Projected Champions League Pot Draw: Dinamo in Fourth Pot, Potential Opponents Real, PSG, and Liverpool
If they clear the remaining qualifying hurdles, Dinamo will face eight different opponents in the league phase, two from each pot.
If they clear the remaining qualifying hurdles, Dinamo will face eight different opponents in the league phase, two from each pot.
According to current projections published on Saturday, August 1, 2026, by 24sata and Tportal, GNK Dinamo would enter the Champions League league phase from the fourth, lowest-ranked pot. Of course, the condition is that the Croatian champions first successfully clear the remaining obstacles in qualifying, including a tie against Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris, led by former Rijeka coach Željko Sopić.
The projections, based on the assumption that all seeded teams in the third qualifying round and the play-offs advance, give a hint of which giants the 'Blues' could face. The new competition format stipulates that each of the 36 teams plays eight matches against eight different opponents, two from each pot, one at home and one away.
If Dinamo secures a spot among the elite, the potential opponents from the first pot are daunting. As reported by 24sata and Tportal, it includes the champions and runners-up of Europe's top leagues: PSG, Liverpool, Inter, Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. The 'Blues' would have the opportunity to host some of the world's biggest football stars at Maksimir against two clubs from this pot.
The second pot is no less demanding. According to projections carried by Croatian media, it includes Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Betis, and PSV. From the third pot, Dinamo could face clubs like Lyon, Bodø/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Feyenoord, Lille, Villarreal, Shakhtar, and Galatasaray.
In the fourth pot, where Dinamo is projected to be, they would be joined by Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, AEK, Como, Stuttgart, Red Star Belgrade, Celtic, and Lens. The draw that will determine the final pairings is scheduled for late August, after all qualifying matches are played.
While awaiting the outcome of the qualifiers, Dinamo's players are training hard. The club's official Twitter profile (@gnkdinamo) posted photos from training on Friday, July 31, 2026, with the message: "Even at 30+ degrees... 💙", and photographer Luka Stanzl captured an impressive training move, which the club accompanied with the caption "Stojke ➡️ Dion ➡️ ⚽️🎉".
