Six Premier League teams will participate in the 2025-2026 Champions League: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham. The draw for the league stage (replacing the traditional group stage) takes place at 11 p.m. on 28/8 Hanoi time, determining each team's eight opponents.
Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea are in pot 1 thanks to their impressive European records, while Arsenal is in pot 2, Tottenham in pot 3, and Newcastle in pot 4. According to the rules, clubs from the same country will not face each other in this stage. However, the opportunity to play against big names like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter, or defending champions PSG still exists.
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2025-2026 Champions League pots. |
The Champions League enters its second season using this new format, replacing the traditional group stage. 36 clubs will compete in a league format, with each team playing eight matches against eight different opponents, equally divided between four home and four away matches. A computer system will conduct the draw, selecting two opponents from each pot for every club.
At the end of this stage, the top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16. Clubs ranked 9th to 24th will enter a two-legged playoff round, with the seeded teams (9-16) facing the remaining teams (17-24) and playing the second leg at home. Teams from 25th place and below are eliminated and will not be transferred to the Europa League as before.
The league stage matches will take place from September 2025 to the end of January 2026. The playoff round begins in mid-February, the round of 16 in March, the quarterfinals in April, and the semifinals in early May. The final is scheduled for 30/5/2026 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
With six representatives, the Premier League becomes the most represented league. Man City and Liverpool are both aiming for the title, while Chelsea and Arsenal want to prove their competitiveness. Tottenham returns to the Champions League after several years of absence thanks to winning the Europa League. Meanwhile, Newcastle hopes to cause an upset.
Hoang An
