The 2026–27 Champions League league phase draw took place on Thursday and the results have fans all over the world salivating with anticipation at some simply cant-miss matches that will headline the opening round of Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

The Champions League is officially back and 36 of the best teams on the continent will compete to try and dethrone reigning back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The journey to the final at the Metropolitano in Madrid next June starts with the league phase, where every team in the competition will play eight games to try a secure a spot in the knockout rounds.

Every team learned their league phase destiny during Thursday’s draw, and David Villa and Thierry Henry’s magic touch produced some heavyweight clashes in the opening rounds. Some of the biggest clubs in the world will face off during the league phase in matches that could easily be previews of knockout stage clashes once the competition reaches its climax.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the 10 best matches of the 2026–27 Champions League league phase following the results of the draw.

10. Inter Milan vs. Liverpool

The toughest away day for Andoni Iraola in his maiden Champions League season will be at San Siro, where Liverpool must navigate a mighty challenge in the form of Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Still, even during the calamitous season the Reds endured in 2025–26 under former boss Arne Slot, they still managed to defeat Inter at their home stadium with a masterfully taken Dominik Szoboszlai penalty in the 88th minute.

Liverpool will travel to face the Nerazzurri for the second season in a row hoping for similar success against the Italian giants.

9. Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid

Liverpool and Atlético Madrid have delivered some high-octane Champions League clashes ever since their memorable meeting in the 2019–2020 round of 16.

Two of the last three meetings between the two sides have finished 3–2, with spirited comebacks, late goals and drama seemingly always on the cards. The most recent meeting came last September, when Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage time header was required for the Reds to defeat Atléti 3–2 after Diego Simeone’s men erased a two-goal disadvantage.

Big European nights at Anfield are always a spectacle, and Liverpool welcoming the always spirited Rojiblancos stands out as the most compelling home fixture of the league phase for Iraola’s men.

8. Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan

Real Madrid’s most enticing fixture at the Bernabéu during the 2026–27 league phase is a bout against Inter. It’s the first time since 2021 the two historic European sides will face off in an official match.

The game will also see Madrid manager José Mourinho take on the team he led to a treble back in 2009–10, collecting the most recent of his pair of Champions League crowns, winning the final at the Bernabéu before leaving the club to start his first chapter at Spain’s capital.

Speaking of reunions, Los Blancos fullback Denzel Dumfries will face his former teammates after leaving Inter for Real Madrid this summer.

The 15-time European champions facing the Serie A holders at their home temple has all the ingredients to be a remarkable affair.

7. Atlético Madrid vs. Bayern Munich

Atlético Madrid have been knocking on the door of a maiden Champions League crown for over a decade now, and with the 2026–27 final being hosted at the Metropolitano, Diego Simeone’s men are hoping this is the season where they finally accomplish their mission.

Los Rojiblancos will welcome fellow 2025–26 semifinalists Bayern Munich to the Metropolitano in a mouthwatering league phase clash. Both sides boast elite squads, but their playing styles are perhaps polar opposites, with Vincent Kompany’s high-octane attack visiting Simeone’s tireless and tenacious defense.

Anything can happen in a match of two of the most contrasting teams in Europe, which are also two of the best.

6. Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich

The winningest team in English soccer history, Manchester United will feature in the Champions League league phase for the first time ever, returning to the competition after a two-season absence.

Under the command of Michael Carrick, the Red Devils will try to rediscover the European pedigree they were synonymous with during the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Old Trafford has missed big European nights in recent years, but the wait will conclude when they welcome long-time European rivals Bayern Munich.

The Theatre of Dreams will host a clash between to iconic European sides. It will be an intriguing test to assess the ability of Carrick’s United against one of the best teams in the continent, and it’s a rematch of one of the most legendary Champions League finals of all time, taking us back to United’s glorious win at the Camp Nou in 1998–99.

The Red Devils have just one win against Bayern across 11 Champions League meetings since the turn of the century—that’s how daunting the challenge will be for Carrick’s men.

5. Barcelona vs. Manchester City

Manchester City have faced Real Madrid in each of the last five Champions League seasons. Now the Citizens will return to Spain during the league phase to face the other La Liga Goliath in Barcelona.

The back-to-back La Liga champions will welcome Man City at the Camp Nou in a match Pep Guardiola will surely be keeping a close eye on. This is by far Enzo Maresca’s most daunting away day of the league phase at his new job by some margin, but they boast the quality to upset the Catalans. On the other hand, Hansi Flick’s side will like its chances against a team amid vast turnover.

Beyond the quality on the pitch, the biggest storyline of this matchup involves Rodri facing his former club. The legendary midfielder left behind an enduring legacy with Man City, headlined by scoring the goal that gave them their first Champions League crown. Now, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner will face his former teammates wearing the Blaugrana shirt.

4. Manchester City vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Man City will host reigning holders PSG at the Etihad Stadium in a vibrant contest between two modern-era European powerhouses.

These are two teams that prioritize attacking soccer over anything else, so it could be an absolute spectacle that keeps fans entertained from start to finish.

Luis Enrique’s PSG are the consensus best club in Europe and their two consecutive Champions League crowns back that claim. However, no manager has made the Parisians look worse during their run of dominance than Maresca, who was at the helm of Chelsea when they beat PSG 3–0 in the 2025 Club World Cup final.

One could argue that PSG’s brilliant run in Europe started when they beat Man City 4–2 back in the 2024–25 league phase, igniting their maiden title run. Two seasons later, City will be eager to get revenge and start a similar run.

3. Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal

Two of the biggest favorites to win the Champions League this season will face off in the league phase for a second straight term. Arsenal will visit the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich in a match between two sides that surely feel like they’re ready to conquer Europe.

The top two finishers of the 2025–26 league phase will clash in a match that will see the best defense in European soccer collide with the most devastating and productive front three in the world a season ago. Last November, Arsenal dominated Bayern to the tune of a 3–1 win at the Emirates Stadium on the road to a perfect league phase record. The German giants will want to even the score at home a season later.

This matchup could’ve easily been the 2025–26 final, but PSG overcame both sides to lift the trophy for the second straight year. Still, these are arguably the two deepest, most complete teams in Europe outside of PSG, and it’s championship or bust for the pair of them.

This clash was a recurring fixture during the mid-2010s, with Bayern constantly getting the better of the Gunners. Reality is different nowadays and Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions can go toe-to-toe with the Bundesliga juggernaut. This could easily be an anticipated final.

2. Arsenal vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid will visit the Emirates in a colossal bout that naturally brings back memories of Arsenal’s iconic 3–0 victory against then champions Real Madrid in the 2024–25 quarterfinals. It was arguably the greatest night in Emirates Stadium history.

The Gunners eliminating Real Madrid thanks to Declan Rice’s majestic free kicks sent a clear message to the rest of Europe that the north London side is ready to seriously challenge for its first Champions League title.

Two years later, Los Blancos, with the galactic trio of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, will look to make amends on that painful defeat in which they essentially lost their European throne at the hands of the rising Gunners. Plus, Mourinho returning to face Arsenal adds even more spice to an already tasty match.

It will be the most successful club in the competition’s history against the most historic team never to lift the trophy. These are the kind of games Arteta’s Arsenal now appear built for, and with Los Blancos on the pitch in a big European night, this could easily be the best game of the league phase.

1. Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona

It’s hard to find two teams in the world more entertaining to watch or that consistently deliver more spectacular showings than PSG and Barcelona. For the second straight season, the two will meet in the league phase, but this time at the Parc des Princes and hopefully with both teams at full strength.

PSG defeated Barcelona 2–1 last October in a match devoid of star players such as Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, João Neves and Raphinha. The game felt like only a tease of what these two teams can offer, and a year later we get another bite at the apple.

The high-pressing, overly attacking styles of these two clubs is well-known. When firing on all cylinders, these are the two most prolific attacking teams in world soccer—yes, that includes Bayern Munich.

Plus, there’s all the surrounding storylines: Enrique against his former club; the battle of midfield superstars in Vitinha and Neves vs. Pedri and Rodri; the meeting of the top-two finishers in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings in Dembélé and Lamine Yamal; Ferran Torres facing Barcelona after essentially forcing his way out of Catalonia this summer.

Everything is in place for Barcelona’s trip to Paris to be a must-watch match. Perhaps the only downside is that the stakes aren’t as high—but the pair of juggernauts could easily meet again later in the competition.