Who are Real Madrid’s rivals in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League?

Real Madrid already knows its eight opponents in the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League after the draw held in Monaco. Xabi Alonso’s team faces a challenging calendar, with commitments at the Santiago Bernabéu and visits to some of the toughest stadiums in Europe between September 2025 and January 2026. Los Blancos will have the chance to prove why they are the most successful club in the competition, in a stage that will test their continental dominance. The Madrid fanbase is expecting high-voltage clashes, both because of the stature of the opponents and the demanding international trips ahead. With the dates now confirmed, the main goal for Real Madrid will be to show consistency across their eight matches and secure a spot at the top of the league table.

Planned calendar for the league phase (8 matches)

The new Champions League league phase will run from September 2025 to January 2026, with eight rounds scheduled as follows:

Competition format and key details

• League format: 36 teams compete in a single table, each playing eight matches (four at home and four away). The top eight advance directly to the Round of 16, teams ranked 9th to 24th enter playoffs, and the rest are eliminated.
• Key dates: The league phase kicks off on September 16, 2025, and the final will be held on May 30, 2026, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

Real Madrid’s most recent Champions League victory

Real Madrid last lifted the Champions League trophy just one season ago, in the 2023-24 campaign. They remain Europe’s most decorated club with 15 titles.

Squad and key figures for the 2025-26 seasonNew signings confirmed this summer:

• Dean Huijsen (defender, from Bournemouth), signed for £50 million.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold (right-back from Liverpool), a key piece for Xabi Alonso’s new system.
• Álvaro Carreras (left-back, from Benfica).
• Franco Mastantuono (attacking midfielder, from River Plate), the rising Argentine star.

Notable squad changes:

• Luka Modrić bid farewell to the club, joining AC Milan.

Key players under Xabi Alonso:

• Gonzalo García, a young striker from Castilla, extended his contract until 2030.
• The defense is now bolstered with pace and creativity through Huijsen, Alexander-Arnold, and Carreras, while Alonso’s philosophy relies on high pressing and youth as the foundation for this new era.