Even before the winners of the present season are decided, the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League campaign has already shaped up after the conclusion of the league season in Europe. The 29 teams qualifying directly to the opening stage of the competition proper, contested by 36 clubs in the new swill model format, has been decided while the remaining seven teams will come via the playoffs in August 2026.
England and Spain have the highest representation with five teams making it to the stage after clubs from both nation's good showing continentally in the 2025-26 season boosting their UEFA coefficient rankings, earning the additional European Performance Slots (EPS). The League Phase of the 2026-27 Champions League will start on 8 September 2026.
Directly qualified
England
England have retained their five direct slots for the League Phase via the European performance spots (EPS) after Arsenal's first leg victory against Sporting CP in the quarterfinal stage of the 2025-26 Champions League season and their eventual run to the Champions League final. With Aston Villa also winning the Europa League and Crystal Palace reaching the Conference League final, it ensured England will remain at the of the UEFA coefficient rankings. The early elimination of English clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League threatened to lose the additional spot from Premier League but Gunners being the only English side in the top tier competition to make it this far and other clubs reaching the ultimate stage of the competition has helped massively in retaining it.
Arsenal
After 22 years of waiting and ending the runners-up tag of the last three seasons, Arsenal were finally crowned champions of England under their master coach Mikel Arteta. They could also win the Champions League, reaching the final of the competition after 20 years, for the first time on 31st May 2026 to create more history and complete a remarkable double. The Gunners were the first team from England to qualify for the League Phase next season having confirmed their position as early as the second week of April with the first leg victory against Sporting CP in the quarterfinal due to the EPS allowing five teams from the Premier League in the opening round next season. It will be their 25th appearance in the competition and a third straight participation since returning to the big stage in 2023-24 season after a six-year absence.
Manchester City
Despite putting up a brilliant fight for the title and also managing to displace Arsenal from the top of the Premier League standings, Manchester City ultimately came short as they finished second with seven points adrift from the top spot. That victory against the Gunners on 19 April 2026 though booked their place in the League Phase ensuring their 16th straight participation in the Champions League since 2011-12, the longest streak of qualification for an English club and 17th overall. However, it will be their first continental campaign without Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard stepped down from his role having spent a trophy laden 11 years at the club. So, it will be a very emotional 2026-27 season for the side without their star coach in the dugout but will bring the energy of new era with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca reportedly taking charge.
Manchester United
Under club legend Michael Carrick, Manchester United pulled out an extraordinary comeback in just four months to secure Champions League football next season after seemingly losing hope following Ruben Amorim's forgetful era that ended in January this year. They will be returning to the competition after a two season absence and they confirmed their participation in style defeating arch rivals Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford in early May. The Red Devils went on to finish third on the Premier League table, a remarkable turnaround within months considering they were languishing out of top five not too long ago. It also earned Carrick to get the permanent manager role at the club and he will hope to lead the club better than ever especially with the pressure of European football now. This will be their 32nd appearance at the top-tier European competition but first time in the League Phase format.
Aston Villa
Without a doubt, Aston Villa experienced their best season in modern era when they lifted the Europa League title by defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the final, their first continental title since 1982 European Cup and also secured Champions League football for next season side by side. It is peak of the transformation the club has gone through since their genius manager Unai Emery stepped in back in 2023 and the second time they will witness the competition since breaking their 40-year drought in 2024. After narrowly missing out on Champions League places last time, they made sure they regained their spot in the competition by finishing fourth in the league but they still could have secured their place after finishing anywhere in the top five and having also witnessed a historic Europa League campaign. This will be Villa's only fourth Champions League participation in their history.
Liverpool
Hitting the heights of winning the Premier League last year and then crumbling to the low of scrambling for a Champions League place, Liverpool has largely had an unforgettable campaign. However, despite massive disappointments of not retaining the title and enduring embarrassing results, Liverpool still managed to book their place in the 36-team League Phase next season. They had to thank the additional European spots for that as they finished fifth and not in the top four to enjoy Champions League football again. It is their 28th participation in Europe's premier club competition and for the third straight time after missing it in the 2023-24 season. However, this will be their first Champions League campaign without their competition's record goalscorer Mohamed Salah after he ended his nine year stay at the club following the 2025-26 season.
Spain
Alongside England, Spain received the additional European Performance Sports (EPS) because of their better coefficient rankings in the season, courtesy of Spanish clubs going deeper into European competitions this season.
Barcelona
Barcelona secured back to back La Liga titles under the tutelage of Hansi Flick and this time their honor was secured with an El Clasico victory for the first time in their history. Flick's side finished on top with 94 points, eight points clear of their internal rivals Real Madrid, who finished second. The Catalan giants already became the first team in Europe to secure the Champions League berth next season by securing their qualification even before the March international break and they have now completed the league title defence to add cherry on top of the cake. They defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 on 23 March 2026 to seal their third straight qualification for the League Phase stage since the format change in 2024 and 34th time in history. They also maintain a streak of 22nd consecutive qualification to the biggest stage of European football.
Real Madrid
It was another forgetful campaign for Real Madrid as they finished trophyless once again and saw their bitter rivals topped them for the league title for consecutive time. With managerial changes in between from the hyped appointment of Xabi Alonso to turning to youth team coach and another club legend, Alvaro Arbeloa, nothing as gone right for the club as they finished second on the table long way off the top spot. Even though they pushed Bayern Munich all the way their chances ended in the quarterfinals of the 2025-26 Champions League season. Still, they were able to secure early qualification for the competition next season after a 1-1 draw against Girona in mid-April. However, the new season could bring hope for the club as they are bringing back the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho for his second managerial spell at the club.
Villarreal
Villarreal sealed back to back qualification to the League Phase of the Champions League after finishing third on the La Liga table, even above Atletico Madrid whom they thrashed 5-1 in the league's final game, following another remarkable season. It was an emotional one for the Yellow Submarines as their coach Marcelino under whom the club achieved such success stepped down from his role following the end of the 2025-26 season. So, Villarreal will be playing their sixth Champions League campaign with a new manager in helm. Whoever takes charge, his task will be to replace the disappointment of the side finishing second bottom in the 36-team table of their first League Phase campaign. They failed to win a single game, lost seven games and ended with just a point.
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone's side put up an excellent fight and reached the semifinals of the Champions League in the 2025-26 season for the first time in seven years, impressively beating runaway La Liga winners Barcelona in the quarterfinals, but they couldn't get past Premier League champions Arsenal who moved into the final. Atletico Madrid seemed to have focused too much on the European front after regathering their form in the second half of the campaign as the only finished fourth domestically. Even if it booked their spot in the League Phase next season, this was the second time they finished as low as fourth under the Argentine so they won't be too happy about it. However, Los Rojiblancos will compete in the Champions League for the 14th consecutive season under Simeone, 22nd in total, as they look to build on their positive continental campaign in the past season.
Real Betis
Real Betis turned into a European football regular under former Premier League winner with Manchester City, Manuel Pellegrini and now they have a historical feat of competing in the top-tier European club competition next season. By finishing fifth in the La Liga handsomely and with Spain gaining the extra spot for the 2026-27 League Phase was able to achieve Champions League football for the first time in their history. It was the reward of the project they have built under their Italian boss. Real Betis ended on 60 points, a good six points over sixth place Celta Vigo who qualified for Europa League and a 10 point comfort from a non-European place. They ended the season in fine form winning close to half of their 38 games and scoring 59 goals.
Germany
Germany was in the run to get the additional European Performance Slots for the 2026-27 League Phase but missed out to Spain. So, the nation will have its usual four direct slots for the competition next season.
Bayern Munich
It was a sensational second season under Vincent Kompany for Bayern Munich as their claimed an ruthless domestic double and nearly did a treble but their journey was ended narrowly by finalists PSG in the semifinal stage of the 2025-26 Champions League season. Their Bundesliga campaign was record breaking as they claimed their 34th title with 89 points, their best points tally since 2013-14, with a massive 28 victories and losing just once all season. They scored an enormous 122 goals, a milestone figure which no other side in Bundesliga history has ever managed. To add to that, the Bavarians also lifted the DFB Pokal for the first time since the 2019-20 season. They also had an excellent Champions League campaign, finishing second in the League Phase and also beating record winners Real Madrid in the quarterfinals but ultimately came up short. Kompany's men will now eye the competition more seriously next time as the six-time winners make their 42nd appearance.
Borussia Dortmund
It wasn't the most satisfying season for Borussia Dortmund as they failed to mount a proper title challenge and also suffered a disappointing Champions League campaign. The Black and Yellow finished second in the Bundesliga standings but a massive 16 points adrift of the top spot. Niko Kovac's side also just managed to grab a knockout playoff spot in the League Phase this past season by ending in 11th with just three wins from eight games. But it didn't do me any favors in the end. Playing an equally struggling Atalanta team, they thought they had finally got back on track with a 2-0 victory in front of home support in the first leg. However, they were stunned in the reverse leg in Bergamo as the Serie A outfit blew away the deficit and even though Karim Adeyemi goal leveled the tie, conceding a penalty in the dying embers of the match sent them packing. Dortmund will be desperate to improve their showing in their 24th appearance in the Champions League next season.
RB Leipzig
Making a return to the tournament, RB Leipzig will also be looking to improve on their frustrating display in the inaugural League Phase where they finished 32nd, managing just one win. Ole Werner's team ultimately cemented themselves third on the Bundesliga table in the 2025-26 season to play Champions League football again, fending off an intense battle for the places. They collected 65 points, four points better than fifth place Hoffenheim and scoring the most goals in the league outside of the top two. The Die Roten Bullen will appear at the premier competition for the seventh time since making their debut in 2017-18.
VFB Stuttgart
VFB Stuttgart will enjoy Champions League football next season as well after their inaugural League Phase qualification in the 2024-25 season ended a 14-year exile from the competition. This is the sixth time they are appearing in the tournament and they managed it by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga in a tight race for the top four. The Swabians managed to beat Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, the latter by just a point, to clinch their spot. They will now look forward to better on their disappointing 24th finish in the League Phase last time.
France
France will have their established three direct slots in the competition after the adoption of the new format in 2024-25 season.
Paris Saint Germain
Hoping to defend their Champions League crown against Arsenal at Budapest after reaching back-to-back final in the competition, PSG are on the brink of another magnificent trophy double after winning their record extending 14th Ligue 1 title in the 2025-26 season. They collected 76 points registered 24 wins, scored a league high 73 goals and conceded as less as 29 to their way to truimph. That also made their place in the top tier continental competition for the 18th time of which 13th has come consecutively. However, the title didn't come as a straightforward this time as they were lock with a close battle with RC Lens. Eventually, they finished six points clear at the top to grab a fifth straight league title and exerting an unreal domestic dominance which they are now close to translate it in Europe.
RC Lens
Despite not able to break PSG's dominance in Ligue 1, Lens still had a campaign to saviour as their runners up finish in the league helps them return to the Champions League after a gap of two seasons. This will be their fourth appearance at this stage but they will play the League Phase format for the very first time. Other than the capital based club, Lens were the best team in France statistically and also led the table at one point of time. Losing to Paris ended their chance of winning the league but that was the only defeat they suffered in the final seven games of the season.
Lille
Also marking their return to the Champions League stage is four time Ligue 1 winners Lille. Les Dogues finished third on the Ligue 1 table with a point better than Lyon who settled for a Europa League place despite collecting the same number of wins as them but losing one game less. This is their 10th venture into the Europe's premier club competition and the first since two years ago. However, they qualified directly to the League Phase this time. The previous participation was highly successful for the team as they came through the playoffs and also famously defeated then holders Real Madrid in their League Phase opener. They went on to finish seventh in the 36-team table, taking an automatic spot and directly reached the last 16 stage admirably but they lost narrowly to Dortmund.
Italy
Italy have four teams competing in the 2026-27 League Phase, receiving no additional slots.
Inter Milan
Inter was a victim in a fairytale journey of Bodo Glimt as they lost to the Norwegian club in the knockout playoffs , not even the last 16, to bow out of the Champions League prematurely in the 2025-26 season. However, they made sure their continental frustration did not interfered in their League ambition and an early exit actually helped in completing a dominating domestic season. The Nerazzurri reclaimed their Serie A crown under club legend Cristian Chivu with a mammoth tally of 87 points and stirring 11 points clear of last year's winners Napoli in second. With this, they will make their 25th appearance at the tournament with the 2010 winners and two time finalists recently looking to improve on their showing last time.
Napoli
While Inter did progress to the knockout, Napoli didn't even finished in the top 24 but 30th in the 36-team League Phase table, despite being just a point away from escaping the stage, in a catastrophic European campaign for them. They only managed two wins from eight games. Domestically, they also collapsed ceding their title defence to the capital club and were almost pulled into the chaotic top four battle. Ultimately, the Partenopei finished second on the Serie A table to secure Champions League football for the 13th time. However, they will begin their journey next season with a new manager in charge after Antonio Conte decided to step down from the job at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Roma
Making a late season revival, AS Roma finished in the top four of the Serie A to clinch Champions League football next season. The success comes in the very first campaign of promising manager Gian Pierio Gasperini since he switched the colors of Atalanta for Giallorossi last summer. He has now guided the club back among the elites after they missed the top tier competition for five years. They were in intense battle for the top four place, sealing the third spot on the final day of the season with a 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona and with Milan and Juventus both failing to win their games. Roma's success story is intertwined with the winter signing Donyell Malen who single handedly changed the fate of the club's season by bagging 14 goals in 18 games since joining on loan from Aston Villa in January this year.
Como
Perhaps the most remarkable story not just in Italian football but in the Champions League will be scripted by Como as they secured their historic first appearance at the European stage with a fourth place finish on the final day. The rise of the club from the second division to the top flight and now entering Europe's biggest club competition under the tutelage of Cesc Fabregas has been nothing short of extraordinary. Como will be the only club to debut in the Champions League directly after finishing with 71 points and even taking the spot ahead of historical giants like Milan and Juventus and regulars Atalanta. The team full of talents and wonderkids will now showcase their skill on the biggest club football stage to extend their fairytale.
Netherlands
Netherlands will retain their two direct spots in the League Phase.
PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven secured the Eredivisie title for the third straight season and 27th time in their history with five games remaining in a far more comfortable way than the last one. Their place in the Champions League next season was secured a day earlier than theititle sealing 4-3 thrilling win against Utrecht at home after Feyenoord drew goalless at Volendam. Peter Bosz's side secured 84 points and finished a massive 19 points clear at the top with a whopping 101 goals scored. It is their 33rd appearance in the Europe's premier competition having also lifted the trophy back in 1988. They will be fighting to better their 28th place finish in the League Phase in the next one.
Feyenoord
Even though Feyenoord failed to mount a proper challenge for the title with PSV head and shoulders above everyone in the Eredivisie this past season, they were comfortable in second with six points clear off dropping into third. That confirmed a return for them at the Champions League stage after a season absence. The 1970 European Cup champions will compete at this stage for the 19th time and for the seventh time this century. Feyenoord finished 19th in the 36-team table securing a knockout playoff berth where they defeated Milan in excellent fashion. However, their journey was ended in the last-16 stage losing to the other club from Italy's capital, Inter.
Portugal
Normally, Portugal carries one direct slot to the League Phase but they will have two in the 2026-27 season due to change of allocations for other results.
FC Porto
After a gap of three seasons, FC Porto returned to the summit of the Portuguese top division as they secured the league title for the 31st time in their history. Having witnessed Benfica and Sporting CP each sharing the honors in the last three years, it was time for the Dragons to regain their supremacy with Francesco Farioli delivering the honor having appointed in the role only last summer. Porto's name will also be in Champions League draw after a season gap as they make their 27th appearance in the competition. Their last campaign in 2023-24 was memorable as they came second in their group to Barcelona, collecting equal points as the Catalan giants and beaten only on penalties by Arsenal in the last-16 stage despite winning the first leg at home.
Sporting CP
As the Europa League title holders, Aston Villa, qualified via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, Sporting CP as the club with the highest club coefficient among all clubs that would otherwise have entered either the Champions Path or the League Path of the qualifying phase or play-off round, will enter the league phase instead of the League Path third qualifying round. So, despite finishing second in their league which would have put them in the qualification stage normally, the Lisbon based side will enter the main stage directly. That will come as good news for Rui Borges's side who will want to build on their historic quarterfinal finish last time. Their two season league dominance had ended.
Turkey
Galatasaray
Galatasaray won their fourth straight Turkish league title beating stiff competition from Fenerbahce and ultimately finishing three points clear of them at the top. The success coincided with their delightful run to the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League this season after eliminating Juventus from the Round of 16 stage and also beating Liverpool twice at home. The Aslanlar will now look to add to their achievement with their 18th appearance in this competition and for the third straight season after
returning to the stage in the 2023-24 season.
Belgium
Club Brugge
Sealing a 20th Belgian League title, Club Brugge will play the Champions League for the 12th time in their history. They finished at the top of the standings with an impressive 28 wins from 40 matches, capping off their league campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory against Gent. Their European campaign was also stunning, finishing 19th in the League Phase after coming through the playoffs and managing to trouble big sides especially at home. They also played an incredible 3-3 draw against Atletico at home in the first leg of the knockout playoff. However, a 4-1 defeat in the second leg in Madrid sent them crashing. Thanks to them winning the Belgian League they have earned a direct slot in the League Phase next season without the hassle to come through the playoffs.
Ukraine
Shakhtar Donetsk
As the Champions League title holder which will be either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal qualified via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, Shakhtar Donetsk as the domestic champion with the highest club coefficient among the clubs that would otherwise have entered the Champions Path of the qualifying phase or play-off round, will enter the League Phase instead of the Champions Path second qualifying round.
