Thursday afternoon’s UEFA Champions League draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco revealed the eight opponents Atlético Madrid will face in the league phase of the 2026/27 competition. Atlético entered the draw as a Pot 1 side thanks to their strong UEFA club coefficient ranking, placing them among Europe’s highest-seeded clubs.
In a process that I still don’t quite understand, Thierry Henry selected Atlético de Madrid’s ball and David Villa pushed a magic button that suddenly revealed their opponents.
Atleti drew FC Bayern Munich and Liverpool from Pot 1, Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven from Pot 2, Fenerbahçe SK and FK Bodø/Glimt from Pot 3 and Viking and Stuttgart from Pot 4.
Overall, this is a tough draw for Simeone’s men, but per Villa himself, Atlético de Madrid are ready. Let’s dive into some key details for each matchup.
First, it is an important campaign for the Rojiblancos, with the Champions League final set to be played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on May 30, 2027. The hope of course is that this finally will be Atleti’s year, with the chance to play in a home UCL final and win La Primera hovering over the club.
FC Bayern Munich were the first club to come across the screen when Henry chose Atlético de Madrid’s ball. Bundesliga winners Bayern are coming off an impressive season in the Champions League, going all the way to the semifinals where they fell to the eventual winners, Paris Saint-Germain.
Atlético are 2-2-4 against Bayern Munich all-time, with the most notable modern meeting between the two clubs coming in the 2015/16 Champions League semifinals. After a 2-2 aggregate draw, Atlético advanced to the final on away goals, booking their place in Milan.
No one was more excited about Atlético’s second opponent than Marcos Llorente. Last season, the midfielder scored a brace at Anfield in the league phase, though Liverpool ultimately claimed a 3-2 victory thanks to a late Virgil van Dijk header.
Llorente’s most memorable performance against the Reds however came at Anfield in March 2020. The Spain international scored twice in extra time and assisted Álvaro Morata’s goal in a stunning 3-2 victory that secured a 4-2 aggregate win and eliminated the reigning European champions from the competition.
Moving on to pot two, Atlético have fond memories of facing Manchester United in European competition. The two clubs met in the 2021/22 Champions League Round of 16, where João Félix’s first-leg goal and Renan Lodi’s winner at Old Trafford helped Diego Simeone’s side advance 2-1 on aggregate in Cristiano Ronaldo’s final Champions League match.
Atlético’s other opponent from pot two is PSV Eindhoven. Atlético also faced PSV in last season’s league phase, earning a 3-2 victory in Eindhoven. The result maintained the club’s unbeaten record against the Dutch side, which now stands at five wins and two draws from seven meetings.
For a second straight season, Atlético were paired with Bodø/Glimt, though this time Simeone’s side will have to make the long trip above the Arctic Circle. Atlético supporters were probably not thrilled with the draw, given what happened when Bodø came to the Metropolitano in January.
Fenerbahçe were selected as Atleti’s second opponent from pot three. Atlético and Fener have only met twice in competitive action, with the Rojiblancos advancing past the Turkish giants 4-2 on aggregate in the 2011/12 Europa League semifinals before going on to lift the trophy.
Pot 4 produced two unfamiliar opponents for Atlético. One of those sides, Norway’s Viking FK, will be making its Champions League debut. Stuttgart return to Europe’s premier club competition after a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga, while Viking secured their place in the league phase by winning the Norwegian championship over Bodø.
The exact dates and times will be released on Saturday, but matches will be played from Sept. 8, 2026, to Jan. 27, 2027.
Atlético de Madrid UEFA Champions League league phase draw in full
FC Bayern Munich (H)
Liverpool (A)
Manchester United (H)
PSV Eindhoven (A)
Fenerbahçe SK (H)
FK Bodø/Glimt (A)
Viking (H)
Stuttgart (A)
