The eight teams that have secured automatic qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League have been confirmed following the conclusion of the league phase on Wednesday night.
Under the new Champions League format, the top eight teams in the league standings advance directly to the Round of 16, while clubs that finished between ninth and 24th will contest a two-legged knockout phase play-off to determine the remaining last-16 places.
Five English clubs made the cut, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all finishing in the top eight.
Barcelona and Sporting CP also secured automatic qualification, joining Bayern Munich, who, alongside Arsenal, had already confirmed their place in the last 16 before the final round of matches.
Meanwhile, reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain will have to go through the knockout phase play-offs once again. Real Madrid, the competition’s most successful club with 15 titles, also missed out on automatic qualification after suffering a 4–2 defeat to Benfica.
Here are teams qualified directly for the Round of 16:
1. Arsenal
2. Bayern Munich
3. Liverpool
4. Manchester City
5. Chelsea
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Barcelona
8. Sporting CP
