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Arsenal drawn against Barcelona and Lyon in Women's Champions League league phase

The draw in Nyon sets the fixtures for 18 clubs, with the tournament's opening round scheduled to begin on September 22.

Updated Sep 4, 2026 · 12:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • UEFA conducted the Women's Champions League draw in Nyon, setting the league phase matchups for 18 participating teams.
  • English clubs learned their opponents, with Arsenal set to face defending champions Barcelona and eight-time winners Lyon.
  • The six-matchday phase begins on September 22 and runs through December 16, with the official match schedule release expected on September 5.

Key facts

  • Arsenal's league phase schedule includes home matches against Lyon, Benfica, and HB Koge, alongside away fixtures against Barcelona, Paris FC, and Inter Milan.[BBC News]
  • Chelsea will host Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, and Austria Wien, and will travel to play Lyon, Hacken, and OH Leuven.[BBC News]
  • Manchester City will face PSG, Real Madrid, and Austria Wien at home, while traveling for matches against Bayern Munich, Hacken, and Inter Milan.[BBC News]
  • The 18 participating clubs were divided into three pots of six, each drawing one home and one away opponent from every pot.[BBC News]
  • The knockout playoffs are scheduled for February 2027, followed by quarterfinals in March, semifinals in May, and the final in Warsaw in late May.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The specific calendar dates, kickoff times, and order of individual matches remain unconfirmed pending UEFA's formal schedule release on September 5.[BBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.