Overview

• Matchday 1 began September 16 with marquee ties including Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea, Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint‑Germain vs. Atalanta, and Ajax vs. Inter Milan, with live coverage from major outlets.
• Thursday’s schedule features Manchester City vs. Napoli at the Etihad and Newcastle United vs. Barcelona at St James’ Park, plus Frankfurt vs. Galatasaray, Copenhagen vs. Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP vs. Kairat Almaty, and Club Brugge vs. Monaco.
• UEFA conducted the league‑phase draw on August 28 to set each club’s eight opponents and released the full calendar for September through January.
• The knockout path is fixed with playoff ties in February, the Round of 16 in March, quarterfinals in April, semifinals in late April and early May, and the final on May 30, 2026 in Budapest.
• Under the format, the top eight teams advance directly to the Round of 16, positions 9–24 enter the February playoffs, and places 25–36 are eliminated from European competition.