Champions League Draw 2025/26: possible rivals of FC Barcelona in the League Phase

Once the 36 teams that will compete in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 have been confirmed, the long-awaited moment arrives to know the 8 rivals that FC Barcelona will have to face in the League Phase.

When and where to watch the draw for the League Phase of the Champions League 2025-26 on TV?

• 📌 In Spain, the draw for the League Phase of the Champions League 25/26 will be broadcast live on Thursday, August 28, starting at 6:00 p.m., on the Movistar Plus+ channels (dial 7) and Movistar Liga de Campeones (dial 60 on Movistar and 0115 on Orange)

• 📌 You can follow all the information about the Champions League draw on the FCBN website and also on the Barcelona's official channel on Youtube, which will broadcast a special program

The draw will be held this Thursday, August 28, at 6:00 p.m. (CET), at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, where, in addition to Barça, the other 35 qualified clubs will be paired.

The azulgrana team, eager to start their adventure in the Champions League, arrives after a 2024/25 season marked by the painful elimination in the semi-finals against Inter. Despite falling at the gates of the final, the tie was a real festival of goals both in the first leg (3-3) and in the return leg (4-3).

This Thursday, Barcelona will know the 8 rivals they will face in the League Phase of this new edition of the tournament.

Teams that FC Barcelona will not be able to face in the League Phase

Before the draw begins, the culé team already knows that there are four teams that they will not be able to face in this initial phase. According to the UEFA Champions League regulations, clubs from the same country cannot cross paths in the League Phase.

Therefore, Hansi Flick's team already knows that they will not be able to be paired with the 4 Spanish teams:

1. Real Madrid (pot 1)
2. Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal (pot 2)
3. Athletic Club (pot 4)

Possible rivals of Barcelona in the League Phase of the Champions League 2025/26

Once the 4 teams from LaLiga EA Sports have been discarded, the azulgrana team can cross paths with any of the other 31 teams, distributed in four pots according to their UEFA coefficient. From each pot, Barça will be paired with two rivals.

• Possible rivals from pot 1: Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund.

• Possible rivals from pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, BSC Atalanta, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge and SL Benfica.

• Possible rivals from pot 3: PSV Eindhoven, Ajax Amsterdam, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiakos, Slavia Prague, Bodø/Glimt, Olympique Marseille and Tottenham.

• Possible rivals from pot 4: AS Monaco, Galatasaray, Union Saint-Gilloise, Newcastle, Pafos FC, Kairat Almaty, Copenhagen and Qarabag. v

The selection of rivals is made through an automated program that also determines the order of the matches, deciding which matches will be played at home and which away.

In this way, Barcelona will be able to start imagining different scenarios for their return to the Champions League, preparing both their strategy and their logistical planning for this League Phase.

The Champions League 2025/26 calendar

1. League Phase: from September 16, 2025 to January 28, 2026.
2. Eliminatory play-offs: February 17/18 and 24/25, 2026.
3. Round of 16: March 10/11 and 17/18, 2026.
4. Quarter-finals: April 7/8 and 14/15, 2026.
5. Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6, 2026.
6. Final: May 30, 2026 (Budapest).

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