The draw is in for the three French clubs competing in the Champions League. The draw for the 2026-2027 group stage, held this Thursday, August 27th in Monaco, determined the eight opponents for Paris Saint-Germain, Lille, and Lens. Two-time defending champions PSG will face, among others, FC Barcelona and Manchester City. Lille will play two European giants, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, while Lens will host Manchester City and travel to Liverpool. Each club will play eight matches, four at home and four away.
PSG will host Barcelona and then travel to Manchester City
As the two-time defending European champions, PSG were placed in Pot 1. With the new Champions League format, this status no longer allows them to avoid the other European powerhouses. Paris will host FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes and travel to Manchester City . The draw also pitted PSG against two tough opponents from Pot 2. The Parisians will host AS Roma and travel to England to face Aston Villa . In Pot 3, the capital club drew Galatasaray at home and Villarreal away . Finally, PSG will host Slovan Bratislava and travel to Italy to face Como . PSG's eight matches are therefore: FC Barcelona at home, Manchester City away, AS Roma at home, Aston Villa away, Galatasaray at home, Villarreal away, Slovan Bratislava at home, and Como away.
Bayern Munich and Arsenal: Lille draws two giants
Lille, placed in Pot 3, also knows its full schedule. LOSC will face two particularly prestigious matches against teams from Pot 1. Bayern Munich will travel to Lille , while Les Dogues will have to take on Arsenal in London . The draw also pits LOSC against AS Roma and Real Betis from Pot 2. Lille will also face Bodø/Glimt during this group stage and will have to contend with a particularly varied European schedule, between big names on the continent and teams less accustomed to the Champions League. The eight opponents assigned to LOSC are now known, and Lille, like all the participating teams, will play four home matches and four away games. The precise schedule and order of matches will be announced later.
Manchester City at Bollaert, Liverpool at Anfield: Lens returns to the very top level
For Lens, the return to the Champions League comes with two particularly spectacular fixtures. The Sang et Or (Blood and Gold) will host Manchester City at Bollaert-Delelis and then travel to Liverpool at Anfield. These two matches will mark Racing's return to Europe's elite. Lens will also face Club Brugge and Sporting Lisbon , two clubs with extensive experience in European competitions. The draw also pits them against Bodø/Glimt and RB Leipzig . The Sang et Or will thus have to navigate between several difficult away games and prestigious matches at Bollaert. This campaign will be Lens' fourth appearance in the Champions League, following the 1998-1999, 2002-2003, and 2023-2024 editions. Racing returns to the competition three years after a campaign in which they notably defeated Arsenal at Bollaert.
Three French clubs and twenty-four matches to be played
PSG, Lille, and Lens will each play eight matches in this group stage. The 36 participating teams are grouped into a single ranking. Each club faces two teams from each of the four pots, with a total of four home and four away matches. Unlike the previous group stage, there are no automatic return matches. A club that is played at home will not be drawn against another team away from home during this first part of the competition. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other in this stage.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16
At the end of the eight matchdays, the top eight teams in the overall standings will qualify directly for the round of 16. Clubs ranked 9th through 24th will have to go through two-legged playoffs. Teams finishing between 25th and 36th place will be eliminated and will not qualify for the Europa League. This format makes every result important, as all 36 clubs share the same ranking, even if they do not face the same opponents.
The Champions League begins on September 8th
The league phase will begin on September 8, 2026. The first matchday will take place from September 8 to 10, followed by matchdays on October 13 and 14, October 20 and 21, November 3 and 4, November 24 and 25, December 8 and 9, and January 19 and 20. The eighth and final matchday will be played simultaneously on January 27, 2027. The draw in Monaco determined the opponents and home/away fixtures, but not yet the final order of the eight matches. The complete schedule, with dates and times, must be released no later than Saturday, August 29. PSG will be aiming for a historic achievement. After two consecutive European titles, the Parisian club is targeting a third consecutive Champions League trophy. Lille will try to reach the round of 16 of the competition, while Lens returns to Europe's most prestigious competition three years after its last appearance. The final of this 2026-2027 edition will be played on June 5, 2027 at the Metropolitano in Madrid.
