The group stage draw for the 2026 Champions League took place on Thursday, setting the stage for a competitive season. Two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will face Barcelona, Manchester City, and Aston Villa among their eight league phase matches.

PSG secured their second consecutive Champions League title in May by beating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest. The French club will play Barcelona, Roma, Turkish champions Galatasaray, and Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava at home. Barcelona, coached by Luis Enrique, will travel to England twice to face Manchester City and Aston Villa. PSG also plans away matches in Spain against Villarreal and in Italy against Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas.

PSG is aiming to become European champions for a third straight year, a feat only Real Madrid achieved from 2016 to 2018 in the last 50 years. Earlier this month, PSG defeated Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup in Austria.

Last season’s runners-up Arsenal, who are also Premier League champions, will compete against Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille, and Sabah from Azerbaijan, who qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2008/09 after beating Lyon in the playoffs.

The draw highlights a challenging group phase with several high-profile encounters, underscoring the competitive nature of this season’s Champions League.

Sources