Champions League 2026-27: Europe’s 36-team line-up begins to take shape

The race to qualify for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League is gathering pace, with Europe’s leading clubs competing for places in a 36-team league phase under the competition’s revamped format.

Qualification places are being allocated according to domestic league rankings, results in the previous European season and the outcome of the qualifying rounds. The expanded structure, introduced by UEFA and being used for a third successive season, has replaced the traditional group stage with a single league table.

The format is designed to create more high-profile matches between leading clubs, while also offering additional opportunities for teams that perform strongly in their domestic competitions.

Of the 36 places, 32 are allocated through the standard qualification route. Those places are distributed as follows:

– The champions from the leagues ranked first to 10th in Europe. – The runners-up from the leagues ranked first to sixth. – The third- and fourth-placed teams from the leagues ranked first to fourth. – Six places decided through qualifying rounds. – The winners of the previous Champions League. – The winners of the previous UEFA Europa League.

The remaining four places are awarded under three separate criteria.

One place goes to the side finishing third in the country ranked fifth in Europe. Another is reserved for a domestic league champion, with the number of clubs qualifying through the champions’ path increasing from four to five.

The final two places are awarded to the countries whose clubs achieve the best collective records in European competition during the 2025-26 season. UEFA calculates this by dividing each country’s total points by the number of clubs it entered into European competition. The two countries with the highest averages receive an additional place each.

Several of Europe’s major clubs have already secured their positions in the 2026-27 Champions League. The final list of participants will determine the draw pots, with teams ranked according to their performances in recent seasons of European competition.

How the league phase works

All 36 sides will take part in one league table rather than being divided into traditional groups. They will be placed into four seeding pots, with the draw giving each club two opponents from every pot.

Every team will play eight matches against eight different opponents. Four games will be played at home and four away, and no club will face the same opponent twice during the league phase.

Once those matches are complete, the teams will be ranked according to their results. The clubs finishing from first to eighth will progress directly to the next phase of the Champions League.

Sides placed ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged play-off. The winners of those ties will provide the other eight teams in the following round, joining the eight clubs that qualified automatically.

For the teams finishing from 25th to 36th, the competition will end at that stage. Unlike under some previous European arrangements, none of those clubs will drop into the UEFA Europa League.

From the round of 16 onwards, the Champions League will follow its familiar knockout format, with ties played over two legs. The competition’s established elimination system will then determine the route to the final.