The full schedule for the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 season has been confirmed, with the tournament set to kick off on September 16, 2025. The final will be played on May 30, 2026 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
The group stage will run from September 16 to December 10, 2025. Matchday 1 is scheduled for September 16-17, followed by Matchday 2 on September 30-October 1. Matchday 3 takes place on October 21-22, with Matchday 4 on November 4-5. Matchday 5 is set for November 25-26, and Matchday 6 concludes the group phase on December 9-10.
The knockout rounds begin in the new year. The Round of 16 first leg will be played on February 17-18 and 24-25, 2026, with the second leg on March 10-11 and 17-18, 2026.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for April 7-8 and 14-15, 2026. The semi-finals will take place on April 28-29 and May 5-6, 2026. The final will be held on May 30, 2026 at the Allianz Arena.
Broadcast channels for the 2025-2026 Champions League vary by region. In the Middle East and North Africa, beIN Sports holds the exclusive broadcasting rights. The network will air all matches live across its HD channels, with coverage starting 30 minutes before kick-off.
In Europe, DAZN will broadcast the tournament in several countries, while Amazon Prime Video holds rights in the UK. In Spain, Movistar+ will show the matches. In France, Canal+ and RMC Sport share the rights.
In the United States, Paramount+ and CBS Sports will provide coverage. In South America, ESPN and Star+ hold the rights for most countries.
The draw for the group stage will take place on August 28, 2025 in Monaco. The knockout stage draw is set for December 15, 2025.
Defending champions Real Madrid will enter the competition as the team to beat, having won their 15th title in 2024-2025. The 2025-2026 season marks the second year of the new format, which features 36 teams in a single league phase instead of the traditional group stage.
Each team will play eight matches in the league phase against eight different opponents. The top eight teams advance directly to the Round of 16, while teams finishing 9th to 24th enter a two-legged playoff to join them.
