UEFA Champions League 2025/26: Confirmed Teams, Pots, and Seedings
The domestic competitions have come to an end. Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Primeira Liga, and Eredivisie were the first to finish. LaLiga, Serie A, and the Premier League wrapped up last week with Napoli being the last champion among the five major leagues.
LaLiga will have up to five representatives: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Athletic, and Villarreal. The Premier League will have up to six: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham, who won the Europa League against Manchester United. While the qualifying rounds in August are still to be played, an analysis can already be made of the clubs qualified and the pots. The team allocation is determined according to their UEFA coefficient.
The 29 teams already confirmed are: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético, Athletic Club, Villarreal, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham, Napoli, Inter, Atalanta, Juventus, Bayern, Leverkusen, Dortmund, Eintracht, PSG, Monaco, Olympique de Marseille, PSV, Ajax, Sporting CP, Slavia Praha, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, and Union Saint-Gilloise. There are still 7 spots left to be known. This is how things stand as of today.
Champions League 2025/26: Seedings and Pots
[📊 UCL 2025/26 – seedings]
✅ Pot 1 is confirmed:
🇪🇸 Real Madrid
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🏴 Man City
🏴 Liverpool
🏴 Chelsea
🇩🇪 Bayern
🇩🇪 B. Dortmund
🇫🇷 PSG
🇮🇹 Inter📊📉📈 Full analysis of current seeding positions in qualifying rounds and league stages of UCL/UEL/UECL in 2025/26 now… pic.twitter.com/j0Kieh8BIb
— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) May 26, 2025
Pot 1 with the finalists of this UCL, Barça and Madrid
Pot 1 is already confirmed. The two finalists who will play for the ‘orejona’ this Saturday, May 31, at the Allianz, will be seeded: PSG and Inter. As well as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, the last three being league champions. Manchester City, winner of the 22/23 Champions League, Chelsea, winner in 20/21 and recently crowned Conference League champion, and Dortmund have confirmed their presence.
Pot 2 Atlético and Villarreal
In Pot 2, we find Atlético de Madrid, Villarreal, Leverkusen, Arsenal, Atalanta, and Eintracht. The Gunners were one step away from the final at the Allianz, falling in the semifinals to Luis Enrique’s side. Villarreal enters as the fifth team from LaLiga due to the extra spot for Spain based on European performance, which was won over Italy. The other teams are Club Brugge and Benfica, pending qualification through the preliminary round. Juventus returns to the top continental competition after securing qualification on the final Serie A matchday and enters Pot 2.
Athletic in Pot 4, along with Morata’s Galatasaray
Tottenham would enter Pot 3 after winning the Europa League. Napoli, PSV, Ajax, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, and Olympique de Marseille are already classified in Pot 3. Eight teams in total. In the last pot, we find Ernesto Valverde’s side who reached the Europa League semifinals. Athletic, Monaco, Newcastle, Galatasaray, and Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgian champions) will go directly to the league stage.
There are still 7 teams to be confirmed to complete the final 32 for the next Champions League. The playoffs will be played in August, with the first leg on the 19–20 and the return leg one week later, on the 26–27 August.
Thrilling finish in the Premier League
In England, the last matchday saw five teams fighting for three spots. Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest battled for three Champions League tickets. Guardiola’s City finished third with 71 points, Chelsea won the direct clash against Forest to finish fourth, and Newcastle qualified as the fifth Champions League team via the Premier League, leaving Emery’s Villa just short due to a lost goal difference against the Magpies.
Juventus, fourth in Italy, and other leagues
The ‘Vecchia Signora’ depended on themselves. Tudor’s team won away at Venezia and will play the Champions League. Others like Celtic (champion in Scotland) and Benfica will play in the qualifying round, as will Bodo/Glimt, Copenhagen, Red Star, Ferencváros, and Club Brugge.
The 25/26 Champions League is already taking shape, and while we await the remaining teams and the champion of this edition, the only thing known for sure is the venue of the grand final: Puskás Aréna in Budapest, on May 30, 2026.
