The Champions League will return this season as European football’s biggest clubs prepare to head towards each other.
Last season’s competition was won by Paris Saint-Germain under the leadership of Manager Louis Enrique, who led the French club to their first Champions League victory.
The 2025/26 Champions League journey unfolds quietly but steadily long before the appeal of group stages and the lights of Europe’s biggest arenas appearing on the central stage.
Since early July, the competition has been bubbled up in the qualifying round. There, little-known clubs from all over the continent fought hard against the European elite.
In total, 53 teams were part of this rigorous process. Of these, 42 teams entered via Champions Pass. This is specifically designed for league winners in smaller European countries, but the remaining 11 clubs will participate through league passes and are reserved for the more powerful league non-champions.
At risk were just seven coveted slots in the newly formatted league phase of the Champions League.
This week we drew the final round of qualifying to a dramatic conclusion. On Wednesday night, European regulars, Benfica, along with Qarabag and Club Brugge, managed to win from their bond, securing their place in the main draw.
Once the qualifying round was over, the full lineup of 36 teams was confirmed. They all begin their quest to follow in the footsteps of last season’s recipient Paris Saint-Germain, and claim that they highlighted their maiden’s European crown.
The Champions League phase, as PSG wrote last season, promises drama, iconic nights and perhaps even the birth of another historical story.
2025/26 Champions League equipment
Pot 1
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
Arsenal
psg
Club Bruge
Sports
Union SG
Paphos
PSV
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Benfica
Atalanta
ajax
Naples
Paphos
The traitor
Inter Milan
Liverpool
Dortmund
Arsenal
Atletico Madrid
Slavia Praha
ajax
Kairat
Union SG
Barcelona
Chelsea
psg
Frankfurt
Club Bruge
Olympiacos
Slavia Praha
Copenhagen
Newcastle
Liverpool
real madrid
Inter
Atletico Madrid
Frankfurt
PSV
Marseille
The traitor
Galatasarai
Borussia Dortmund
Inter
Man City
Villarreal
Juventus
They are /glymth
Tottenham
Athletic
Copenhagen
real madrid
Man City
Liverpool
Juventus
Benfica
Marseille
Olympiacos
Monaco
Kairat
Manchester City
Borussia Dortmund
real madrid
Lebakusen
Villarreal
Naples
They are /glymth
Galatasarai
Monaco
Pot 2
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Inter
Club Bruge
Atletico Madrid
Olympiacos
Slavia Praha
Kairat
Athletic
Bayer Leberkusen
psg
Man City
Villarreal
Benfica
PSV
Olympiacos
Newcastle
Copenhagen
Atalanta
Chelsea
psg
Club Bruge
Frankfurt
Slavia Praha
Marseille
Athletic
Union SG
Benfica
real madrid
Chelsea
Lebakusen
Juventus
Naples
ajax
The traitor
Newcastle
Club Bruge
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Arsenal
Atalanta
Marseille
Sports
Monaco
Kairat Almaty
Eintrak Frankfurt
Liverpool
Barcelona
Atalanta
Atletico Madrid
Tottenham
Naples
Galatasarai
The traitor
Juventus
Borussia Dortmund
real madrid
Benfica
Villarreal
Sports
They are /glymth
Paphos
Monaco
Atletico Madrid
Inter Milan
Liverpool
Eintrak Frankfurt
Arsenal
They are /glymth
PSV
Union SG
Galatasarai
Villarreal
Man City
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Lebakusen
ajax
Tottenham
Copenhagen
Paphos
Pot 3
Olympics Marseille
Liverpool
real madrid
Atalanta
Club Bruge
ajax
Sports
Newcastle
Union SG
Tottenham
Borussia Dortmund
psg
Villarreal
Eintrak Frankfurt
Slavia Praha
They are /glymth
Copenhagen
Monaco
They are /glymth
Man City
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Atletico Madrid
Tottenham
Slavia Praha
Monaco
Galatasarai
Sports
psg
Bayern Munich
Club Bruge
Juventus
Marseille
Naples
Kairat Almaty
Athletic
Olympiacos
real madrid
Barcelona
Bayer Leberkusen
Arsenal
PSV
ajax
Paphos
Kairat Almaty
AFC Ajax
Inter
Chelsea
Benfica
Villarreal
Olympiacos
Marseille
Galatasarai
The traitor
Slavia Praha
Barcelona
Inter
Arsenal
Atalanta
They are /glymth
Tottenham
Athletic
Paphos
PSV
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Atletico
Bayer Leberkusen
Naples
Olympiacos
Union SG
Newcastle
Naples
Chelsea
Man City
Eintrak Frankfurt
Benfica
Sports
PSV
The traitor
Copenhagen
Pot 4
Athletic
psg
Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal
Atalanta
Sports
Slavia Praha
The traitor
Newcastle
The traitor
Chelsea
Liverpool
Eintrak Frankfurt
Benfica
ajax
Naples
Copenhagen
Athletic
As Monaco
Man City
real madrid
Juventus
Club Bruge
Tottenham
They are /glymth
Galatasarai
Paphos
Galatasarai
Liverpool
Man City
Atletico
Eintrak Frankfurt
They are /glymth
ajax
Union SG
Monaco
Newcastle United
Barcelona
psg
Benfica
Bayer Leberkusen
PSV
Marseille
Athletic
Union SG
Union SG
Inter
Bayern Munich
Atalanta
Atletico
Marseille
PSV
Newcastle
Galatasarai
Paphos
Bayern Munich
Chelsea
Villarreal
Juventus
Slavia Praha
Olympiaco
Monaco
Kairat Almaty
Kairat Almaty
real madrid
Inter Milan
Club Bruge
Arsenal
Olympiacos
Sports
Paphos
Copenhagen