2026/27 Champions League Guide: Fixtures, Players to Watch and Facts About Every Club

Country: Greece
Last UCL Appearance: 2018/19 (Group stage)
Manager: Marko Nikolić
Players to Watch: Lovro Majer, Barnabás Varga, João Mário
Did You Know? Created in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople following the Greco-Turkish war, the club last won a UCL match in 2006, when Brazilian striker Júlio César scored from a direct free-kick to beat AC Milan at the San Siro.
League Phase Fixtures: LASK (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A), Manchester City (A), Real Madrid (H), Como (A), Galatasaray (H), Roma (H), Borussia Dortmund (A)

Country: England

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Final)

Manager: Mikel Arteta

Players to Watch: Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Martin Ødegaard

Did You Know? Kai Havertz’s opener against PSG in the 2025/26 final made him only the fourth-ever player to score in a UCL final for two different teams, having scored the only goal in the 2020/21 final for Chelsea.

League Phase Fixtures: Lille (H), Bayern München (A), SK Slavia Prague (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Real Madrid (H), Real Betis (A), Sabah (H)

Country: England

Last UCL Appearance: 2026/27 (League Phase)

Manager: Unai Emery

Players to Watch: Emiliano Buendía, Ibrahim Mbaye, Zion Suzuki

Did You Know? After the club won the 1895 FA Cup, a local fan and shopkeeper requested the trophy—the first ever edition of the trophy—to display to fans in his shop window. It was stolen soon after, and never seen again.

League Phase Fixtures: Club Brugge (A), Fenerbahçe (H), Viking (H), Barcelona (A), Galatasaray (A), Paris-Saint Germain (H), Borussia Dortmund (H), SK Slavia Prague (A)

Country: Spain

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Semi-Final)

Manager: Diego Simeone

Players to Watch: Kang-In Lee, Marcos Llorente, Álex Baena

Did You Know? Founded in 1903, Atleti were intended to be the youth side of Athletic Bilbao before breaking away in 1924, winning their first league title in 1940.

League Phase Fixtures: Liverpool (A), Manchester United (A), VfB Stuttgart (A), Bayern München (H), Viking (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Bodø/Glimt (A), Fenerbahçe (H)

Country: Spain

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Quarter-Final)

Manager: Hansi Flick

Players to Watch: Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha

Did You Know? There is only one team in world football with a perfect record against Barcelona—Dundee United—who have beaten the Catalan club in each of their four meetings.

League Phase Fixtures: Feyenoord (H), Galatasaray (A), Paris-Saint Germain (A), Aston Villa (H), Sabah (A), Manchester City (H), Sporting CP (A), Como (H)

Country: Germany

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Semi-Finals)

Manager: Vincent Kompany

Players to Watch: Harry Kane, Lennart Karl, Michael Olise 

Did You Know? A sign of the club’s dominance, the 2026 World Cup final was the first since 1978 not to feature a Bayern München player.

League Phase Fixtures: Bodø/Glimt (H), Viking (A), Arsenal (H), Atlético Madrid (A), Lille (A), SK Slavia Prague (H), Manchester United (A), Real Betis (H)

Country: Norway

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16)

Manager: Kjetil Knutsen

Players to Watch: Patrick Berg, Ole Didrik Blomberg, Jens Petter Hauge

Did You Know? Starting four games for Norway at the 2026 World Cup, midfielder Patrick Berg is the sixth member of his family to represent the club. His uncle, Runar Berg, gave up his salary and began a fundraiser to save the club throughout financial problems it faced in 2009.

League Phase Fixtures: Bayern München (A), Borussia Dortmund (H), Napoli (A), Lille (H), LASK (H), Lens (A), Atlético Madrid (H), Club Brugge (A)

Country: Germany

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16 Playoff)

Manager: Niko Kovac

Players to Watch: Serhou Guirassy, Felix Nmecha, Fabio Silva

Did You Know? The European club with the highest average attendance of over 81,000, Borussia Dortmund were part of the highest-scoring game in UCL history after beating Legia Warszawa 8-4 back in 2016.

League Phase Fixtures: Villareal (H), Bodø/Glimt (A), Sabah (A), Real Betis (H), Arsenal (A), Inter (H), Aston Villa (A), AEK Athens (A)

Country: Belgium

Last UCL Appearance: (Round of 16 Playoff)

Manager: Ivan Leko

Players to Watch: Mamadou Diakhon, Nicolò Tresoldi, Carlos Forbs

Did You Know? Since 1975, Club Brugge have shared their home ground with fierce rivals Cercle Brugge. When the two sides meet, it has become tradition for the winners to claim the territory by planting their club flag in the centre circle.

League Phase Fixtures: Aston Villa (H), Inter (A), Lens (H), PSV (A), Liverpool (H), Napoli (A), VfB Stuttgart (A), Bodø/Glimt (H)

Country: Italy

Last UCL Appearance: N/A

Manager: Cesc Fàbregas

Players to Watch: Nico Paz, Martin Baturina, Máximo Perrone

Did You Know? Como’s recent history has seen them rise from Serie D to their first UCL qualification in just seven years, but the first game to be played in the city was a 1906 fixture between a local rowing club and the Buffalo Bill Circus—refereed by Buffalo Bill himself.

League Phase Fixtures: RB Leipzig (H), Feyenoord (A), Manchester United (H), Lens (A), AEK Athens (H), Real Betis (A), Paris-Saint Germain (H), Barcelona (A)

Country: Portugal

Last UCL Appearance: 2023/24 (Round of 16)

Manager: Francesco Farioli

Players to Watch: William Gomes, Gabriel Veiga, Victor Froholdt

Did You Know? FC Porto are one of only two clubs to win the UEFA Cup (Europa League) and European Cup (Champions League) back-to-back, winning the former in 2003 and the latter in 2004 under José Mourinho.

League Phase Fixtures: Manchester City (H), Real Betis (A), PSV Eindhoven (H), Napoli (H), Feyenoord (A), Liverpool (A), SK Slavia Prague (H), LASK (A)

Country: Turkey

Last UCL Appearance: 2008/09 (Group Stage)

Manager: Ismail Kartal

Players to Watch: Marco Asensio, N’Golo Kanté, Ederson

Did You Know? In 2007, Fenerbahçe set a Guinness World Record for the highest number of medal and trophy achievements by a sports club, after their nine sporting branches won 1,134 trophies, medals and awards.

League Phase Fixtures: Roma (H), Aston Villa (A), SK Slavia Prague (H), Liverpool (H), Shakhtar (A), LASK (A), Villarreal (H), Atlético Madrid (A)

Country: Netherlands

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/35 (Round of 16)

Manager: Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Players to Watch: Nacho Ferri, Gjivai Zechiël, Shaqueel van Persie

Did You Know? In keeping with a classic football tradition, no Feyenoord player can wear the number 12 shirt, which is reserved for the club’s supporters—the famous twelfth man.

League Phase Fixtures: Barcelona (A), Como (H), Real Betis (A), Inter (H), Porto (H), Viking (A), Galatasaray (A), RB Leipzig (H)

Country: Turkey

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16)

Manager: Okan Buruk

Players to Watch: Victor Osimhen, Ismail Jakobs, Lucas Torreira

Did You Know? In 1985/86, Galatasaray went the entire 36-game season unbeaten, only to finish behind champions Beşiktaş on goal difference.

League Phase Fixtures: Sporting CP (A), Barcelona (H), Lille (A), VfB Stuttgart (H), Aston Villa (H), AEK Athens (A), Feyenoord (H), Paris-Saint Germain (A)

Country: Italy

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16 Playoff)

Manager: Christian Chivu

Players to Watch: Nicolò Barella, Lautaro Martínez, Andy Diouf

Did You Know? Inter are the only Italian club never to have been relegated from Serie A since it was created in 1908.

League Phase Fixtures: Real Madrid (A), Club Brugge (H), Shakhtar (H), Feyenoord (A), VfB Stuttgart (H), Borussia Dortmund (A), Liverpool (H), Slovan Bratislava (A)

Country: Austria

Last UCL Appearance: N/A

Manager: Dietmar Kühbauer

Players to Watch: Robert Ljubičić, Samuel Adeniran, Saša Kalajdžić

Did You Know? Featuring rubble from their demolished Linzer Stadion, LASK’s current home—Oberösterreich Arena—was designed to have exactly 19,080 seats, referencing the club’s founding year in 1908.

League Phase Fixtures: AEK Athens (A), Liverpool (H), Sporting CP (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Bodø/Glimt (A), Fenerbahçe (H), Real Madrid (A), Porto (H)

Country: France

Last UCL Appearance: 2023/24 (Group Stage)

Manager: Dino Toppmöller

Players to Watch: Florian Thauvin, Matthieu Udol, Odsonne Édouard

Did You Know? Lens’ record attendance came in 1992, when 48,912 spectators watched the home side beat Marseille 2-1. The town’s population at the time? 34,000.

League Phase Fixtures: Slavia Prague (A), Sporting CP (H), Club Brugge (A), Como (H), RB Leipzig (H), Bodø/Glimt (H), Manchester City (H), Liverpool (A)

Country: France

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/25 (Round of 16)

Manager: Davide Ancelotti

Players to Watch: Ayase Ueda, Tiago Santos, Hákon Arnar Haraldsson

Did You Know? The only Ligue 1 team with a retractable roof, Lille’s stadium covering weighs 100 tonnes more than the Eiffel Tower.

League Phase Fixtures: Real Betis (H), Arsenal (A), Galatasaray (H), Bodø/Glimt (A), Bayern München (H), VfB Stuttgart (A), Slovan Bratislava (H), Roma (A)

Country: England

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Quarter Finals)

Manager: Andoni Iraola

Players to Watch: Alexander Isak, Víctor Muñoz, Dominik Szoboszlai

Did You Know? For a 99-game streak that included Liverpool’s famous 2005 UCL win, Manager Rafa Benítez never picked the same starting XI consecutively. The streak ended in the 100th game, a Champions League fixture against Bordeaux.

League Phase Fixtures: Atlético Madrid (H), LASK (A), Villarreal (H), Fenerbahçe (A), Club Brugge (A), Porto (H), Inter (A), Lens (H)

Country: England

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16)

Manager: Enzo Maresca

Players to Watch: Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernández

Did You Know? Manchester City are the only team to have ever been relegated from the English top flight the season after winning the competition, doing so in 1937–38.

League Phase Fixtures: Porto (A), Paris-Saint Germain (H), AEK Athens (A), RB Leipzig (H), Napoli (H), Barcelona (A), Lens (A), Sporting CP (H)

Country: England

Last UCL Appearance: 2023/24 (Group Stage)

Manager: Michael Carrick

Players to Watch: Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Benjamin Šeško

Did You Know? Until their EFL Cup loss against Brighton, Manchester United hadn’t lost a match they were leading at half-time at Old Trafford since 1984. 

League Phase Fixtures: Sabah (H), Atlético Madrid (A), Como (A), Roma (H), Sporting CP (A), RB Leipzig (H), Bayern München (H), Villarreal (A)

Country: Italy

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (League Phase)

Manager: Massimiliano Allegri

Players to Watch: Antonio Vergara, Costantino Favasuli, Noa Lang

Did You Know? A popular nickname of the club is Partenopei. Embedded in Greek mythology, the siren Parthenope tried to lure Odysseus from his ship, a story closely associated with Naples.

League Phase Fixtures: Arsenal (H), Villarreal (A), Bodø/Glimt (H), Porto (A), Manchester City (A), Club Brugge (H), Sabah (A), Viking (H)

Country: France

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Winners)

Manager: Luis Enrique 

Players to Watch: Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé 

Did You Know? Designed by fashion designer and former PSG president Daniel Hechter, the club’s iconic red stripe was inspired by the stripe of a Ford Mustang, while the colours were influenced by AFC Ajax.

League Phase Fixtures: Slovan Bratislava (H), Manchester City (A), Barcelona (H), Villarreal (A), Roma (H), Aston Villa (A), Como (A), Galatasaray (A)

Country: Netherlands

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (League Phase)

Manager: Peter Bosz

Players to Watch: Esmir Bajraktarević, Mauro Júnior, Sven Mijnans

Did You Know? No team that has ever beaten PSV Eindhoven in the UCL has gone on to win the trophy.

League Phase Fixtures: Shakhtar Donetsk (H), RB Leipzig (A), Porto (A), Club Brugge (H), Real Madrid (A), Atlético Madrid (H), Viking (A), VfB Stuttgart (H)

Country: Germany

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/25 (League Phase)

Manager: Martín Demichelis

Players to Watch: Antonio Nusa, Rômulo, Ezechiel Banzuzi

Did You Know? The club’s current stadium—the Red Bull Arena—was built within the concrete walls of the former Zentralstadion, which hosted fixtures during the 2006 World Cup.

League Phase Fixtures: Como (A), PSV Eindhoven (H), Real Madrid (A), Manchester City (H), Lens (H), Manchester United (A), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Feyenoord (A)

Country: Spain

Last UCL Appearance: 2005/06 (Group Stage)

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini

Players to Watch: Antony, Isco, Troy Parrott

Did You Know? Partially named after the Roman name for the local Guadalquivir river, Real Betis stems from the 1909 split from city rivals Sevilla FC, with the breakaway Betis Football Club later merging with Sevilla Balompié in 1914 to form the current club.

League Phase Fixtures: Lille (A), Porto (H), Feyenoord (H), Borussia Dortmund (A), Slovan Bratislava (A), Como (H), Arsenal (A), Bayern München (A)

Country: Spain

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Quarter Finals)

Manager: José Mourinho

Players to Watch: Kylian Mbappé, Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham

Did You Know? In 1980, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey after beating their B team—Real Madrid Castilla—in the final. 

League Phase Fixtures: Inter (H), Roma (A), RB Leipzig (H), AEK Athens (A), PSV Eindhoven (H), Arsenal (A), LASK (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A)

Country: Italy

Last UCL Appearance: 2018/19 (Round of 16)

Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini

Players to Watch: Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, Mile Svilar

Did You Know? After drawing three knockout matches in a row against Polish side Gornik Zabrze, Roma lost out on a place in the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup final by coin toss.

League Phase Fixtures: Fenerbahçe (A), Real Madrid (H), Slovan Bratislava (H), Manchester United (A), Paris-Saint Germain (A), Sporting CP (H), AEK Athens (A), Lille (H)

Country: Azerbaijan

Last UCL Appearance: N/A

Manager: Valdas Dambrauskas

Players to Watch: Joy-Lance Mickels, Veljko Simić, Umarali Rakhmonaliev

Did You Know? In their UCL debut against Manchester United, Sabah became the first team to ever field a starting XI of completely different nationalities in the history of the competition.

League Phase Fixtures: Manchester United (A), Slavia Prague (H), Borussia Dortmund (H), Viking (A), Barcelona (H), Villarreal (A), Napoli (H), Arsenal (A)

Country: Ukraine

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/25 (League Phase)

Manager: Arda Turan

Players to Watch: Alisson Santana, Isaque, Kaua Elias

Did You Know? 

League Phase Fixtures: PSV Eindhoven (A), AEK Athens (H), Inter (A), Sporting CP (H), Fenerbahçe (H), Slovan Bratislava (A), RB Leipzig (A), Real Madrid (H)

Country: Czech Republic

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (League Phase)

Manager: Jindřich Trpišovský

Players to Watch: Danijel Šturm, Wiktor Nowak, Emmanuel Ayaosi

Did You Know? Among Europe’s top 10 leagues, Slavia Prague had the highest distribution of goals across their squad last season, with 23 different players scoring 74 goals in 35 matches.

League Phase Fixtures: Lens (H), Sabah FK (A), Fenerbahçe (A), Arsenal (H), Villarreal (H), Bayern München (A), Porto (A), Aston Villa (H)

Country: Slovakia

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/25 (League Phase)

Manager: Yaya Touré

Players to Watch: Andraž Šporar, Suleiman Camara, Cristian Martínez

Did You Know? After their opening UCL fixture, Yaya Touré became the first-ever African head coach in the UCL.

League Phase Fixtures: Paris-Saint Germain (A), VfB Stuttgart (H), Roma (A), LASK (A), Real Betis (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Lille (A), Inter (H)

Country: Portugal

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (Round of 16)

Manager: Rui Borges

Players to Watch: Geny Catamo, Georgios Vagiannidis, Luis Suárez

Did You Know? Sporting CP hold the record for the biggest win in European club football history beating APOEL of Cyprus 16-1 in the 1963/64 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

League Phase Fixtures: Galatasaray (H), Lens (A), LASK (H), Shakhtar Donetsk (A), Manchester United (A), Roma (A), Barcelona (H), Manchester City (A)

Country: Germany

Last UCL Appearance: 2024/25 (League Phase)

Manager: Sebastian Hoeneß

Players to Watch: Angelo Stiller, Bilal El Khannous, Maximilian Mittelstädt

Did You Know? With a habit of playing internationally, Stuttgart became the first German club to tour Mexico in 1951, before visiting the Phillipines, French Polynesia, and Egypt on a unique world tour 14 years later.

League Phase Fixtures: Viking (H), Slovan Bratislava (A), Atlético Madrid (H), Galatasaray (A), Inter (A), Lille (H), Club Brugge (H), PSV Eindhoven (A)

Country: Norway

Last UCL Appearance: 1992/93 (First Round)

Manager: Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim

Players to Watch: Erik Botheim, Zlatko Tripić, Peter Christiansen

Did You Know? Since 2021, Viking have been led by joint head coaches Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, who share equal responsibility for the team.

League Phase Fixtures: VfB Stuttgart (A), Bayern München (H), Aston Villa (A), Sabah FK (H), Atlético Madrid (A), Feyenoord (H), PSV Eindhoven (H), Napoli (A)

Country: Spain

Last UCL Appearance: 2025/26 (League Phase)

Manager: Inigo Pérez

Players to Watch: Nicolas Pépé, Georges Mikautadze, Alberto Moleiro

Did You Know? Popularised by their Beatles-inspired nickname, The Yellow Submarine, the club’s switch from black and white to yellow was unplanned, after the shop they bought their shirts from only had yellow ones in stock in the 1940s.

League Phase Fixtures: Borussia Dortmund (A), Napoli (H), Liverpool (A), Paris-Saint Germain (H), Slavia Prague (A), Sabah FK (H), Fenerbahçe (A), Manchester United (H)