UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Full match schedule and clubs

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.

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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?

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

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

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