How to watch the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw in the USA

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League League Phase Draw will be available to watch in the USA on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. For streaming, viewers can follow the draw through Paramount+.

Can I watch the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw for free?

Viewers should have an active subscription or eligible access to CBS Sports coverage before the draw begins. There is no free trial confirmed for this event, so the ceremony is not available to watch for free in the United States.

2026/27 UCL league phase draw format: How does it work?

The 2026/27 Champions League League Phase features 36 teams instead of the traditional group-stage format. The clubs are divided into four pots of nine teams according to their UEFA club coefficients, with the defending champions placed in Pot 1. Each club will then be drawn against eight different opponents, facing two teams from each of the four pots.

Every team will play four matches at home and four away during the league phase. In principle, clubs cannot face another team from the same national association, while each club can play a maximum of two opponents from any other individual association. Once all eight opponents are determined, the 36 clubs will compete in a single overall league table rather than separate groups.

The final league-phase standings determine who advances. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while clubs finishing from ninth through 24th enter the knockout phase playoffs. Teams placed 25th through 36th are eliminated from the competition. The league phase begins on September 8 and runs through January 27, 2027.

What time is the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League Draw?

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League League Phase Draw begins today, Thursday, August 27, at 12:00 PM ET from the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. For viewers in different regions of the United States, here are the local start times:

• Eastern Time: 12:00 PM
• Central Time: 11:00 AM
• Mountain Time: 10:00 AM
• Pacific Time: 9:00 AM

Under the Champions League’s revamped 36-team league phase, Liverpool cannot host Real Madrid at Anfield. UEFA rules explicitly state that if a specific matchup is played at the same home venue for two consecutive seasons, that exact home-and-away designation cannot be repeated for a third straight year.

According to Paragraph 16.03 of UEFA’s competition regulations, the governing body’s Club Competitions Committee maintains that “any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.“

Because Liverpool hosted Madrid at Anfield in both 2024 and 2025, Thursday’s league-phase draw cannot pair them in England. If the computer draw the two powerhouses together, the fixture would automatically be flipped to Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.

In the 2024-25 UCL league phase, Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield. Last season, the Reds once again gained the upper hand with a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

Real Madrid reloading for another Champions League crown

Following high-profile roster additions like Yan Diomande and Denzel Dumfries, Los Blancos enter the campaign intent on flexing their elite star power and adding to their record trophy case.

Adding to the storyline is former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid in 2025. Bolavip US recently asked former Real Madrid star Steve McManaman about Alexander-Arnold‘s adaptation and expectations for the upcoming campaign.

2026–27 UCL league phase draw: Date and time

The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League league-phase draw will take place on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM ET (9:00 AM PT).

How to watch Lyon vs Fenerbahce in the USA

Lyon vs. Fenerbahce will be available to watch in the U.S. on Paramount+ and DAZN. CBS Sports lists the Champions League playoff match on Paramount+, while current match listings also show DAZN US as a streaming option.

Can I watch Lyon vs Fenerbahce for free?

There is no confirmed free television broadcast of Lyon vs. Fenerbahce in the United States. Paramount+ is the main official streaming option, but its free-trial availability has changed during 2026.

Match Preview: What’s at stake?

Lyon and Fenerbahce meet with the Champions League playoff tie perfectly balanced at 1-1 after last week’s first leg in Istanbul. Lois Openda put Lyon ahead in the 40th minute from a Corentin Tolisso cross, but Mason Greenwood equalized shortly after halftime to leave everything to be decided in France.

The stakes could not be higher: the winner over the two legs will qualify for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase, while the loser will drop into the Europa League league phase. UEFA‘s qualifying calendar confirms that the playoff round concludes on August 26, with the remaining places in Europe’s elite club competition being decided in the second legs.

For Lyon, home advantage could be decisive. Paulo Fonseca‘s side has already shown positive signs at the beginning of the domestic season, opening its Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-0 victory away against Toulouse on August 22. Noah Nartey and Malick Fofana scored in the final minutes to give Lyon momentum heading into the decisive European fixture.

Fenerbahce, meanwhile, must find a way to win in France after failing to capitalize fully on home-field advantage in the first leg. The Turkish side had chances in Istanbul but ultimately had to settle for a draw after Greenwood’s equalizer. The result means Fenerbahce cannot simply protect a first-leg advantage: a victory is required to advance without relying on extra time or penalties.

What time is the Lyon vs Fenerbahce match?

The Lyon vs. Fenerbahce match kicks off on Wednesday, August 26, at 3:00 PM ET. UEFA lists a 9:00 PM kickoff in Central European Time, while the match will take place at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, France.

• Eastern Time: 3:00 PM
• Central Time: 2:00 PM
• Mountain Time: 1:00 PM
• Pacific Time: 12:00 PM

How to watch Fenerbahce vs Lyon in the USA

Fenerbahce vs. Lyon will be available to watch live in the United States through Paramount+ and DAZN USA. No traditional TV channel is listed for this match.

Can I watch Fenerbahce vs Lyon for free?

There is no free legal option currently available to watch Fenerbahce vs. Lyon in the United States. Viewers will need an active subscription to Paramount+ or DAZN USA to stream the Champions League play-off match.

Match Preview: What’s at stake?

Fenerbahce and Lyon meet in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, with the winner of the two-leg series earning one of the final seven places in the 2026-27 league phase. UEFA confirms that the first leg takes place Tuesday, August 18, with the return scheduled for August 26 in Lyon.

Fenerbahce have already negotiated two qualifying rounds to reach this stage, eliminating Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz. The Turkish club has also been particularly strong at home in Champions League qualifying, going unbeaten in its last six home qualifying matches and winning both of its home games during this season’s campaign without conceding.

However, they enter the match after a disappointing start to their domestic campaign. Ismail Kartal‘s side lost 2-1 away to Genclerbirligi in the Turkish Super Lig on Saturday, despite Anderson Talisca scoring for the fifth consecutive game.

Lyon have taken a more dramatic route to the play-offs. Paulo Fonseca‘s team lost 2-1 to Sparta Prague in the first leg of their third qualifying round but responded with a 3-0 victory in France to advance. UEFA notes that Lyon are looking to return to the Champions League league phase, having last qualified for the competition’s main stage in 2019.

There is also significant history between the clubs. Fenerbahce and Lyon have met four times previously in the Champions League, with Lyon winning all four encounters. Their most recent meeting was more recent, however, coming in the 2024-25 Europa League, when the sides drew 0-0 in Istanbul.

Fenerbahce vs Lyon: Predicted Lineups

Fenerbahce (4-2-3-1): Tarik Cetin; Archie Brown, Nathan Ake, Milan Skriniar, Nelson Semedo; N’Golo Kante, Matteo Guendouzi; Kerem Akturkoglu, Marco Asensio, Mason Greenwood; Talisca.

Lyon (3-4-2-1): Dominik Greif; Ruben Kluivert, Moussa Niakhate, Clinton Mata; Abner, Tanner Tessmann, Tyler Morton, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Corentin Tolisso, Assan Ouedraogo; Lois Openda.

What time is the Fenerbahce vs Lyon match?

The Fenerbahce vs. Lyon match kicks off Tuesday, August 18, at 3:00 PM ET. For viewers in different regions of the United States, here are the local start times:

• Eastern Time: 3:00 PM
• Central Time: 2:00 PM
• Mountain Time: 1:00 PM
• Pacific Time: 12:00 PM

Home of FC Salzburg in the domestic league, it will be the first time in history that this stadium hosts a UEFA club final. The venue has a capacity of approximately 30,000 spectators, and a sellout is expected.

This will be the 14th time this final is played between the UEFA Champions League winners and the UEFA Europa League winners. The 2025 edition was held at Stadio Friuli, home of Udinese, in Udine.

How does PSG come into this match?

Paris Saint-Germain punched their ticket to the 2026 UEFA Super Cup after capturing the UEFA Champions League title in dramatic fashion. The French giants secured their spot in the showdown by defeating Arsenal in a tense penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw through extra time in the 2026 Champions League final.

Aston Villa’s historic title

Aston Villa etched their name into European soccer history by capturing the 2026 UEFA Europa League title in dominant game. The English side claimed the trophy with a resounding 3–0 victory over German club SC Freiburg in the final played at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul on May 20, 2026.

The most recent precedent

Prior to their 2026 UEFA Super Cup clash, Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa have met just twice in official European competition, locking horns in the quarter-finals of the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.

PSG took the first leg 3–1 at the Parc des Princes before Villa pulled off a thrilling 3–2 comeback win at Villa Park in the return leg. Though the English club claimed a memorable home victory, the French giants advanced 5–4 on aggregate, leaving the all-time head-to-head record perfectly balanced at one win apiece.

Joined by a black and white picture of him with the Champions League trophy behind him, Gabriel wrote, “It’s painful, but I’m proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season. Thank you to our incredible fans for your support every step of the way. You deserve to celebrate this journey with us and enjoy the parade today!”

Despite missing the penalty, the fact is Gabriel played an outstanding match against PSG in the Champions League final. He was rock-solid, and managed to contain the best attack in Europe alongside his defense teammates. Besides, he got support from manager Mikel Arteta, who explained the decision to let Gabriel take the fifth penalty.

Gabriel vs PSG in the Champions League final

Per Sofascore, Magalhaes had 15 defensive contributions, won 100% of his tackles, had 13 clearances, blocked one shot, made three recoveries and won 100% of both his ground and aerial duels. Basically, there was no way to pass him for PSG.

When you take the penalty out of the equation, Magalhaes could’ve arguably been one of the best players of the Champions League final. Soccer is just a cruel sport some times, but Magalhaes will have time to reassess and deliver for Brazil in the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal couldn’t end the season on a high

Arsenal won their first Premier League in 22 years and getting the UEFA Champions League for the first time would’ve been a fairytale end to a majestic season. However, the Gunners won’t be able to say they won the double.

Now, Arsenal are 0-2 in Champions League finals, both lost in quite devastating fashion. This one vs. PSG, on penalties. In the first one in 2006, their keeper Jens Lehmann was sent off 18 minutes in, but Arsenal still went ahead, only to concede two goals in the last 15 minutes and lose to Barcelona 1-2.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, explained his decision during the postgame press conference. “Gabriel wanted to take the last penalty. We trained for that moment.” Gabriel ended up missing it the penalty and granted PSG the Champions League title.

Arteta also explained that usually, the penalty takers are Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz. All three of them were subbed off by Arteta even before the 90 minutes of regulation against PSG had been played in full.

Arteta blamed the circumstances of the game as cause of Gabriel’s miss

As Arteta recalls, Gabriel didn’t miss a single penalty during training sessions. “Then you have to do these moments, it’s unfortunate not to have the same precision and they (PSG) had, and that’s the reason we haven’t won it (Champions League).”

Basically, the atmosphere, the high-stakes moment, and the tension got the best of Gabriel according to Arteta. However, Arteta himself must be criticized, as even if Gabriel was doing great in training, this was not the scenario or the space to put him in as this was the first penalty Gabriel had ever taken for the team.

Gabriel wasn’t the only one to miss the target during the penalty shootout

While all the blame is going towards Gabriel as it was the decisive penalty, he wasn’t the only one to miss his shot. In fact, there’s an argument to say Eberechi Eze’s missed penalty was even worse.

Eze took a slow, long run-in, then almost paused, made a quick jump and shot. However, PSG’s goalkeeper Matvey Safonov didn’t buy all the shenanigans and stayed focused, without giving away anything. That caused Eze to panic and make his shot almost unbalanced. He missed it wide. While Arteta said Arsenal practiced, missing the goal on two penalties is quite unacceptable.

During the first period of extra time, Nuno Mendes came down heavily on Madueke, but the VAR did not intervene to review the incident. What could have been a penalty for Arsenal ultimately came to nothing, and Arteta was left unhappy with the decision.

“It can easily be a penalty… the referee has made a decision and a different one with Mosquera – and yeah it’s an important one,” the manager said via TNT Sports.

Arteta also expressed pride in his squad despite the final result, making it clear that Luis Enrique, who has won his third UCL trophy as a manager, and PSG are the best team. “Congratulations to PSG and to Luis Enrique.“

Arteta overcome with pain after UCL Final

The penalty shootout defeat to PSG still places Arsenal among those popular teams that were unable to win the Champions League. Understandably, the emotions after the loss were ones of disappointment, with pain taking over Arteta in the aftermath of the match.

“It is very tough to accept. We were so consistent in the competition all the way to the final, and then lose the trophy on penalties… No one can take that pain away from you,” the manager said to the press. “We got the big one [the Premier League], but we missed out on the biggest one.”

Gabriel Magalhaes decided the UCL Final in the shootout

Gabriel Magalhaes took the final penalty for Arsenal, and fortune was not on his side. The ball went slightly over the crossbar, and it was after the match that Mikel Arteta was questioned regarding this decision.

“Gabriel wanted to take the last penalty. We trained for that moment,” the manager revealed to the press.

What’s next for Arsenal and PSG?

With the 2026 UEFA Champions League concluded, both teams are already looking ahead to what comes next. Arsenal, last season’s Premier League champions, have secured their place in the next edition and will now be able to rest and focus on preparing for the next campaign.

Meanwhile, PSG already have their sights set on the match against Aston Villa, winners of the most recent Europa League, in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.

Following the match, Declan Rice had a message for his teammates: “It’s a lottery. Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties in finals, and we were on the receiving end.” Rice added. “We gave absolutely everything… we win together, and we lose together,” Declan Rice affirmed. And, for good reason, not becoming champions without losing a match must be incredibly tough.

He also demonstrated why he is the captain of this great team led by Mikel Arteta, showing his support to everyone and not letting anyone down, ensuring that everything they achieved this season would have been possible. “I’m so proud of the boys. We will be back. We love them and we are with them. Without them, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League. We have to be proud.”

“Gabriel, I have run out of words for him as a player and with Eze, he’s got crucial goals for us this season. It’s cruel, but we’ll take the positives and keep going.” Rice concluded.

The devastating penalty shootout

Here, two sides exist: the one that wins and emerges successful from that penalty shootout, and the one that loses it with players who missed their respective spot kicks, which is the case for Gabriel Magalhaes and Eberechi Eze, who, despite being key pieces in the team, could receive a lot of blame from the fans. And also be runner-up after finishing as unbeaten runners-up.

Gabriel Magalhaes shot the last of his team’s penalties over the bar to hand PSG a 4-3 shootout victory. Eberechi Eze also missed an earlier spot kick, but David Raya saved from Nuno Mendes to let Arsenal stay level.

Lucas Beraldo scored the last of PSG’s spot kicks, meaning Arsenal‘s defender had to convert to take it to sudden death, but he missed to spark celebrations from PSG players and fans inside Puskas Arena.

The other side of the coin

PSG, on the other hand, consecrate themselves as back-to-back champions of the competition, a club that chased it for so many years and struggled for years to get over the line in the Champions League despite huge investment from their Qatari owners.

But they have flipped the script under Luis Enrique to become only the second side in the Champions League era to defend the trophy. And without star names from the start, we consider them as such now entirely because of the development given to them by Luis Enrique, such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and even Ousmane Dembele himself, who is currently having his prime.

Following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain captured the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League title. With two Champions League medals now to his name, Dembele is drawing inevitable comparisons to the game’s greatest players.

At 29 years old, Lionel Messi had already secured four UEFA Champions League titles, all with Barcelona (2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015). By contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo had captured two Champions League medals at that same age—one with Manchester United in 2008 and another with Real Madrid in 2014—before embarking on his historic three-peat in his early 30s.

PSG can continue the dynasty

PSG manager Luis Enrique, who secured another UCL title in his career, has built a remarkably balanced squad in Paris. Blending veteran experience with emerging youth, the Spanish tactician has guided the French powerhouse to back-to-back Champions League titles since taking over the helm in 2023.

Luis Enrique’s first major statement as manager was allowing Kylian Mbappe to depart for Real Madrid. While many pundits believed the superstar’s exit would prove catastrophic, the club has instead captured the consecutive European crowns that ownership originally thought would only arrive with Mbappe on the roster.

In 2025, PSG came agonizingly close to completing one of the most dominant seasons in soccer history, missing out on the FIFA Club World Cup following a defeat to Chelsea. However, this latest Champions League triumph has fans fully believing that the dynasty will continue, with a historic three-peat firmly in sight for 2027.

Ousmane Dembele is the early frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or

By finding the back of the net in Budapest, Ousmane Dembele matched Cristiano Ronaldo in a UCL feat not seen since 2017. With another European trophy in hand, he is now aiming to retain the golden ball for a second consecutive year.

Following a sensational 2025 campaign, Dembele stands as the clear frontrunner to secure the Ballon d’Or once again. If he can replicate this club success with France at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, a starring role on the global stage would make an unassailable case for his second consecutive individual award.

Immediately after Arsenal lost the penalty shootout that left PSG as back to back Champions League winners, Chelsea posted a photo of plenty of trophies, with the Champions League hardware as the main one and a caption that stated “Come and visit London’s Home of Trophies.“

Chelsea are the only team in London to have Champions League triumphs, and they wasted no time to remember that to Arsenal. Also, they cheekily disguised the post as an ad to visit their stadium, Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea double Arsenal in Champions League success in much less time

While Arsenal have a history of being labeled as a ‘big team‘ in England, the fact is that not having Champions League trophies is quite the blow when compared to other big English teams, Chelsea included. The Blues have two Champions League trophies, and they became relevant and perennial contenders in the mid 2000s.

Before that, Chelsea were a humble club with no major aspirations. That changed when Roman Abramovich bought the club. Since then (2003), Chelsea won two Champions Leagues (2012, 2021), and five Premier League titles. Arsenal, since 2003, have lost two Champions League finals, and won just two Premier League titles.

Chelsea also have bragging rights against PSG

PSG became back to back Champions League winners, but Chelsea could’ve also mocked them if they wanted. Last season, PSG and Chelsea played on the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup final. PSG were at the verge of winning all six major trophies possible in a single season and were regarded as easily the best team in the world.

However, in what was an incredible upset, Chelsea dominated PSG from start to finish and won 3-0. Hence, if the Blues also wanted to take a jab at the Parisians, they could. Having said all of this, the 2025-26 season was dreadful for Chelsea, as they ended 10th in the Premier League and will miss European competitions in the next campaign.