Inter Women are gearing up for a significant milestone as they prepare to find out their opponents in the UEFA Women's Champions League. After a remarkable comeback victory against Wolfsburg in the third qualifying round, the Nerazzurre will participate in the draw for the 2026/27 League Phase, scheduled for Friday, September 4, at 12:00 CEST in Nyon, Switzerland.
This year's tournament will feature a total of eighteen teams competing in the League Phase. Nine teams will enter directly into the league phase, while the other nine will qualify through preliminary rounds. The teams will be organized into a single league table, with Inter Women placed in Pot 3, which will influence their matchups against six different opponents—two from each of the other two pots, while avoiding teams from the same association.
The competition format stipulates that each team will face two opponents from each pot, playing one match at home and one away. Notably, teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other, meaning Inter Women will not face any other Italian teams during this phase.
After completing their six matches, the top four teams in the league standings will qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, teams finishing in fifth to twelfth place will enter a playoff round, where they will compete for the remaining spots in the quarter-final lineup.
The participating teams are divided into three pots based on their UEFA ranking coefficients. In Pot 1, the heavyweights include Barcelona (Spain), OL Lyon (France), Chelsea (England), Bayern Munich (Germany), Arsenal (England), and Paris Saint-Germain (France). Pot 2 features Real Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy), Häcken (Sweden), Roma (Italy), Benfica (Portugal), and Paris FC (France). Inter Women will compete alongside Manchester City (England), OH Leuven (Belgium), HB Køge (Denmark), Austria Vienna (Austria), and Servette (Switzerland) in Pot 3.
The League Phase is set to unfold between September and December, with the first matches scheduled for September 22 and 23. The complete matchday schedule is as follows:
- Matchday 1: September 22/23
- Matchday 2: September 30/October 1
- Matchday 3: October 28/29
- Matchday 4: November 10/11
- Matchday 5: November 18/19
- Matchday 6: December 16
This season marks a historic moment for Inter Women as they embark on their first journey in the UEFA Women's Champions League, and the upcoming draw will be crucial in determining their path forward in this prestigious competition.
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