The WSL's European contenders discover their league-phase opponents on Friday, with Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid among the clubs waiting in the draw
The Women's Champions League is back — and three of the WSL's biggest clubs are waiting to discover their route through Europe's premier competition.
Arsenal and Chelsea will enter Friday's league-phase draw from Pot 1, placing both among the highest-ranked teams in the competition, while Manchester City sit in Pot 3 after making their way through qualifying.
But with reigning champions Barcelona, six-time winners OL Lyonnes, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all among the teams involved, there is no shortage of heavyweight opposition waiting to be drawn.
The league phase draw takes place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Friday, September 4, with proceedings scheduled to begin at 11am BST.
And for the WSL trio, it will be the moment they discover exactly what stands between them and a place in the knockout stages.
Arsenal and Chelsea among the European heavyweights
Arsenal's presence in Pot 1 is no surprise given their status as one of Europe's established forces.
The Gunners have already experienced the biggest stage in women's football, winning the Champions League in 2007 before lifting the trophy again in 2025 after a memorable run through the knockout rounds.
They will now look to make another deep run, although Pot 1 guarantees that they will face two more sides from the top pot during the league phase.
Chelsea will also be among the teams Arsenal could meet later in the competition, but the two WSL clubs cannot be drawn together during the league phase because of the same-country protection.
The Blues have become one of the dominant forces in England over the past decade and will be looking to turn that domestic consistency into European success.
With Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and PSG also occupying Pot 1, however, the road to the latter stages will be anything but straightforward.
Manchester City face a different challenge
For Manchester City, Friday's draw presents a very different scenario.
City are in Pot 3, meaning they will be drawn against two teams from Pot 1 and two from Pot 2, alongside another opponent from Pot 3.
That immediately creates the possibility of some huge fixtures.
Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea, Bayern, Arsenal and PSG are all potential Pot 1 opponents, although City cannot face Arsenal or Chelsea because of the country protection rules.
A meeting with Barcelona or Lyon would therefore provide City with one of the biggest tests available, while Bayern and PSG would offer similarly difficult challenges.
The advantage for City is that Pot 3 also contains sides such as OH Leuven, HB Køge, Austria Wien, Inter and Servette, meaning there is scope for a more favourable draw elsewhere.
The pots are packed with big names
Friday's draw features a fascinating mixture of established European powers, ambitious challengers and clubs looking to make their mark on the competition.
Pot 1
- Barcelona
- OL Lyonnes
- Chelsea
- Bayern Munich
- Arsenal
- Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona arrive as the reigning European champions after their latest triumph last season and will once again be one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
Lyon, meanwhile, remain one of the most decorated teams in women's European football, while Bayern and PSG will also have their sights set on going deep into the tournament.
For Arsenal and Chelsea, being placed alongside those clubs underlines just how competitive the top tier of European women's football has become.
Pot 2
- Real Madrid
- Juventus
- Häcken
- Roma
- Benfica
- Paris FC
Real Madrid are perhaps the standout name in Pot 2.
The Spanish side have established themselves as regulars in the competition since making their European debut in 2021 and will be hoping this is the campaign in which they finally break through to the latter stages.
Juventus and Roma also provide serious tests, while Benfica, Häcken and Paris FC could all make life difficult for the Pot 1 sides.
Pot 3
- Manchester City
- OH Leuven
- HB Køge
- Austria Wien
- Inter
- Servette
City's presence is the obvious headline for WSL supporters, but Inter will also add another recognisable name to the pot.
For the teams in Pot 1 and Pot 2, avoiding City will certainly be high on the wishlist.
Who could the WSL teams face?
For Arsenal and Chelsea, the league-phase format guarantees two opponents from Pot 1, although neither can face the other.
That means both clubs will be handed two heavyweight European fixtures before the knockout stages even begin.
Arsenal, for example, could face Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern or PSG from the other Pot 1 sides, while Real Madrid, Juventus and the other Pot 2 teams provide another layer of potential difficulty.
Chelsea face the same basic challenge, although their own opponents will depend on how the draw develops.
Manchester City's position makes their draw particularly intriguing.
A Pot 1 heavyweight will be unavoidable, but the club could also land one of the more favourable teams from Pot 2 before facing another Pot 3 side.
That makes City's draw perhaps the most difficult to predict.
How does the Women's Champions League league phase work?
The competition has moved away from the old group-stage format, with teams now competing in a single league phase.
Each club plays six matches, three at home and three away, facing two teams from each pot.
The top four teams in the league phase qualify directly for the quarter-finals.
Those finishing between fifth and 12th will enter the knockout play-offs, meaning there is still a route into the last eight for teams that fall short of the top four.
The bottom six sides, meanwhile, will see their European campaign come to an end.
There is also country protection during the league phase, meaning Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City cannot be drawn against another English club.
That rule also prevents Real Madrid from meeting Barcelona at this stage.
When is the Champions League draw?
The Women's Champions League league-phase draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Friday, September 4.
The draw is scheduled to begin at 11am BST and will be streamed live by UEFA.
For Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, it marks the start of the road towards Bilbao, where the 2027 final will be played.
With Europe's biggest clubs all waiting to discover their opponents, the WSL's representatives are about to find out just how difficult that road could become.
