Seven clubs confirmed for 2026-27 Champions League after strong season

Arsenal and Manchester City are already guaranteed spots in next season's Champions League due to their domestic performances.

Teams already through to Champions League Arsenal and Manchester City have secured their spots in the 2026-27 Champions League regardless of their remaining fixtures. Both clubs will finish no lower than fifth in the Premier League, ensuring qualification under the new rules. Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSV Eindhoven have also locked in their places through strong domestic campaigns. PSV and Bayern have already claimed their league titles, while Inter, Barcelona, and Real Madrid sit in the top four of their respective leagues. ## How qualification spots are determined The Champions League will feature 36 teams in the league phase, with 29 already decided by the end of this season. The remaining seven spots will be filled via early qualifiers in the 2026-27 campaign. Qualification spots for each nation are based on UEFA's five-year association rankings, with England, Italy, Spain, and Germany ranked highest. France follows, while nations like the Netherlands and Portugal receive fewer automatic spots. ## Breakdown of automatic league qualifiers England, Italy, Spain, and Germany will see their top four league teams qualify directly. France’s top three teams advance automatically, with fourth place entering a later qualifying round. The Netherlands’ top two teams qualify, while third place enters a third-round qualifier. Portugal, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Turkey each get two spots, with league winners entering the league phase and runners-up in later qualifiers. ## Lower-ranked nations and qualification paths Norway, Greece, Austria, and Scotland, ranked 11th to 14th, see their league winners enter the play-off qualifiers. All four nations also receive a second spot in the second qualifying round. Poland, ranked 15th, gets two teams in the second qualifying round, while other nations receive a single spot in the early rounds. The qualification process splits teams into the 'champions path' and 'league path' for the remaining spots. ## Elite Performance Spot and potential allocation An Elite Performance Spot (EPS) is yet to be decided, with only Germany, Spain, and Portugal mathematically eligible. If the Champions League winners already qualify domestically, UEFA will reassign the spot to the highest-ranked league winner who hasn’t yet qualified. Olympiakos and Rangers are in contention for this reallocated spot if the scenario unfolds. ## Champions League qualifiers confirmed so far The confirmed teams for the 2026-27 Champions League include Manchester City, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSV Eindhoven. The remaining spots will be filled by the Premier League top five, Serie A top four, La Liga top four, and Ligue 1 top three. Additional teams from Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey, Norway, Greece, Austria, Scotland, and Poland will join via qualifying rounds. ## Qualification paths for remaining spots Seven spots remain available through qualification, split between the 'champions path' and 'league path.' The champions path, for league winners outside the top 10, will compete for five spots. The league path, for non-champions from nations with multiple qualifiers, will contest the remaining two spots. The EPS spot adds another layer of uncertainty until final allocations are confirmed.