Following the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage draw, Real Madrid's challenging journey has been revealed. Not only will they contend with formidable opponents like Liverpool, Man City, and Juventus, but they also face grueling travel. Their away match against Kairat in Kazakhstan promises a demanding trip, a 6,430 km flight from Madrid to Almaty.

Forward Mbappe applauds fans as he leaves the pitch at the end of the second half of Real's 3-1 win over Man City in the Champions League play-off second leg at the Bernabeu stadium, Madrid on 19/2. Photo: AP

Spanish newspaper Marca jokingly remarked that "Real are flying around the world," as Xabi Alonso's team must also travel to Piraeus, Greece, to face Olympiacos, a 2,362 km flight. Additionally, they will fly to Liverpool (1,445 km) and have a shorter trip to Lisbon (503 km) to play Benfica. In total, Real Madrid will travel 21,482 km, including round trips, connecting flights, and time zone differences.

In contrast, Barcelona's situation is quite different. Hansi Flick's team will only travel a total of 11,008 km round trip. Their longest journey is to Newcastle (1,536 km). They'll visit England twice, also playing Chelsea in London (1,137 km), along with away matches against Brugge (1,478 km) and Sparta Praha (1,353 km).

Villarreal has the second-longest travel distance among Spanish teams, after Real Madrid. The Yellow Submarine will travel to Pafos, a small city in Cyprus with a population of just over 30,000, to face one of the biggest surprises in the group stage, led by Spanish coach Juan Carlos Carcedo. Marcelino's team will also travel to Dortmund (1,412 km), Erik Ten Hag's Leverkusen (1,368 km), and London to face Tottenham (1,286 km). Villarreal's total round-trip travel distance is 17,214 km.

Of the five Spanish teams in the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage, Real Madrid will travel the furthest (21,482 km round trip), followed by Villarreal (17,214 km), Atletico Madrid (13,716 km), Athletic Bilbao (10,702 km), and Barcelona (11,008 km).

Kairat's extensive travels: Real Madrid's 21,482 km round trip is not the longest among the 36 teams in this season's Champions League group stage. They are surpassed by the Greek representative Olympiacos, managed by Spanish coach Jose Mendilibar.

Olympiacos has four away matches, the furthest being to Almaty to face Kairat (4,456 km), followed by Arsenal in London (2,431 km), Ajax in Amsterdam (2,184 km), and Barcelona (1,909 km). In total, including round trips, the 2024 Conference League champions will travel 21,958 km.

However, the team with the longest travel distance is none other than newcomer Kairat from Kazakhstan. Not only are they making their first-ever appearance in the Champions League group stage, but Kairat also becomes the easternmost European team to ever participate in the tournament. Kairat's four away matches are all significant journeys: against Inter (5,250 km), Arsenal (5,640 km), Copenhagen (4,670 km), and especially Sporting (6,911 km) – setting a new record in UEFA club competitions.

Kairat will travel a total of 44,942 km round trip, more than the combined round-trip distance of Olympiacos and Real Madrid. Despite the extensive travel, these will undoubtedly be joyous and worthwhile trips for Rafael Urazbakhtin's team.

Bodo/Glimt, also making their debut, become the northernmost European team to ever participate in the Champions League group stage, located in the Arctic Circle. The Norwegian club ranks fourth in total travel distance, with away matches against Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Slavia Praha, and Galatasaray. Bodo/Glimt will travel a total of 20,174 km round trip.

Teams with the longest travel distances in the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage:

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