Champions League 2026-27 Preview: The Field, the Format & How to Watch
Europe's biggest club competition is back, and the road to Madrid runs through a 36-team league phase. Here's what's confirmed about the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League — the format, who's in, the story going in, and how to watch every match in the US.
The format: a 36-team league phase
The Champions League keeps the format introduced in 2024: a single 36-team league phase in which every club plays eight matches — four home, four away — against eight different opponents drawn from four seeding pots, before the competition moves into its knockout rounds. The league-phase draw is on August 27, 2026 in Nyon, Switzerland, and the opening matchdays follow on September 8-10, 2026.
Who's in
29 clubs are already directly qualified, with the final seven of the 36 places decided through qualifying in August. Among the confirmed entrants from the major leagues: England has five — Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool; Spain five — Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis; Germany four — Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart; Italy four — Inter, Napoli, Roma and Como; and France three — Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Lille. They're joined by the likes of PSV and Feyenoord, Porto and Sporting CP, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague, Galatasaray and Shakhtar Donetsk.
The story going in: PSG chasing history
Paris Saint-Germain arrive as two-time defending champions. They retained the trophy in the 2026 final, beating Arsenal 1-1 after extra time and 4-3 on penalties in Budapest on May 30, 2026. Arsenal, having lost that final, are back in the competition again via the Premier League — one of the storylines worth following as the league phase unfolds.
The final
The 2027 final is scheduled for June 5, 2027 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, home of Atlético Madrid, which last hosted the final in 2019.
How to watch in the US
In the United States, the Champions League is a CBS property. Every match streams on Paramount+, with select matches on CBS (free over the air) and CBS Sports Network — a deal that runs through the 2029-30 season. Spanish-language coverage for 2026-27 is on TelevisaUnivision (TUDN/UniMás/Univision) and DAZN; note this is the last season before US Spanish-language rights move to Telemundo from 2027-28. For the full breakdown, see our Champions League viewing guide.
Ones to Watch
Our picks below are informed opinion based on the form above — not a crystal ball.
Opinion: the team to beat, simply because they're the team that's won it twice running. A third straight title would be historic — that's the bar they've set for themselves.
Opinion: back in the competition after losing last season's final on penalties. Few sides have more motivation heading into a new campaign.
Opinion: with the Spanish heavyweights both qualified, the Champions League always runs through Madrid and Barcelona — and the final itself is in Madrid this time.
Once the draw is made on August 27, each club's eight league-phase opponents are set and US listings will populate. Predictions here are our opinion; the qualified field and dates above are confirmed. See the Champions League schedule for matches as they're scheduled, or our how-to-watch guide for the full US TV picture.
Form and standings verified as of publication (Monday, July 27, 2026). "Ones to watch" are our opinion — see our Editorial Policy. Kickoff times shown in US Eastern; on the schedule they convert to your local zone.