The 2026 World Cup is now in the past, and attention has shifted back to club football as the Champions League begins to take shape. The draw in Monaco on Thursday confirmed the eight league-phase opponents for Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 2026/27 competition.
Although it is too early to identify the favorites, the two Spanish giants appear to have received contrasting schedules. Real Madrid will host Inter and travel to Arsenal, while Barcelona face major tests against Manchester City, PSG and Galatasaray.
Real Madrid’s Champions League opponents
Real Madrid, led by José Mourinho, will play four home matches and four away games during the league phase.
The Spanish side will welcome Inter, PSV, RB Leipzig and LASK. The meeting with Inter appears to be the most difficult of their home fixtures, although playing at the Santiago Bernabéu could give Real Madrid an early advantage as they look to collect valuable points.
On the road, Real Madrid will face Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens. Their trip to England to meet Arsenal is likely to be one of the most closely watched matches on their schedule.
Barcelona face a demanding schedule
Barcelona’s league-phase campaign includes several opponents capable of making the opening stage particularly challenging.
At home, they will play Manchester City, Aston Villa, Feyenoord and Como. The visit from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City stands out as the headline fixture among their home matches.
Hansi Flick’s team will travel to face PSG, Sporting CP, Galatasaray and Sabah. Their trip to Paris to meet the reigning European champions is clearly the toughest assignment in that group of away fixtures.
The match will carry additional intrigue because the two teams will meet again after their encounter last season.
Based on the names drawn, Real Madrid appear to have a slightly easier route through the 2026/27 Champions League league phase than Barcelona.
Still, the draw is only the beginning. The true difficulty of each schedule will become clear once the matches begin and every opponent becomes a genuine test capable of influencing the course of the season.
Source: www.marca.com
