2025–26 UEFA Champions League Draw

The draw for the group stage of the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League was held on 28 August 2025 at the Grimaldi Forum Congress and Cultural Centre in Monaco. The draw was conducted by former footballers Zlatan Ibrahimović and Kaka. As a result of this draw, Galatasaray, the sole representative of Türkiye in the tournament, was paired with eight different opponents. Simultaneously, with the introduction of the new format by UEFA, the Champions League has for the second time in its history adopted a 36-team league system, replacing the traditional group stage structure.

Participants and Delegation

Representing the Turkish Football Federation at the draw was President Ibrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu. He was accompanied by Board Member Prof. Dr. H. Zehra Neşe Kavak and Director General of National Teams Buğra İmamoğulları. Representing Galatasaray at the draw were Club President Dursun Özbek, Vice President Metin Öztürk, Deputy President Niyazi Yelkencioğlu, Board Member Fatih Demircan, Acting Chairmen of Sportif AŞ Abdullah Kavukcu and Maruf Güneş, and Director General of the First Team Uğur Yıldız.

Galatasaray’s Opponents

Under UEFA’s new league format, each team was drawn against eight different opponents, with two teams drawn from each of four pots. Galatasaray was placed in Pot 4 and will play four matches at home and four away. The opponents for the yellow-red team are as follows:

• Pot 1: Liverpool (home), Manchester City (away)
• Pot 2: Atlético Madrid (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (away)
• Pot 3: Bodo/Glimt (home), Ajax (away)
• Pot 4: Union Saint-Gilloise (home), Monaco (away)

Match Schedule and Tournament Format

Under the league system introduced for the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League season, each team plays eight matches, four at home and four away, against eight different opponents determined by the draw. Galatasaray is the only Turkish team participating in this format.

At the end of the league phase, the following rules apply:

• The top eight teams qualify directly for the Round of 16.
• The 16 teams ranked 9th to 24th compete in a two-legged playoff to secure the remaining eight spots in the Round of 16.
• The teams ranked 25th and below are eliminated from the tournament.

The match schedule for Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League fixtures is as follows:

1. Matchweek: 16–18 September 2025
2. Matchweek: 30 September – 1 October 2025
3. Matchweek: 21–22 October 2025
4. Matchweek: 4–5 November 2025
5. Matchweek: 25–26 November 2025
6. Matchweek: 9–10 December 2025
7. Matchweek: 20–21 January 2026
8. Matchweek: 28 January 2026

The dates for the subsequent rounds after the league phase are planned as follows:

• Round of 16 Play-off: 17–18 and 24–25 February 2026
• Round of 16: 10–11 and 17–18 March 2026
• Quarter-finals: 7–8 and 14–15 April 2026
• Semi-finals: 28–29 April and 5–6 May 2026
• Final: 30 May 2026 – Puskás Arena, Budapest

Team Pot Allocation

Before the draw, the 36 participating teams were divided into four pots of nine teams each, based on their UEFA coefficient rankings. The pots were structured as follows:

Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona

Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge

Pot 3: Tottenham, PSV, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Bodo/Glimt, Marseille

Pot 4: Copenhagen, Monaco, Galatasaray, Union SG, Karabakh, Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle United, Pafos, Kairat

Statements by Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek

Following the draw, Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek stated that every team in the Champions League is strong and emphasized that Galatasaray is capable of achieving effective results against them. Özbek highlighted the importance of offering Turkish football fans the opportunity to watch top-level teams and stressed that the club must put up a performance befitting Galatasaray’s legacy in the competition. He specifically pointed to last season’s results, noting that opponents facing Galatasaray will need to think twice before underestimating them.