The UEFA Youth League's Champions League path league phase has begun, with 36 academy teams starting six-match schedules that will determine 22 round-of-32 places.
The opening programme contains 18 fixtures, led by holders Real Madrid against Inter and Porto against Manchester City. The youth fixtures follow the first six match pairings from the senior UEFA Champions League.
They give academy players from leading European clubs the chance to compete in international football, while final league positions determine who advances and who earns home advantage in the first knockout round.
UEFA Youth League 2026/27 Matchday 1 Fixtures and Kick-Off Times
Real Madrid begin their title defence against Inter after winning their second UEFA Youth League trophy last season. The match is scheduled for 16:00 CET. Porto host Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund face Villarreal.
Club Brugge meet Aston Villa, Lille play Real Betis and AEK Athens take on LASK in the opening group of fixtures. Barcelona host Feyenoord, Napoli play Arsenal, and Liverpool welcome Atletico Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain face Slovan Bratislava, while Sporting CP play Galatasaray. Manchester United face Sabah, Bayern Munich host Bodø/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven play Shakhtar Donetsk, and Fenerbahce take on Roma.
Como make their competition debut against Leipzig, while Stuttgart face Viking and Slavia Praha host Lens.
| UEFA Youth League Matchday 1 fixture | Kick-off time (CET) |
|---|---|
| AEK Athens vs LASK | 11:00 |
| Porto vs Manchester City | 13:00 |
| Club Brugge vs Aston Villa | 14:00 |
| Lille vs Real Betis | 15:00 |
| Real Madrid vs Inter | 16:00 |
| Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal | 16:00 |
| Barcelona vs Feyenoord | 12:00 |
| Stuttgart vs Viking | 12:30 |
| Napoli vs Arsenal | 14:00 |
| Paris Saint-Germain vs Slovan Bratislava | 14:30 |
| Sporting CP vs Galatasaray | 15:00 |
| Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid | 16:00 |
| Fenerbahce vs Roma | 11:00 |
| PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk | 14:00 |
| Slavia Praha vs Lens | 14:00 |
| Manchester United vs Sabah | 15:00 |
| Como vs Leipzig | 15:00 |
| Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt | 16:00 |
How UEFA Youth League Qualification for the Round of 32 Works
Each club plays three home and three away matches in the Champions League path league phase, with all 36 teams ranked in a single table.
The top 22 qualify for the round of 32, while teams finishing first to sixth are drawn at home against sides ranked 17th to 22nd in the one-match knockout round.
Teams ranked seventh to 16th are drawn away to one of the 10 qualifiers from the domestic champions path.
That route is for domestic youth champions whose senior clubs are not competing in the Champions League path.
The round-of-32 draw is scheduled for 11 December in Nyon, with the one-off ties on 2 or 3 February and the round of 16 on 23 or 24 February.
The competition then moves to quarter-finals on 16 or 17 March, before the final four meet in April. UEFA has scheduled the semi-finals for 16 April and the final for 19 April.
UEFA Youth League: Clubs to Watch in the 2026/27 League Phase
Barcelona are the competition’s most successful club with three UEFA Youth League titles. Porto are also former winners, while Club Brugge finished as runners-up last season. Shakhtar Donetsk have previously reached the final.
PSG also reached the semi-finals in the last edition. Those results indicate their recent form, but neither side carries points into the new league phase.
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, PSG and Real Madrid have featured in all 13 editions of the UEFA Youth League. Atletico and Barcelona are set to reach 100 Youth League appearances on Matchday 3.
Como, Fenerbahce, LASK and Viking are making their Youth League debuts, joining clubs with established records in the competition. The league phase runs through the first six matchdays of the senior Champions League.
