The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League is about to enter a new season, and the spotlight is on Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions. This Thursday, August 28, 2025, the group stage draw will be held at the Foro Grimaldi in Monaco at 6:00 p.m. CEST (11:00 a.m. Mexico, 12:00 p.m. Peru/Colombia, 1:00 p.m. US ET, 2:00 p.m. Argentina). Fans around the world will be eager to see which clubs the Cityzens will face in the first stage of Europe’s top club competition.
Manchester City’s Confirmed Opponents
- Borussia Dortmund (Home)
- Real Madrid (Away)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Home)
- Villarreal (Away)
- Napoli (Home)
- Bodo (Away)
- Galatasaray (Home)
- Monaco (Away)
Preview
Unlike traditional group stages of the past, the new league phase format involves a single ranking for all 36 clubs over eight matchdays. Teams play four home and four away matches, and the top eight automatically advance to the round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th enter the play-offs, while the remaining clubs are eliminated. The season will culminate in the grand final in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
Manchester City starts in Pot 1 due to its UEFA club coefficient, meaning they will avoid facing certain top teams from the same pot. Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn together, so City will not meet Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Newcastle in the group stage. The remaining opponents will be determined by the automated draw, which assigns two opponents from each pot for every team.
With 32 of the 36 clubs already confirmed, only four spots are pending the final qualifying matches on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Once the draw concludes, Manchester City’s schedule for the league phase will be fully set, and fans can start planning for the exciting clashes ahead.
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League draw in Monaco will determine Manchester City’s group stage rivals and match schedule. (Photo: AFP)
What to know about Manchester City’s Champions League draw?
The group stage draw will follow a structured order, beginning with Pot 1 and proceeding sequentially through the other pots. Each team will receive eight group stage opponents: four home and four away matches. This process ensures fairness, prevents domestic matchups, and guarantees a balanced mix of strong European clubs. The league phase kicks off on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, and runs through Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
Which clubs could Manchester City face in 2025-26?
Potential opponents for Manchester City come from Pots 2, 3, and 4, offering a mix of familiar powerhouses and rising European clubs. While domestic rivals like Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Newcastle are excluded, City could face elite sides such as Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Napoli, Tottenham, and more. The final group stage composition will be confirmed immediately after the draw in Monaco.
2025-26 UEFA Champions League schedule highlights
- League Phase: September 16, 2025 – January 28, 2026
- Play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25, 2026
- Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18, 2026
- Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15, 2026
- Semi-finals: April 28/29 & May 5/6, 2026
- Final: May 30, 2026 (Budapest)
