Champions League 2026-27: Qualifying ramps up as Premier League hopefuls await league phase draw

With the 2025-26 Champions League season wrapped up and the 2026-27 qualifying rounds about to start, English clubs are already plotting their route to the new 36-team league phase. Here is where the competition stands, what comes next, and why supporters of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool should be watching the summer schedule closely.

The UEFA Champions League is between seasons, with the 2025-26 campaign completed and the 2026-27 edition entering early qualifying and draw mode under the expanded 36-team league phase format.

By James Whitfield, Sports Editor | 2026-06-21

There are no Champions League matches being played today, but the competition is very much alive in boardrooms and training grounds across Europe as clubs prepare for the new 2026-27 season under UEFA’s revamped format. For supporters in England, focus has already turned to how Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League’s elite will navigate the expanded league phase and what the qualifying rounds mean for the wider landscape of European football. Although the spotlight this June sits firmly on the men’s World Cup, the Champions League’s next campaign is quietly taking shape in the background.

Current Champions League phase

UEFA’s official calendar confirms that the 2025-26 Champions League season has concluded, with the final played in late May 2026, and that the 2026-27 competition now moves into its preliminary and qualifying stages before the new league phase starts in the autumn. This means that, as of late June 2026, the Champions League is effectively in an inter-season window: the previous campaign is closed, the next one has begun administratively, but the marquee league phase fixtures involving Europe’s biggest clubs are still months away.

Qualifying rounds for the Champions League traditionally begin in late June or early July, starting with the preliminary round, followed by first, second and third qualifying rounds and then the play-offs. The clubs involved at this stage are mainly champions and high-placed sides from Europe’s smaller domestic leagues, all competing for a limited number of berths in the main competition. While some early ties are already scheduled on neutral or smaller grounds across the continent, they are still a step removed from the Premier League giants that dominate British interest.

Format change and the new 36-team league phase

The key context for the 2026-27 campaign is the new Champions League format that UEFA has begun rolling out, replacing the traditional 32-team group stage with a single 36-team league phase. Instead of eight groups of four, all qualified clubs will be placed in one large table, each playing eight league-phase fixtures against different opponents, a significant change from the home-and-away format of the past. The top eight sides in this league table progress directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th enter two-legged play-offs to secure a place in the knockouts.

For English clubs, this means more variety in opponents and potentially more high-profile fixtures across the autumn and winter. Because there are extra slots available in the league phase, UEFA’s access list has been adjusted, with additional places allocated based on association coefficients and overall European performance. That has increased the likelihood that the Premier League sends multiple clubs directly into the league phase, reducing the risk of a shock qualifying exit and ensuring a strong English presence when the main competition gets under way.

Premier League contenders: how English clubs are shaping up

With no Champions League fixture list yet published for the 2026-27 league phase, the focus in England is on how the likely qualifiers are preparing during the off-season. Manchester City, who have been a dominant force domestically and consistent deep runners in Europe in recent years, are widely expected to be among the top seeds in the league phase based on UEFA’s club coefficients and recent performances. Their squad planning this summer will be framed around another tilt at Europe’s biggest prize, especially after their previous campaigns established them firmly among the continent’s elite.

Arsenal and Liverpool, meanwhile, are also in the conversation for direct entry to the league phase, with their final league positions and coefficient rankings determining the exact route into the competition. While precise 2025-26 Premier League standings and qualification slots must be taken from official UEFA and domestic announcements, it is clear that the Premier League’s overall strength, reflected in European performances over multiple seasons, continues to secure multiple automatic Champions League spots for English clubs. The result is a crowded English contingent that will once again expect to make its presence felt when the draw is made.

Where the qualifying rounds fit in

In late June and early July, the Champions League’s preliminary and first qualifying rounds begin to fill out the remaining places for later stages. These fixtures, played by champions of smaller member associations, will gradually feed into the second and third qualifying rounds and then the play-offs, where the last slots for the 36-team league phase are decided. Although these ties rarely feature household names, they can occasionally create opponents for English clubs down the line and are crucial for the economies of the clubs involved.

UEFA’s schedule shows qualifying fixtures spread across a variety of venues, including neutral grounds and smaller stadiums, before the play-off round delivers its final verdict in late August. For supporters in the UK, the main relevance of this phase is that it determines which lesser-known sides might emerge as tricky away trips when the league phase calendar is eventually released. Upsets in qualifying can shift the seeding landscape and, in some cases, remove traditionally awkward opponents before the main competition even kicks off.

What the draw will decide

The next major landmark for Champions League followers is the league phase draw, which will allocate eight fixtures to each of the 36 competing clubs. UEFA typically stages this event in late August, after the play-off round is concluded and the final list of qualified teams is confirmed. Clubs are sorted into seeding pots according to their coefficient, with the new system designed to ensure a balance of opponents in terms of quality and geography, while also creating more headline fixtures between Europe’s heavyweights.

For English clubs, the draw will determine not only which European nights await at home grounds like the Etihad, Anfield and the Emirates, but also when those fixtures fall within an already congested domestic schedule. Managers often speak about the importance of sequencing: facing back-to-back away trips, running into top opponents during injury spells or playing decisive fixtures in the midst of Premier League title races can all shape a Champions League campaign. The draw is, therefore, not just a ceremonial moment; it has real tactical and logistical implications for how English sides approach the season.

Knockout rounds, qualification and elimination

Once the league phase is completed, the Champions League reverts to a more familiar knockout format, but with a twist introduced by the new system. The eight highest-ranked sides from the league phase table go straight through to the round of 16, effectively earning a bye past the extra play-off step. Clubs finishing between ninth and 24th must negotiate a two-legged play-off, with the winners advancing to complete the last 16 draw. Teams that end 25th or lower are eliminated from the Champions League and, depending on UEFA regulations for that season, may either drop into the Europa League or exit European competition entirely.

This structure increases the value of every league phase fixture, because the difference between finishing eighth and ninth is the difference between an automatic spot in the last 16 and having to survive an extra knock-out tie. For English clubs with ambitions of winning the tournament, the target will be clear: accumulate enough points in the league phase to secure a top-eight finish and avoid the jeopardy of the play-offs. Should an English side struggle and fall into the lower half of the table, the play-offs could quickly become a high-risk gateway that makes or breaks their European season.

Injuries, transfers and managerial storylines

With no Champions League fixtures on the calendar in late June, the main news around the competition centres on transfers, contract renewals and managerial decisions that will influence the 2026-27 campaign. Premier League clubs expected to feature in the league phase are already active in the market, although exact transfer fees and personal terms vary and should always be taken from official announcements and trusted outlets rather than speculation. In English football, summer windows ahead of a Champions League season often see squads rebuilt with European competition in mind, whether that means adding depth at centre-back, securing a reliable rotation option in midfield or replacing a star forward targeted by rival clubs.

Managerial stability is another subplot to monitor. Clubs that changed coaches at the end of the 2025-26 season will enter the Champions League with new tactical ideas and potentially different approaches to the fixture congestion that comes with competing on multiple fronts. Conversely, teams that have kept faith with established managers can draw on built-up experience from previous Champions League campaigns, using lessons learned in past knockout ties or tricky away fixtures to shape their 2026-27 plans. In both cases, how a club uses the summer to embed its tactical identity often shows up quickly once European nights return.

World Cup overlap and player workload

One unique feature of the 2026 calendar is that the men’s World Cup is taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada during June and July. Many leading Champions League players, including stars from Premier League clubs, are involved in that tournament, which inevitably affects pre-season rest and preparation. Those who reach the latter stages of the World Cup may have reduced time off before returning to club duty, while others might use the break as an opportunity to rebuild fitness before the European campaign begins.

For English clubs, keeping track of players’ minutes at the World Cup and managing their return will be vital to ensuring that squads are ready for the Champions League’s physical and mental demands. Medical and sports science teams will closely monitor workloads, especially for key players likely to feature heavily in both domestic and European fixtures. How successfully managers rotate and protect their stars in the early weeks of the club season could have a direct bearing on performances when the league phase kicks off.

Why this matters to fans in England now

Even without live Champions League football on television this week, there are practical reasons for supporters in England to pay attention to developments around the competition. The qualifying rounds, format tweaks and draw procedures all influence who their clubs might face, when they might travel abroad and how realistic a deep run in Europe will be. For fans planning trips, a clearer sense of the calendar helps with booking travel and tickets; for those following from home, understanding the new league phase layout makes it easier to track what each result means across the broader table.

Just as importantly, the Champions League remains a central part of how English clubs judge success. A strong domestic showing that fails to translate into European progress can feel like a missed opportunity, particularly when rivals are advancing deep into the knockouts. With the 36-team league phase creating more headline fixtures and a longer, more intricate path to the final, the margin for error becomes even smaller. That makes the months of preparation, transfer business and tactical work that happen now every bit as significant as the knockout nights that will capture the headlines later.

Official UEFA Champions League Results & Bracket

For the moment, the Champions League is in a quiet yet decisive phase: the last campaign is written into history, the next is still forming on the horizon, and English clubs are working behind the scenes to ensure they are ready when the anthem plays again in the autumn. From the qualifying rounds that are about to begin to the draw that will shape the autumn fixture list, every step taken over the next few months will help decide how far Premier League sides can go in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

Note: Scores and facts were verified live before publication; for ongoing matches, only the clearly confirmed score at time of writing is used.