UEFA Champions League 2025-26 Fixtures and Match Dates
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League ran across nine months of European football, from the qualifying rounds in July 2025 to the final in Budapest on 30 May 2026. The complete season comprised 189 matches, 36 clubs in the league phase and 16 national associations. This page sets out every stage of the fixture list and the dates that shaped the campaign.
League Phase: Eight Matchdays from 16 September 2025
The league phase opened on 16 September 2025 and closed on 28 January 2026 after eight matchdays. Every club played eight fixtures against eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. Each club was drawn from two different pots, which limited repeat fixtures and meant no team faced the same opponent at the same venue twice.
All 36 clubs played on the same matchday, turning each round of the league phase into a single synchronised evening. The slate of 144 league phase matches was fixed before the season began and could not be rearranged once play started. Kick-off times are published in Central European Time, and most matchdays used two slots: an early-evening fixture and a prime-time evening game.
Knockout Play-Off Round: February 2026
Sixteen clubs finished the league phase between 9th and 24th place. They contested a two-legged play-off across 17/18 February and 24/25 February 2026, with the eight winners reaching the round of 16. This was the only stage in which league phase placement still carried weight: a club finishing 9th was seeded against a club finishing 24th and held home advantage in the second leg.
Round of 16: March 2026
The round of 16 was played over two legs on 10/11 March and 17/18 March 2026. Sixteen clubs took part, combining the eight league phase leaders, who entered directly, with the eight play-off winners. Arsenal were among the clubs that entered at this stage, while Paris Saint-Germain arrived from the play-off after finishing 11th in the league phase.
Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals: April and May 2026
The quarter-finals were played on 7/8 April and 14/15 April 2026, reducing the field from 16 clubs to eight. The semi-finals followed on 28/29 April and 5/6 May 2026, producing the two finalists. Both rounds remained two-legged affairs, so each tie required up to 180 minutes of football before a place in the next round was settled.
The Final: 30 May 2026 in Budapest
The final was played on 30 May 2026 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. PSG and Arsenal finished level at 1-1 after extra time, with Kai Havertz scoring in the sixth minute and Ousmane Dembélé equalising from the penalty spot in the 65th. PSG won the penalty shootout 4-3 and retained the trophy.
Key Dates at a Glance
- 16 September 2025 — League phase matchday one.
- 28 January 2026 — League phase matchday eight, table confirmed and frozen.
- 17/18 and 24/25 February 2026 — Knockout play-off, two legs.
- 10/11 and 17/18 March 2026 — Round of 16, two legs.
- 7/8 and 14/15 April 2026 — Quarter-finals, two legs.
- 28/29 April and 5/6 May 2026 — Semi-finals, two legs.
- 30 May 2026 — Final at the Puskás Aréna, Budapest.
For the tie-by-tie knockout detail, see our knockout bracket page.