FC Porto secured their spot in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase after clinching the Portuguese Primeira Liga title last Saturday. This marks the first time the Dragons will compete in the revamped 36-team format of Europe’s premier club competition.
In total, 12 of the 36 available slots have been filled, meaning one-third of the participants for next season are now confirmed. Joining FC Porto over the weekend were Villarreal from Spain and Manchester United from England.
On Saturday, Villarreal thrashed Levante 5-1, guaranteeing they will finish in the top four of La Liga. With four matchdays remaining, the Yellow Submarine sit third with 68 points, a 15-point cushion over fifth place.
On Sunday, Manchester United edged Liverpool 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, securing at least a top-five finish in the Premier League. This is enough for Champions League qualification because England has already earned an extra berth for 2026/27 as one of the two countries with the best UEFA coefficient this season. The other extra spot will go to Spain or Germany. United are third with 64 points, 12 ahead of sixth-placed Bournemouth, with three games left.
The Champions League allocates 25 direct places via domestic leagues, plus two extra spots based on the previous season’s UEFA coefficient. Another berth goes to the Champions League winner (if already qualified, the spot passes to the best domestic champion in the qualifying rounds). Similarly, the Europa League winner gets a spot (if already qualified, it goes to the best non-champion in qualifying). The remaining seven slots come from the qualifying rounds.
Here is the list of clubs already qualified for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase:
**ENGLAND (3 of 5):**
Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United
**ITALY (1 of 4):**
Inter Milan
**SPAIN (3 of 4):**
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Villarreal
**GERMANY (2 of 4):**
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund
**FRANCE (1 of 3):**
Paris Saint-Germain
**NETHERLANDS (1 of 2):**
PSV Eindhoven
**PORTUGAL (1 of 1):**
FC Porto
**BELGIUM (0 of 1):**
(To be determined)
**CZECH REPUBLIC (0 of 1):**
(To be determined)
**TURKEY (0 of 1):**
(To be determined)
*England already secured a fifth spot as one of the top two coefficient nations for 2025/26.*