Why Champions League Matches Take Place on Thursdays During Opening Week
The sight of Champions League games happening on a Thursday might surprise some fans. Traditionally, Thursdays were reserved for Europa League and Conference League matches, often the subject of many social media jokes about lesser football nights.
Since the 2024-25 season, and continuing this year, Europe's top clubs have taken over that Thursday slot—but only for one week each season. This change is linked to the new structure of the competition's league phase.
The Expansion Behind the Scheduling Shift
The key driver is the expansion from 32 to 36 teams in the Champions League. Instead of groups, all teams compete in a single league table, playing eight matches—four home and four away—against different opponents.
After these eight matches, the top eight teams go straight to the round of 16. Teams ranked ninth to 24th play off for the remaining spots, while the others are eliminated. The number of matches on the opening day demanded a fresh approach to scheduling. With 36 teams playing simultaneously, UEFA couldn't stick to the old two-night format. The answer was to spread the opening matches across three nights: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
How UEFA’s Exclusive Weeks Work
Each of UEFA’s three club competitions—the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League—gets one week without fixtures from the other two. For the Champions League, this exclusive week falls on the first matchday.
During this week, the usual schedule flips. The Champions League fills all three nights, Tuesday through Thursday, allowing enough time between matches and easing pressure on broadcasters.
Once this week finishes, the competition returns to its normal routine: matches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, with Thursdays reserved for the Europa League and Conference League.
The Europa League’s exclusive week comes next, running its opening round from Wednesday to Thursday before settling into its regular Thursday-only schedule. The Conference League plays all its matches on Thursdays, with the final league games getting a special standalone Thursday slot.
The 2026-27 Opening Matchday Lineup
The Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, starting its exclusive three-night week. Big clashes include:
- Tuesday: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
- Wednesday: Barcelona vs Feyenoord
- Thursday: Manchester United vs Sabah
Full List of 2026-27 Opening Games
- Fenerbahce vs Roma: 5:45 pm
- PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk: 5:45 pm
- Como vs RB Leipzig: 8 pm
- Bayern Munich vs Bodo/Glimt: 8 pm
- Manchester United vs Sabah: 8 pm
- Slavia Praha vs Lens: 8 pm
From the second matchday on October 13 and 14, the schedule goes back to its usual pattern: Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday, Europa and Conference Leagues on Thursday.
