Tottenham 2025/26 Champions League draw date, pots, likely opponents and teams in play-off battle

Thomas Frank and his Tottenham players are two weeks away from discovering their Champions League opponents in the 2025/26 campaign. As a result of their Europa League success back in May, Spurs return to Europe's top table for the first time since 2022/23.

All supporters are looking forward to the return of Champions League football, especially after almost beating the holders PSG in Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup final. The Champions League does have a rather different look about it since the last time the Lilywhites were involved in the competition.

As was the case in last season's Europa League, Spurs will be paired against two teams from each of the four pots in the league phase draw, which takes place on Thursday, August 28, to determine their eight league phase fixtures. A top-eight finish in the league table would see them advance directly to the round of 16, with those finishing between ninth and 24th involved in the knockout phase play-offs and those between 25th and 36th exiting the competition altogether.

We already know 29 of the 36 teams who have already qualified for the 2025/26 edition of the Champions League, with the final seven to seal their place via the play-off round. Those play-off ties commence from next week and sides such as Celtic, Rangers, Benfica and Fenerbahce are battling it out for a spot in the 36-team league table.

Ahead of the draw in two weeks' time, the pots are starting to take shape and six potential Pot 1 opponents are already clear to see as Tottenham cannot come up against fellow Premier League teams Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea. So who are the remaining teams fighting it out for Champions League football, which pot will Tottenham be in and who exactly could they face? You can find all that information and the key dates below:

Champions League play-off round ties

Champions Path

Ferencvaros vs Qarabag

Red Star Belgrade vs Pafos

Bodo/Glimt vs Sturm Graz

Celtic vs Kairat

Basel vs Copenhagen

League Path

Fenerbahce vs Benfica

Rangers vs Club Brugge

Teams already qualified and likely pots

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

Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt.

Pot 2/3: Tottenham, PSV.

Pot 3: Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Marseille.

Pot 4: AS Monaco, Galatasaray, Union SG, Athletic Club. Newcastle United.

Champions League 2025/26 schedule

League phase

Matchday 1: 16-18 September

Matchday 2: 30 September-1 October

Matchday 3: 21-22 October

Matchday 4: 4-5 November

Matchday 5: 25-26 November

Matchday 6: 9-10 December

Matchday 7: 20-21 January

Matchday 8: 28 January

Knockout phase play-offs

First leg: 17-18 February

Second leg: 24-25 February

Round of 16

First leg: 10-11 March

Second leg: 17-18 March

Quarter-finals

First leg: 7-8 April

Second leg: 14-15 April

Semi-finals

First leg: 28-29 April

Second leg: 5-6 May

Final

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Puskas Arena, Budapest.

Champions League draw dates

League phase: 28 August

Knockout phase play-offs: 30 January

Round of 16/quarter-finals/semi-finals/final: 27 February

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