With the qualifying rounds for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League nearly complete, the league phase is just around the corner. Paris Saint-Germain will begin their quest for a stunning three-peat, while Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are among the teams aiming to dethrone the French champions. But before Europe's top club competition can begin its first main round, a draw must take place to determine the matchups for the entire phase.

The draw for the league phase will take place Thursday, Aug. 27, at noon ET (5 p.m. BST) at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. There will be 36 teams taking part, with 29 already qualified, including clubs from England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and others. The remaining seven teams were determined via the qualifying rounds, which concluded Tuesday and Wednesday. For the draw, the teams are divided into four pots based on their UEFA club coefficients, with PSG automatically in Pot 1 as last season's winners.

The draw will begin with Pot 1 teams, each drawn against two opponents from each of the four pots, totaling eight opponents—four at home and four away. All clubs are placed into one big league table, and their performance over eight fixtures determines advancement. Teams in positions 25 to 36 are eliminated in January, while the top eight go straight to the round of 16, and teams 9-24 play in knockout phase playoffs.

A favorable draw can make for a smooth path, while some well-known clubs have surprisingly missed the knockout rounds in recent years. Clubs cannot be matched with teams from the same country, ensuring balanced matchups.