Which teams have qualified for the 2026–2027 Champions League?

Football fans worldwide are brimming with excitement as the kick-off for this season's UEFA Champions League approaches.

All the continent's heavyweights are aiming to make a strong impression in the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League, drawn by the substantial financial prizes offered by UEFA, while the new qualifying format has already delivered thrilling, entertaining clashes at every stage.

For the third straight season, UEFA's revamped format doubles the number of marquee matches and promises fresher match-ups by replacing the traditional group stage with a single league phase.

The 2026–2027 edition will include 36 clubs, with places awarded according to strict criteria that balance competitive fairness and reward domestic success.

Below, we outline the start date of the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League.

How will the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League qualification system work?

- 32 teams qualify under the existing criteria, determined by European league rankings: the champions of leagues 1–10, the runners-up of leagues 1–6, the third and fourth-placed teams from leagues 1–4, six play-off berths, the reigning Champions League holder, and the Europa League winner.

Four more spots will be allocated as follows:

One spot goes to the team that finishes third in the nation ranked fifth in Europe.

One additional berth goes to the domestic league winner that pushes the 'Champions Path' quota from four to five clubs.

Finally, two additional spots will go to the associations whose clubs accumulate the strongest collective results in the 2025–2026 campaign, calculated by dividing the total points earned by the number of participating clubs.

What is the format of the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League?

The tournament features a single-round league format for 36 teams. The draw places four teams in each of nine slots, pairing two from each slot to face off.

Each club therefore plays eight different opponents—four at home and four away—so no side meets the same rival twice in the group phase.

Once the league stage ends, the eight highest-placed teams advance directly to the second round of the Champions League.

Clubs finishing 9th to 24th contest a two-legged play-off, with the eight winners advancing to the second round to join the eight direct qualifiers.

The sides finishing 24th to 36th are eliminated and do not advance to the Europa League.

From the round of 16 onwards, the competition follows the familiar two-legged knockout format.

Which teams have qualified for the 2026–2027 Champions League?

Several major European clubs have already secured their places in the 2024–2025 Champions League.

Seeding for the 2026–2027 Champions League

Seeds are assigned once all qualifiers are confirmed, according to each club's recent continental results.