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The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League is on to the playoff round, the final stage of qualifying before the 36-team league phase begins in September.
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The playoff round features seven two-legged ties, with the winners advancing to join 29 other clubs who qualified directly for the league phase. The matches will be played on Aug. 18-19 with the second legs scheduled for Aug. 25-26 across Europe.
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While the expanded format has taken some of the star power out of the playoff round in recent years, fans will be familiar with a handful of the participants including Scottish giant Celtic, Turkey's Fenerbahçe and last year's darling Bodø/Glimt from Norway.
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Here's what to know for the playoff round and Champions League at large:
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The UEFA Champions League streams exclusively on Paramount+.
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Watch Champions League on Paramount+
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Winners of two-legged ties advance to league phase
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Twenty-nine teams qualified directly for the UCL's primary league phase, which begins in September. These 29 will be joined by the seven playoff winners.
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The draw for the league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League will be held on Aug. 27.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does UEFA Champions League start? Playoff round schedule and bracket
Continue reading...
\n
The playoff round features seven two-legged ties, with the winners advancing to join 29 other clubs who qualified directly for the league phase. The matches will be played on Aug. 18-19 with the second legs scheduled for Aug. 25-26 across Europe.
\n
While the expanded format has taken some of the star power out of the playoff round in recent years, fans will be familiar with a handful of the participants including Scottish giant Celtic, Turkey's Fenerbahçe and last year's darling Bodø/Glimt from Norway.
\n
Here's what to know for the playoff round and Champions League at large:
\n
Where to watch Champions League
\nThe UEFA Champions League streams exclusively on Paramount+.
\n
Watch Champions League on Paramount+
\n
Champions League bracket: Playoff round
\nWinners of two-legged ties advance to league phase
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- Levski Sofia vs. AEK Athens
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. Viking FK
- Slovan Bratislava vs. Celje
- Sabah vs. Hapoel Be'er Sheva
- LASK vs. Celtic
- Fenerbahçe vs. Lyon
- N.E.C. Nijmegen vs. Bodø/Glimt
What teams are in Champions League?
\nTwenty-nine teams qualified directly for the UCL's primary league phase, which begins in September. These 29 will be joined by the seven playoff winners.
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- Arsenal
- AS Roma
- Aston Villa
- Atlético Madrid
- Bayern Munich
- Borussia Dortmund
- Club Brugge
- Como
- FC Barcelona
- FC Porto
- Feyenoord
- Galatasaray
- Inter Milan
- Liverpool
- LOSC Lille
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Napoli
- Paris Saint-Germain
- PSV Eindhoven
- RB Leipzig
- RC Lens
- Real Betis
- Real Madrid
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Slavia Prague
- Sporting CP
- VfB Stuttgart
- Villarreal
Champions League schedule 2026-2027
\n- Playoff round: Aug. 18-19 / Aug. 25-26
- League phase: Sept. 8 - Jan. 27, 2027
- Each teams plays eight matches
- Knockout playoffs: Feb. 16-17 / Feb. 23-24
- Round of 16: March 9-10 / March 16-17
- Quarterfinals: April 6-7 / April 13-14
- Semifinals: April 27-28 / May 4-5
- Final: June 5, 2027 in Madrid
When is the Champions League draw?
\nThe draw for the league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League will be held on Aug. 27.
\n
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does UEFA Champions League start? Playoff round schedule and bracket
Continue reading...
