairat Almaty (16:45 GMT)
Pafos vs Monaco (16:45 GMT)
Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
Atletico de Madrid vs Inter
Frankfurt vs Atalanta
Liverpool vs PSV Eindhoven
Olympiacos vs Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain vs Tottenham
Sporting CP vs Club Brugge
Matchday 6
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Kairat Almaty vs Olympiacos (14:30 GMT)
Bayern Munich vs Sporting CP (16:45 GMT)
Monaco vs Galatasaray
Atalanta vs Chelsea
Barcelona vs Frankfurt
Inter vs Liverpool
PSV Eindhoven vs Atletico de Madrid
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Marseille
Tottenham vs Slavia Praha
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Qarabag vs Ajax (16:45 GMT)
Villarreal vs Copenhagen (16:45 GMT)
Athletic Club vs Paris Saint-Germain
Leverkusen vs Newcastle United
Borussia Dortmund vs Bodo/Glimt
Club Brugge vs Arsenal
Juventus vs Pafos
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Benfica vs Napoli
Matchday 7
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Kairat Almaty vs Club Brugge (14:30 GMT)
Bodo/Glimt vs Manchester City (16:45 GMT)
Copenhagen vs Napoli
Inter vs Arsenal
Olympiacos vs Leverkusen
Real Madrid vs Monaco
Sporting CP vs Paris Saint-Germain
Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
Villarreal vs Ajax
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Galatasaray vs Atletico de Madrid (16:45 GMT)
Qarabag vs Frankfurt (16:45 GMT)
Atalanta vs Athletic Club
Chelsea vs Pafos
Bayern Munich vs Union Saint-Gilloise
Juventus vs Benfica
Newcastle United vs PSV Eindhoven
Marseille vs Liverpool
Slavia Praha vs Barcelona
Matchday 8
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Ajax vs Olympiacos
Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
Monaco vs Juventus
Athletic Club vs Sporting CP
Atletico de Madrid vs Bodo/Glimt
Leverkusen vs Villarreal
Borussia Dortmund vs Inter
Club Brugge vs Marseille
Frankfurt vs Tottenham
Barcelona vs Copenhagen
Liverpool vs Qarabag
Manchester City vs Galatasaray
Pafos vs Slavia Praha
Paris Saint-Germain vs Newcastle United
PSV Eindhoven vs Bayern Munich
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Atalanta
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Napoli vs Chelsea