2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase

The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase began on 16 September 2025 and ended on 28 January 2026. A total of 36 teams competed in the league phase to decide the 24 places in the knockout phase of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League. Bodø/Glimt, Kairat, Pafos and Union Saint-Gilloise made their debut appearances in the league phase/group stage, with Kairat, based in Almaty, becoming the easternmost team to ever qualify for the Champions League since the introduction of the group stage. In addition, Bodø/Glimt, based in Bodø within the Arctic Circle, became the northernmost European team to ever compete in the Champions League. This marked the first time a Norwegian team participated in the competition proper since the 2007–08 season. This was also the first season since 2005–06 in which no Ukrainian sides qualified for the group stage/league phase. After being drawn to play away against Sporting CP, Kairat broke the record for the longest trip in UEFA competitions, travelling 6,911 kilometres (4,294 mi) from Almaty to Lisbon. A total of 16 national associations were represented in the league phase.