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Who has qualified in the Champions League?

Who is joining Harry Kane in the last 16?

A crazy night of Champions League action on Wednesday concluded the league phase for another season.

All six Premier League sides have progressed, with only Newcastle having to play in next month’s play-off round.

Holders Paris St Germain and Real Madrid both failed to seal automatic spots.

PSG could only draw 1-1 at home to Newcastle United, a result that left both sides facing a playoff despite starting the final night in the automatic places.

Benfica’s last-minute goal against Real sees them sneak through in 24th place.

The draw takes place on Friday 30 January 2026. Sides can face another team from the same league in the knockout phase play-offs. Clubs could also face opponents they met during the league phase.

Table of Contents

• 1 Straight into the last 16
• 2 Knockout phase play-off places (seeded)
• 3 Knockout phase play-off places (unseeded)
• 4 Champions League 2025/26 format
• 5 When is the Champions League final?

Straight into the last 16

Arsenal (England)

Bayern Munich (Germany)

Liverpool (England)

Tottenham Hotspur (England)

FC Barcelona (Spain)

Chelsea (England)

Sporting (Portugal)

Manchester City (England)

Knockout phase play-off places (seeded)

Real Madrid (Spain)

Inter Milan (Italy)

Paris St. Germain (France)

Newcastle United (England)

Juventus (Italy)

Atletico Madrid (Spain)

Atalanta (Italy)

Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

Knockout phase play-off places (unseeded)

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Olympiacos (Greece)

Club Brugge (Belgium)

Galatasaray (Turkey)

AS Monaco (France)

Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

Bodo/Glimt (Norway)

Benfica (Portugal)

Champions League 2025/26 format

In a change from the previous group stage format conducted until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.

Four of those matches will be at home and four away, with the opponents determined according to four seeding pots split by rankings.

Teams will play two opponents from each of those pots – one against a team from each pot at home and one away. The results decide the overall standings in one league.

The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.

Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.

When is the Champions League final?

The final will take place on May 30 2026 at the The Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is home to Hungary’s national team.

The arena hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League final, when Sevilla beat Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Topics:

• Arsenal F.C.
• Chelsea F.C.
• FC Barcelona
• FC Bayern Munich
• Liverpool F.C.
• Manchester City F.C.
• Newcastle United F.C.
• Real Madrid CF
• Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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Tom has been writing about football - and other sports - for almost 20 years. He has covered four summer Olympics and many, many, many football matches from the World Cup final to the bottom of the EFL.

Tom has been writing about football - and other sports - for almost 20 years. He has covered four summer Olympics and many, many, many football matches from the World Cup final to the bottom of the EFL.

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