Who Has Qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League?

New Format, Familiar Faces & Some Surprise Entrants for the Revamped Tournament

As the dust settles on another dramatic season of European football, attention now turns to the next campaign of the UEFA Champions League — and the 2025-26 edition is set to be one for the history books. With UEFA’s much-discussed format revamp officially kicking in, the landscape of Europe’s premier club competition is about to shift in a major way.

Gone is the traditional 32-team group stage. In its place, a 36-team league phase will take centre stage, offering a bigger, bolder tournament — more games, more teams, and more drama. With domestic leagues now wrapped up, the list of confirmed clubs for this new-look Champions League is beginning to take shape. From title winners and league finishers to bonus slots awarded via European Performance Spots, the qualifying picture is becoming clearer.

So, who exactly has punched their ticket for next season’s biggest European stage?

Champions League 2025-26: Premier League Powerhouses Lead the Charge

Champions League 2025-26: Premier League Powerhouses Lead the Charge

It’s no surprise that English clubs will be well represented once again. Four of the usual suspects — Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea — have all qualified by finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City left it late to confirm their qualification, but when they finally did, their boss compared it to “winning a title.” It may have been said half in jest, but with England’s top four becoming increasingly competitive, it’s clear the margins are razor-thin at the elite level.

Interestingly, England will also send a fifth team into the main competition. Thanks to strong collective performances in European competitions this past season, the Premier League earned one of UEFA’s two European Performance Spots — a system that rewards nations with the best continental record. That additional place goes to Newcastle United, who narrowly missed out on the top four but now get another crack at European glory.

Spain: Giants Return, Villarreal Benefit from UEFA’s New Coefficients Rule

UEFA Champions League Trophy

La Liga will also feature five clubs in the 2025-26 Champions League. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, and Athletic Club all qualified directly via their league positions. Meanwhile, Villarreal — Spain’s next-best finisher outside the top four — were granted an extra berth thanks to Spain earning one of those coveted European Performance Spots alongside England.

It’s a just reward for Villarreal, whose continental consistency has helped boost Spain’s coefficient in recent seasons, even as the domestic title race remained largely dominated by the usual suspects.

Serie A Sends Four: Napoli and Inter Return, Atalanta Keep Rising

In Italy, Napoli, Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus will carry the flag in next year’s Champions League. Inter could still add a bit more prestige to their entry — they’re one of two teams who could qualify as Champions League holders, depending on the outcome of the 2024-25 final.

Either way, all four Italian sides have earned their spots through strong campaigns, with Atalanta continuing their remarkable rise as a force in both Serie A and Europe.

Bundesliga Giants March On

Germany’s quartet of Champions League qualifiers is both familiar and formidable. Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, and Eintracht Frankfurt will all feature in the expanded league phase next season.

Leverkusen’s return to Europe’s top table is particularly noteworthy — after going unbeaten in the Bundesliga for much of the 2024-25 season, they’ve truly re-established themselves as serious contenders under Xabi Alonso.

French Trio to Feature as PSG Eye Redemption

Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, and Monaco will represent France in the new format. PSG are already qualified through Ligue 1 but could also book a spot by winning the current Champions League — although that would trigger UEFA’s rebalancing rule, which opens up an additional place for another club.

In that case, Olympiacos of Greece benefit, gaining access through this rebalancing mechanism. They’re confirmed participants regardless, with UEFA’s rules rewarding national champions if a qualified team also wins the Champions League or Europa League.

Champions League Title Holders: Tottenham & Either PSG or Inter

Speaking of European silverware, Tottenham Hotspur have already clinched a Champions League spot after lifting the 2024-25 Europa League trophy — a massive achievement that ensures their return to the continent’s biggest stage.

The winner of the current Champions League final — either PSG or Inter Milan — will also enter the 2025-26 competition automatically. If that winner has already qualified through domestic means (which both have), UEFA’s rebalancing kicks in, giving another team a golden ticket.

Who Else Is In?

Outside the top five leagues, there are several notable names already confirmed:

• Ajax and PSV from the Netherlands

• Sporting CP from Portugal

• Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium

• Galatasaray from Türkiye

• Slavia Praha from the Czech Republic

These clubs earned their spots via domestic title wins or league placements, showing that while the Champions League may have grown in size, it hasn’t lost its spirit of continental diversity.

The Final Piece of the Puzzle: Qualifying Rounds

With 29 teams now confirmed, seven more spots will be filled through the Champions Path and League Path qualifying rounds. These matches begin on 8 July 2025, giving smaller clubs the opportunity to dream big.

Historically, these qualifying rounds have been where underdog stories begin — and with more slots up for grabs in the new format, the chances of a surprise entrant reaching the league phase are greater than ever.

When Does the 2025-26 Champions League Start?

The league phase kicks off on 16 September 2025, and this time, there’s no group stage. Instead, each of the 36 teams will play eight matches against different opponents.

It’s a bold departure from the past — designed to increase competitiveness, avoid dead rubbers, and ensure that every fixture counts.

A Final to Remember: Budapest Gets the Spotlight

The curtain will come down on the season on 30 May 2026, when the Champions League final takes place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. It’ll be the first time the Hungarian capital hosts the showpiece, and with UEFA’s new format generating unprecedented interest, expect an occasion that combines modern spectacle with old-school magic.

A Season Like No Other Awaits

With a new structure, an expanded cast, and historic venues, the 2025-26 Champions League is shaping up to be unlike anything we’ve seen before.

From Newcastle’s return and Villarreal’s reward for Spain’s coefficient strength, to the familiar excellence of Europe’s giants and the mystery of the qualifying rounds still to come — this is a campaign that promises thrills, surprises, and spectacle from the opening matchday right through to the Budapest finale.

Buckle up. European nights are about to feel very different — and very exciting.