The road to the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League is heating up, with 29 top clubs already qualified for the 36-team league phase.
The final set of clubs for the Champions League campaign will be decided via the playoff rounds.
Below is everything you need to know about who is in, what is next, and how to follow the competition.
Playoff Draw Set for August 4:
The next major event on UEFA’s calendar is the Champions League playoff draw, scheduled for Monday, August 4, at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
This crucial draw determines the final seven teams who will join the elite 29 already qualified.
Fans can watch the draw live on UEFA.com, with seeding information and procedural guidelines published from 08:30 CET on the same day.
But before the playoffs, there’s still one more hurdle: the third qualifying round, with first-leg matches on August 5 and 6, and return legs on August 12 and 13.
Confirmed Clubs for the 2025-2026 League Phase
Ajax (NED), Arsenal (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Athletic Club (ESP), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Barcelona (ESP), Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Bayern Munich (GER), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Chelsea (ENG), Eintracht Frankfurt (GER), Galatasaray (TUR), Inter Milan (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Liverpool (ENG), Manchester City (ENG), Marseille (FRA), Monaco (FRA), Napoli (ITA), Newcastle (ENG), Olympiacos (GRE), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Real Madrid (ESP), Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL), Slavia Prague (CZE), Sporting CP (POR), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), Villarreal (ESP)
The aforementioned clubs will be joined by seven more clubs from the playoff round, bringing the total to 36 teams.
How the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League works:
The top 8 teams after the league phase qualify directly for the Round of 16.
Bottom 8 teams are eliminated and no Europa League safety net.
Teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a knockout playoff to determine the remaining eight spots in the Round of 16.
From that point, the format reverts to the classic two-legged knockouts, culminating in the final showdown in Budapest.
Champions League 2025/2026: Key Dates to Remember
Third Qualifying Round: August 5-6 (1st legs), August 12-13 (2nd legs)
Playoff Round: August 19-20 (1st legs), August 26-27 (2nd legs)
Draw for League Phase Fixtures: August 28
League Phase Matchdays: September 16-18 to January 28, 2026
Knockout Playoffs: February 17-25
Final Knockout Draw: February 27
Round of 16: March 10-18
Quarter-Finals: April 7-15
Semi-Finals: April 28-May 6
Final: May 30, 2026
The 2026 UEFA Champions League final will be played on May 30 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. With a capacity of 67,215, the arena will be hosting the Champions League final for the first time.
How to follow the 2025-2026 Champions League campaign:
As the journey to Budapest begins, fans can track all the qualifiers, fixtures, and updates in real time on platforms like Flashscore, while official coverage and draws remain on UEFA.com.
Also, there will be live games coverage via Sky, Amazon Prime, DAZN, Canal+, TNT Sports, SuperSport, beIN, Paramount+, and a host of others.
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