UEFA has confirmed a landmark decision ahead of the 2025/26 Champions League season: this year’s final in Budapest will begin three hours earlier than the traditional slot. Instead of the usual 9:00 p.m. CET, the showpiece will now kick off at 6:00 p.m. CET (12:00 p.m. ET), marking the biggest shift in scheduling since the final was moved from Wednesday to Saturday in 2010.
UEFA stated the adjustment is designed to improve the matchday experience for fans and host cities alike, making the event more accessible for families, easing logistical challenges, and maximizing economic benefits for local businesses. President Aleksander Čeferin emphasized that the change puts “the fans’ experience at the heart of our planning,” underlining the governing body’s intent to make football’s most prestigious club match more inclusive.
The Puskás Arena in Budapest will host its first-ever Champions League final on 30 May 2026, a venue that previously staged the Europa League final in 2022. With a capacity of over 67,000, it promises to provide a fitting stage for European football’s crown jewel.
Liverpool Set for Champions League Draw in Monaco
Before thoughts turn to Budapest, Liverpool will learn their European fate this Thursday when the Champions League league-phase draw takes place in Monaco. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. BST / 12:00 p.m. ET), bringing together the continent’s elite clubs and some intriguing newcomers.
This season will once again feature the 36-team league phase, a format introduced last year. Each side will play eight different opponents, drawn from four seeding pots based on UEFA’s five-year club coefficient ranking. Teams face two opponents from each pot, ensuring a varied schedule.
For Liverpool, seeded in Pot 1 as Premier League champions, the draw could deliver blockbuster encounters against Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or PSG. Meanwhile, long-haul trips to Bodo/Glimt in Norway or Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan could prove some of the toughest away days in the competition’s history, with freezing winter conditions expected in January fixtures.
The Format and Key Dates
The competition’s league phase runs from 16 September 2025 to 28 January 2026. The top eight teams will advance automatically to the Round of 16, while those placed 9th–24th will contest knockout play-offs in February. Clubs finishing in the bottom 12 will be eliminated.
Once the play-offs conclude, the Round of 16 begins in March, with quarter-finals in April and semi-finals across late April and early May, culminating in the final on 30 May 2026 in Budapest.
Key Dates:
- Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025
- Matchday 8: 28 January 2026
- Play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026
- Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
- Final: 30 May 2026 (Puskás Arena, Budapest)
@okexr tweet down below:
Potential Opponents for Liverpool
Here is a look at the possible teams Liverpool could face in the 2025/26 league phase, based on confirmed UEFA seedings:
- Pot 1 (same group as Liverpool, so avoided): Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea.
- Pot 2: Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge.
- Pot 3: Tottenham, Ajax, Napoli, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Bodo/Glimt, Slavia Prague.
- Pot 4: Galatasaray, FC Copenhagen, Monaco, Union SG, Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle, Qarabag, Pafos, Kairat Almaty.
Watch the draw live from Uefa Champions League official website down below:
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/
The Big Picture
This draw not only shapes Liverpool’s European journey but also highlights the diversity of the new Champions League format. From potential glamour ties against Real Madrid to grueling winter trips to the Arctic Circle, Arne Slot’s men face a challenging road.
With the kick-off time of the final now shifted earlier, UEFA is promising a new era for football’s showpiece event — one that prioritizes fans and accessibility. For Liverpool, though, the immediate focus is Thursday’s draw in Monaco, where their route to Budapest officially begins.
