Champions League Begins Expanded 2026-27 Season

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase is set to commence on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, marking the start of Europe's premier club competition under its expanded format. Thirty-six teams will compete across 18 fixtures on the opening day, with matches scheduled through Thursday, September 10. The league phase, which guarantees each of the 36 participating clubs eight matches, will run until January 2027, after which the top eight teams will automatically advance to the knockout stage, and those finishing between ninth and 24th will enter playoffs. The competition's final is scheduled for June 5, 2027, at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium. In a gesture of solidarity, all Champions League matches this week will begin with a minute's silence to honor victims of devastating floods and landslides in Nepal, which followed a catastrophic ice and rock avalanche on August 26. A banner displaying "You are not alone Nepal" will also be displayed in stadiums. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin expressed the European football family's support for the people of Nepal. Several high-profile matchups highlight the opening round.