European Champions,World Cup champions among Barca rivals in Champions League

FC Barcelona now know the eight rivals they will face in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league phase. While the full schedule and order of matches will be revealed on Saturday at noon, Hansi Flick’s side already has a demanding path ahead.

fHome Fixtures: PSG, Eintracht, Olympiacos, and Copenhagen

Barcelona will host four games at home. Among them, the standout clash is against reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, led by former Barça coach Luis Enrique and ex-Blaugrana winger Ousmane Dembélé.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s visit will carry extra tension, recalling their mass invasion of Camp Nou during the 2021-22 Europa League quarterfinals when Xavi Hernández was in charge. Olympiacos and Copenhagen complete the list of home opponents, ensuring a competitive atmosphere in Barcelona.

Away Trips: Chelsea, Brugge, Slavia Prague, and Newcastle

On the road, Barça will travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, where another reunion awaits with former La Masia player Marc Cucurella. This encounter comes at a delicate time, with Chelsea pushing hard to sign Fermín López.

Other away matches include challenging atmospheres at Club Brugge, Slavia Prague, and Newcastle United, but without major travel complications.

High-Profile Reunions Await

The biggest narratives of the group stage will be reunions. Against PSG, it will be Luis Enrique and Dembélé vs. Lamine Yamal, a duel between two stars also competing for the Ballon d’Or.

Meanwhile, Chelsea brings a reunion with Cucurella, although Marc Guiu, another Barça talent, won’t be involved after his loan move to Sunderland.

Laporta already has the Champions League game he asked for.

"We didn't play PSG in the final , but I hope with the new format we'll meet this year. I think PSG did very well last season, winning the Champions League, the French league... they played good football. They have a good coach, a good team, and a good set of players. Unfortunately, we didn't play them. But everyone who loves football says we were the two most competitive teams, in the best form, and that we played the best football in the world last season.

"Let's see if we can measure ourselves this season to see which of us is better, with all due respect to the other clubs. Maybe another team will emerge this year..." Laporta said during an interview with CNN Sports during the Asian tour last month.