Real Madrid Faces Eight Opponents in 2025/26 Champions League Draw

Real Madrid, the record 15-time Champions League winners, have learned their eight opponents for the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League league phase under new manager Xabi Alonso. The competition format features 36 teams in a Swiss model system, where each team plays eight matches against two opponents from each of four seeded pots, with no teams from the same country facing each other. Real Madrid, placed in Pot 1, will face high-profile clubs including Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus, Benfica, Marseille, Olympiacos, AS Monaco, and Kairat Almaty, with four matches at home and four away, including a notable trip to Kazakhstan. Last season, Real failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals after being eliminated by Arsenal, fueling their ambition to reclaim European supremacy and pursue a record-extending 16th title. The league phase match dates and kick-off times will be announced by August 30, with the round of 16 and final scheduled for May 2026 in Budapest. This draw marks a challenging but promising path for Real Madrid as they aim to reassert their dominance in European football.