Real Madrid’s Champions League path includes Inter, Arsenal and six further tests

Real Madrid have been handed a demanding route through the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase, with Inter and Arsenal among the eight opponents awaiting the Spanish club.

The draw gives Real Madrid four home matches and four away fixtures. Their campaign will begin at the Santiago Bernabeu against Inter, while the standout away assignment will be a trip to face Arsenal in England.

Real Madrid’s league-phase schedule is:

– Real Madrid v Inter Santiago Bernabeu – Arsenal v Real Madrid – Real Madrid v PSV Eindhoven – AS Roma v Real Madrid – Real Madrid v RB Leipzig – Shakhtar Donetsk v Real Madrid – Real Madrid v LASK – AEK Athens v Real Madrid

The meetings with Arsenal and Inter represent the most prominent challenges in the draw. Real Madrid will also face a variety of opponents in PSV Eindhoven, AS Roma, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK and AEK Athens as they attempt to reach the knockout stage.

The draw has been made under the revamped Champions League format, which features 36 clubs in a single league standings table rather than the former group-stage structure.

Each team plays eight matches against eight different opponents. Those fixtures are split between two opponents from each seeding pot, with one match at home and one away against clubs from each category.

The eight teams finishing highest in the league phase will qualify automatically for the last 16. Clubs placed from ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged play-off, with the winners claiming the remaining places in the last 16.

Teams finishing from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from European competition and will not move into the UEFA Europa League.

The league phase is scheduled to begin between 8 and 10 September 2026. The final round of matches will be played on 27 January 2027, with the Champions League final due to take place in Madrid on 5 June 2027.

For Real Madrid, the opening home game against Inter immediately provides a high-profile test before the visit to Arsenal adds another major challenge away from the Santiago Bernabeu. The remaining fixtures offer a mixture of established European opposition and less familiar challenges as the club targets qualification for the knockout rounds.

The draw was also shared by Real Madrid on social media with the message: “¡Estos son nuestros rivales en la fase liga de la LigaDeCampeones!” Supporters can discuss the draw and other football news in greater depth on the Kooora forums.