Why Champions League Matches Take Place on Thursdays During Opening Week
The sight of Champions League games on Thursday evenings might surprise fans used to seeing Europa League or Conference League matches then. For many years, Thursday nights were reserved for those competitions, often becoming the butt of jokes online. But starting in the 2024-25 season and continuing this year, Europe's top clubs play on Thursdays for just one week during the opening matchdays.
This unusual scheduling comes from UEFA’s need to accommodate a new league-phase format with more teams and matches. Thursday night Champions League games first appeared in September 2024 and have returned as part of the exclusive opening matchweek.
What Changed: The Expansion to 36 Teams
The biggest shift driving this change is the expansion of the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams. Instead of groups, all teams now compete in a single league table, playing eight matches each—four at home and four away against different opponents.
After these eight games, the top eight automatically progress to the round of 16. Teams placed ninth to 24th enter playoffs for the remaining spots, while others are eliminated. This structure creates a large number of matches on the opening day, which could not fit into the traditional two-night schedule.
How the Exclusive Weeks Work
UEFA has set up a system where each club competition gets one exclusive matchweek without clashes from the other tournaments. For the Champions League, this exclusive period is the first matchday. During this week, the Champions League spreads its fixtures over three nights—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—to manage the volume and avoid broadcasting conflicts.
Following the opening week, the schedule returns to normal: Champions League matches are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Thursdays go back to hosting Europa League and Conference League games.
The Europa League then receives its own exclusive week immediately after, with its opening matches spread from Wednesday to Thursday, before settling into a Thursday-only schedule. The Conference League consistently plays on Thursdays, with its last league fixtures highlighted on a special Thursday evening.
The 2026-27 Champions League Opening Fixtures
The latest season starts on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, kicking off the exclusive three-night opening stretch that ends on Thursday, September 10. Big games include:
- Real Madrid vs Inter Milan – Tuesday
- Barcelona vs Feyenoord – Wednesday
- Manchester United vs Sabah – Thursday
Other opening fixtures with kick-off times are:
- 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
After this opening phase, from October 13 and 14 onwards, the schedule switches back to the traditional Tuesday and Wednesday setup, leaving Thursdays free for Europa League matches again until the next season's opening week demands the three-night layout once more.
