The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase begins on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, with 36 clubs embarking on a new European campaign featuring heavyweight encounters, historic milestones and several intriguing first-round contests.
The opening round will run across three days, with 18 matches scheduled and several of Europe’s biggest clubs immediately facing tests that could set the tone for the season.
Here are 10 matches that stand out from the opening round:
1. Real Madrid vs Inter, Tuesday
Real Madrid will welcome Inter in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the opening round.
Kylian Mbappé enters the contest just one goal short of matching Raúl González’s 71-goal Champions League tally, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could make his 100th appearance in the competition.
The match also brings José Mourinho up against his former club. Mourinho guided Inter to the Champions League crown in 2010 as part of a historic treble.
Real Madrid have won six of their last seven meetings with Inter and have also won 17 of their last 19 opening-day matches in the competition.
2. Porto vs Manchester City, Tuesday
Porto will host Manchester City in another significant Tuesday encounter, with City set to make their 150th European Cup appearance.
Porto, meanwhile, are entering their 28th Champions League group-stage or league-phase campaign, placing them fourth on the all-time list behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Portuguese side have lost only once in their last 14 home UEFA matches, although City have endured a difficult recent away record in the competition, losing six of their last nine Champions League matches on the road.
3. Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal, Tuesday
Borussia Dortmund will face Villarreal in Germany, looking to repeat their previous result against the Spanish side.
Dortmund won the only previous meeting between the clubs, securing a 4-0 home victory last season.
The German club have lost just two of their last 15 home European matches against Spanish opponents, while Villarreal have avoided defeat in their last 31 Champions League matches when they have scored.
4. Club Brugge vs Aston Villa, Tuesday
Club Brugge and Aston Villa will renew their rivalry after meeting three times in last season’s competition.
Club Brugge won the first encounter 1-0 before Villa responded with victories of 3-1 and 3-0 in the round of 16.
The Belgian club have lost only three of their last 22 UEFA home matches, while Villa enjoyed an impressive European campaign last season, winning 13 of 15 Europa League matches.
5. Barcelona vs Feyenoord, Wednesday
Barcelona will begin their campaign against Feyenoord at Camp Nou, with Lamine Yamal among the players attracting particular attention.
Yamal needs two goals to equal Kylian Mbappé’s record for Champions League goals scored by a player aged 20 or under.
Barcelona have also been prolific since the league-phase format was introduced in 2024/25, scoring 50 goals across the previous two editions, eight more than any other club.
6. Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid, Wednesday
Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid at Anfield in a repeat of last season’s opening-day meeting, which Liverpool won 3-2.
Liverpool have finished among the top three in the league phase in each of the last two seasons and have won their last six league-phase meetings with Spanish clubs.
Atletico captain Koke could make his 150th UEFA club competition appearance, while manager Diego Simeone remains the longest-serving coach in this season’s competition after taking charge in December 2011.
7. Napoli vs Arsenal, Wednesday
Napoli will provide another stern test for Arsenal in Italy.
The clubs have met four times, with Arsenal winning three of those encounters. The English side also defeated Napoli home and away in the 2018/19 Europa League quarter-finals.
Arsenal’s defensive record offers encouragement ahead of the trip. The Gunners conceded only seven goals across last season’s league phase and knockout rounds combined and kept nine clean sheets.
8. Paris Saint-Germain vs Slovan Bratislava, Wednesday
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will begin their title defence against Slovan Bratislava.
Luis Enrique’s side have won their opening Champions League fixture in each of the last four seasons and kept clean sheets in their last three.
PSG are seeking to become only the second club in the Champions League era to win the competition three seasons in succession, following Real Madrid’s achievement between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
9. Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt, Thursday
Bayern Munich will host Bodø/Glimt, with Harry Kane chasing another notable Champions League milestone.
Kane has scored 54 goals in 70 Champions League appearances and will become the third-fastest player to reach 55 goals if he scores against the Norwegian side.
Bayern have won their opening Champions League fixture in each of their last 22 campaigns and are unbeaten in their last 38 home group-stage or league-phase matches.
The German champions also need one goal to become only the second club after Real Madrid to reach 900 goals in European Cup history.
10. Manchester United vs Sabah, Thursday
Manchester United will complete Thursday’s headline fixtures when Azerbaijani club Sabah visit Old Trafford.
The encounter will be United’s 300th European Cup match, making Manchester United the first English club to reach the landmark.
United are also returning to the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2023/24 campaign and will make their 26th appearance in the competition, the most by an English club.
Recent form in Europe, however, offers some cause for caution, with United winning only one of their last seven Champions League group-stage or league-phase matches.
Sabah are appearing in a UEFA group stage or league phase for the first time after winning six of their eight qualifying matches.
The other opening-round fixtures are AEK Athens versus LASK and Lille versus Real Betis on Tuesday, Stuttgart versus Viking and Sporting CP versus Galatasaray on Wednesday, followed by Fenerbahçe versus Roma, PSV versus Shakhtar Donetsk, Como versus RB Leipzig and Slavia Prague versus Lens on Thursday.
The 2026/27 Champions League league phase will run from September 8, 2026, to January 27, 2027, with each of the 36 participating clubs playing eight matches.
With familiar European giants, emerging challengers and several historic milestones converging on the opening round, the new Champions League campaign promises an intriguing start.
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