Football

The greatest annual club football competition in the world resumes its main stage of play in short order.

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The UEFA Champions League, the most coveted trophy in club soccer, will begin its main phase of competition soon.

With the qualifying stages now complete, 36 teams are set to contest the league phase in the hopes of earning one of the 24 places in the knockout bracket.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have won back-to-back titles and are looking for a famous three-peat, something only three clubs in the history of the competition have achieved.

The Sporting News brings you an overview of when games will be played across the competition as the league phase draws nearer.

MORE: What teams have qualified for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase?

When does the Champions League start?

The league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League will begin on Tuesday, September 8. As has been the case since the format reshuffle, the first matchweek of league phase games will see teams play across three days, with fixtures on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

From there, games will be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays each matchweek.

The matchups will be determined at the draw, which takes place on Thursday, August. 27, where all the games will be determined.

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Match dates for Champions League league phase 2026/27

Every team will play eight matches in the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League.

All matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except for a few Thursday games during the first matchweek of the round.

In the final matchweek, all games will be contested on Wednesday, January 27, so no team can gain a competitive advantage over another.

• Matchweek 1: Sept. 8-10
• Matchweek 2: Oct. 13-14
• Matchweek 3: Oct. 20-21
• Matchweek 4: Nov. 3-4
• Matchweek 5: Nov. 24-25
• Matchweek 6: Dec. 8-9
• Matchweek 7: Jan. 19-20
• Matchweek 8: Jan. 27

When are the Champions League knockouts?

The UEFA Champions League knockout stage for this year’s competition will begin on February 16, 2027 with the knockout playoff round.

The top eight finishers in the league phase gain a bye to the Round of 16, which will begin on March 9, 2027.

There will be two draws for the knockout round. One to set the bracket ahead of the knockout playoff round on January 29, 2027, and another to determine the Round of 16 matchups on February 26, 2027.

When is the Champions League final?

The 2027 UEFA Champions League final will take place on Saturday, June 5.

The match will be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. The venue is the regular home of Atletico Madrid.

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Champions League knockout round dates 2026/27