Best games in Champions League 2026-27 league phase: Top matchups created by UEFA competition's draw

The UEFA Champions League is back, as the matches for the league phase of the competition in the 2026/27 season are now set.

Known as the top annual club football competition in the world, the Champions League pits the biggest clubs in Europe against one another, with all teams harboring hopes of lifting the famous trophy.

At the draw on August 27 in Monaco, the matchups were solidified for the league phase of the competition, and now it will be up to the biggest superstars in the game to see their clubs through the heartbreak and into the annals of European football history.

The Sporting News brings you a look at the biggest matches of the league phase.

MORE: How does the UEFA Champions League draw work?

Best games in Champions League 2026/27 league phase

Arsenal vs. Real Madrid

So, after a summer of transfer speculation where he flirted with a move to the Premier League, Vinicius Jr. will head to the Emirates this season after all.

Arsenal had one of the toughest draws of any Pot 1 team, and maybe the most sensational of those matches will see the defending Premier League champions welcome Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid, who travel to London to face the Gunners.

Real Madrid are still a flawed side, but they have looked improved under Mourinho early on, and the dual threat of Kylian Mbappe and Vini Jr. will always pose a danger, no matter what form the club has endured.

With Arsenal harboring title dreams after reaching the final last year, this will be a real test of their credentials for the silverware at the end of the season.

Barcelona, Man Cty, PSG fixture triangle

• Barcelona vs. Man City
• Man City vs. PSG
• PSG vs. Barcelona

In one of the most fascinating outcomes of the 2026/27 league phase draw, three Pot 1 teams will all face each other in a sort of fixture triangle, as Barcelona, Manchester City and defending champions PSG will play each other.

PSG, of course, are going for a coveted three-peat, but they will have their work cut out for themselves just to earn a Round of 16 bye, as they have been drawn in a home match against Barcelona and an away game against Premier League behemoth Manchester City.

Barcelona have reached the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, but were knocked out both times in thrilling fashion, as Hansi Flick looks to prove his high-flying style of play can be an asset on the biggest stage. Man City, meanwhile, are under new management for the first time in a decade, as Pep Guardiola has departed and Enzo Maresca has taken charge.

This will be a fascinating little pod of matches to determine where each team stands in terms of their title chances and to see whether Barcelona or Man City can dethrone the reigning champions.

Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United

Quite possibly the most intriguing matchup on the board involving two teams both outside Pot 1, Manchester United will have to navigate an extremely difficult trip to the Metropolitano, the eventual site of this year's final.

This game should be a car crash from start to finish. Atletico Madrid are notoriously much more difficult to play against at home, and they play a ruthlessly physical style that will challenge Man United's mettle. The Red Devils have looked to build an upward trajectory, hiring Michael Carrick on a permanent basis after a strong finish to the season.

Still, after finishing third under Carrick's guidance with no European football to navigate, it will be a different story this year, and a visit to the Spanish capital will provide the ultimate test of whether the Red Devils are up to the challenge of balancing multiple top competitions across a long season.

Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal

Two clubs who feel they are right on the brink of becoming European champions meet in Munich this year, as Bayern will host Premier League winners Arsenal.

Since winning the title in 2020, the German giants have not been back to the Champions League final, ejected from the competition in either the quarterfinals or semifinals in each campaign since. They have built an attacking juggernaut this season, with Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and the rest of that star-studded squad scoring goals in bunches, and will feel that can carry them to European glory.

To do so, they will have to go through the best defensive team in Europe, set to match up against Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's vaunted back line. They met in last season's league phase at the Emirates, with Arsenal coming away as 3-1 winners on goals by Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli. Can Bayern reverse that result as they now welcome the Gunners to their home fortress?