To help you follow every step on the road to the final, we explain what you need to know about the upcoming 2026/27 Women's Champions League season in what follows, from the key dates to the draws and more.
Qualifying phase: How did it work?
Nine teams were automatically confirmed for the League Phase, with nine more sides coming through qualification to book their places. The final play-offs culminated in August and September with clubs participating according to the coefficient ranking of their respective federations.
Dates for the knockout rounds and play-offs
First qualifying round mini-tournament: Semi-finals - July 22nd, final/third place play-off - July 25th
Second qualifying mini-tournament: Semi-finals - August 5th, final/third place play-off - August 8th
Third qualifying round: August 26th and September 2nd
Which teams qualified?
The following 18 teams qualified for the Women's Champions League proper:
Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain), Manchester City (England), Arsenal (England), Chelsea (England) OL Lyonnes (France), Paris FC (France), Paris Saint-Germain (Germany) Bayern Munich (Germany), AS Roma (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), Juventus (Italy), Benfica (Portugal), BK Hacken (Sweden), OH Leuven (Belgium), Austria Wien (Austria), Servette (Switzerland), HB Koge (Denmark)
How does the league phase draw work?
The draw for the Women's Champions League main phase took place on Friday, September 4th, at 12:00 CET in Nyon, Switzerland.
For the draw, the 18 teams that qualified for the tournament are placed into three pots of six teams, with one being the highest-ranked and three being the lowest. The pot placements are based on UEFA's club coefficient ranking from the five-season period ending at the conclusion of 2025/26, with the defending champions automatically placed in pot one.
The draw determines each side's six fixtures for the league phase, with every team drawing two teams from each of the three pots. However, they cannot face a team from the same country as themselves, and are limited to two opponents from the same nation.
Which teams are in each pot?
Pot 1: Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain
Pot 2: Real Madrid, Juventus, BK Hacken, AS Roma, Benfica, Paris FC
Pot 3: Manchester City, OH Leuven, HB Koge, Austria Wien, Inter Milan, Servette
The format of the Women's Champions League
The teams who finish in the top four of the league phase after the six Matchdays qualify directly for the Women's Champions League's Quarter-finals. Those between fifth and 12th will enter the knockout round play-offs. The six teams ranked between 13th and 18th will exit the competition when the league phase is concluded.
When are the league phase matchdays?
Matchday 1: September 22nd/23rd
Matchday 2: September 30th / October 1st
Matchday 3: October 28th/29th
Matchday 4: November 10th/11th
Matchday 5: November 18th/19th
Matchday 6: December 16th
When are the knockout rounds played?
Knockout phase play-offs: February 3rd/4th - February 10th/11th
Quarter-finals: March 23rd/24th - March 31st/April 1st
Semi-finals: May 1st/2nd - May 8th/9th
Final: May 28th, 29th or 30th
When are the various Women's Champions League draws?
First qualifying round: June 18th, 2026
Second qualifying round: June 18th, 2026
Third qualifying round: August 11th, 2026
League Phase: September 4th, 2026
When and where is the Women's Champions League final?
The Stadion Narodowy, home of the Polish national football team, will host the final of the 2026/27 Women's Champions League on May 28th, 29th or 30th, 2027, where the winner will be crowned.
This will be the first time this stadium hosts the Women's Champions League final. It has hosted major tournaments in the past, including games at EURO 2012.
