Kenya Sport

Clubs Competing in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League Group Stage

The UEFA Champions League returns with top European football clubs battling for the prestigious title. Paris Saint-Germain, the two-time defending champions, aim to secure a third straight win, a feat only achieved by three clubs before.

Big names like Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Liverpool are set to challenge PSG. Meanwhile, newcomers such as Italian side Como make their debut in Europe's elite competition.

Qualified Teams for the Group Stage

A total of 36 teams will feature in the league phase. Of these, 29 clubs have qualified directly, while 7 spots will be decided through playoffs.

The top four clubs from each of UEFA's four highest-ranked leagues enter the group stage automatically. The fifth-ranked league sends three teams, the sixth sends two, and leagues ranked seventh to tenth contribute one team each. Additionally, two extra places called European Performance Spots (EPS) go to England and Spain this season.

UEFA League Coefficients and Qualification Slots

  • England: 4 direct + 1 EPS, 0 playoff
  • Italy: 4 direct, 0 playoff
  • Spain: 4 direct + 1 EPS, 0 playoff
  • Germany: 4 direct, 0 playoff
  • France: 3 direct, 1 playoff
  • Netherlands: 2 direct, 1 playoff
  • Portugal: 1 direct, 1 playoff
  • Belgium: 1 direct, 1 playoff
  • Czechia: 1 direct, 1 playoff
  • Turkey: 1 direct, 1 playoff

Clubs Qualified Directly for Group Stage

  • Arsenal (England) – Premier League 1st place, last appearance 2025/26
  • Manchester City (England) – Premier League 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Manchester United (England) – Premier League 3rd place, 2023/24
  • Aston Villa (England) – Premier League 4th place, 2024/25
  • Liverpool (England) – Premier League 5th place*, 2025/26
  • Inter Milan (Italy) – Serie A 1st place, 2025/26
  • Napoli (Italy) – Serie A 2nd place, 2025/26
  • AS Roma (Italy) – Serie A 3rd place, 2018/19
  • Como (Italy) – Serie A 4th place, first appearance
  • Barcelona (Spain) – La Liga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Real Madrid (Spain) – La Liga 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Villarreal (Spain) – La Liga 3rd place, 2025/26
  • Atletico Madrid (Spain) – La Liga 4th place, 2025/26
  • Real Betis (Spain) – La Liga 5th place*, 2005/06
  • Bayern Munich (Germany) – Bundesliga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – Bundesliga 2nd place, 2025/26
  • RB Leipzig (Germany) – Bundesliga 3rd place, 2024/25
  • Stuttgart (Germany) – Bundesliga 4th place, 2024/25
  • Paris Saint-Germain (France) – Ligue 1 1st place, 2025/26
  • Lens (France) – Ligue 1 2nd place, 2023/24
  • Lille (France) – Ligue 1 3rd place, 2024/25
  • PSV (Netherlands) – Eredivisie 1st place, 2025/26
  • Feyenoord (Netherlands) – Eredivisie 2nd place, 2024/25
  • Porto (Portugal) – Primeira Liga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Club Brugge (Belgium) – Pro League 1st place, 2025/26
  • Slavia Prague (Czechia) – First League 1st place, 2025/26
  • Galatasaray (Turkey) – Super Lig 1st place, 2025/26
  • Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) – Premier League 1st place**, 2025/26
  • Sporting CP (Portugal) – Primeira Liga 2nd place***, 2025/26

* England and Spain earned a fifth Champions League spot through UEFA’s European Performance Slots.

** PSG won the Champions League but also qualified domestically, so this place went to Shakhtar Donetsk based on coefficient ranking.

*** Europa League winner Aston Villa already qualified domestically, so the extra slot passed to Sporting CP by coefficient.

Teams in Champions League Qualifying Rounds

Clubs from nations ranked 11th or lower enter qualifying rounds. Five clubs from the "champions path" and two from the "league path" will advance to the group stage.

  • Viking (Norway) – Eliteserien 1st place, 1992/93
  • AEK Athens (Greece) – Super League 1st place, 2023/24
  • LASK (Austria) – Bundesliga 1st place, 2019/20
  • Celtic (Scotland) – Premiership 1st place, 2024/25
  • Lyon (France) – Ligue 1 4th place, 2019/20
  • NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) – Eredivisie 3rd place, first appearance
  • Union St. Gilloise (Belgium) – Pro League 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Slavia Prague (Czechia) – First League 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Bodo/Glimt (Norway) – Eliteserien 2nd place*, 2025/26
  • Olympiacos (Greece) – Super League 2nd place*, 2025/26

* Promoted to this round due to others advancing.

  • Lech Poznan (Poland) – Ekstraklasa 1st place, 2025/26
  • AGF (Denmark) – Superliga 1st place, 1987/88
  • Thun (Switzerland) – Super League 1st place, 2005/06
  • Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel) – Premier League 1st place, 2018/19
  • Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) – First Division 1st place, 2021/22
  • Mjallby AIF (Sweden) – Allsvenskan 1st place, first appearance
  • Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) – Football League 1st place, 2024/25
  • Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) – SuperLiga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Fenerbahce (Turkey) – Super Lig 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Sturm Graz (Austria) – Bundesliga 2nd place, 2025/26
  • Hearts (Scotland) – Premiership 2nd place, first appearance
  • Gornik Zabrze (Poland) – Ekstraklasa 2nd place, 1988/89
  • Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) – First Football League 1st place*, 2025/26
  • NK Celje (Slovenia) – PrvaLiga 1st place*, 2024/25

* Slovan Bratislava and Celje moved up due to others advancing.

  • ETO Gyor (Hungary) – NB I 1st place, 2013/14
  • Universitatea Craiova (Romania) – Liga I 1st place, 1991/92
  • Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) – First Professional League 1st place, 2009/10
  • Sabah (Azerbaijan) – Premier League 1st place, first appearance
  • Shamrock Rovers (Rep. of Ireland) – Premier Division 1st place, 2024/25
  • Petrocub Hincesti (Moldova) – Moldova Liga 1st place, 2024/25
  • Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland) – Beska Deild Karla 1st place, 2024/25
  • Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia & Herzegovina) – Premier League 1st place, 2024/25
  • Ararat-Armenia (Armenia) – Premier League 1st place, 2020/21
  • Riga (Latvia) – Higher League 1st place, 2021/22
  • Drita (Kosovo) – Superleague 1st place, 2025/26
  • KuPS (Finland) – Veikkausliiga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) – Premier League 1st place, 2025/26
  • KI (Faroe Islands) – Premier League 1st place, 2024/25
  • Floriana (Malta) – Premier League 1st place, 2020/21
  • Larne (Northern Ireland) – Premiership 1st place, 2024/25
  • Kauno Zalgiris (Lithuania) – A Lyga 1st place, first appearance
  • Flora (Estonia) – Meistriliiga 1st place, 2024/25
  • Egnatia (Albania) – Kategoria Superiore 1st place, 2025/26
  • Sutjeska (Montenegro) – First League 1st place, 2022/23
  • Atert Bissen (Luxembourg) – National Division 1st place, first appearance
  • The New Saints (Wales) – Cymru Premier 1st place, 2025/26
  • Iberia 1999 (Georgia) – Erovnuli Liga 1st place, 2025/26
  • Vardar (Macedonia) – First League 1st place, 2017/18
  • ML Vitebsk (Belarus) – Premier League 1st place, first appearance
  • Inter Club d'Escaldes (Andorra) – Premiera Divisio 1st place, 2025/26
  • Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) – Football League 1st place, 2025/26
  • Tre Fiori (San Marino) – Campionato di Calcio 1st place, 2020/21

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