Do you miss the traditional group stage of the UEFA Champions League?Well, it’s too bad if you do, because the 2026-27 tournament marks the third consecutive season that the most prestigious club competition in world soccer will use its expanded format.  

Before the 2024-25 season, 32 teams were divided into eight round-robin groups, with the top two in each advancing to the knockout round.

But ever since UEFA changed things up, 36 teams have competed in a single-table format with the top eight sides at the end of the first round automatically advancing to the Round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th in the standings will be paired off in a series of two-legged playoffs, with the eight winners also moving on to the next round. Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated.  

Each team in the Champions League will play eight different opponents in eight matches (four home, four away) in the first round, otherwise known as the league phase. Thursday’s draw, held by UEFA in Monte Carlo, determined the league phase fixture list for all 36 clubs.   

The full schedule won’t be announced until a later date. But we already know the first round will run from Sept. 8 to Jan. 27, 2027, followed by the playoffs (Feb. 16-24) and the start of the knockout stage with the Round of 16 (March 9). This year’s final is........

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