Manchester United has officially secured its spot in the upcoming 2026-27 Champions League, becoming the 12th team to qualify. They join Arsenal and Manchester City as the third English club to achieve a top-five finish in the Premier League this season.

English Clubs and Elite Performance Spots

Traditionally, England is allotted four places in the Champions League. However, due to strong performances in UEFA club competitions this season, England has earned one of two Elite Performance Spots (EPS) for the next tournament, allowing the top five teams to qualify. Alongside Manchester United, other teams that have qualified include Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, and Porto.

League Performances Secure Qualification

Inter Milan has confirmed a top-four finish in Serie A, while Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal have done the same in La Liga. Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, and Porto have already clinched their league titles in Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, respectively, ensuring their places in the tournament. Borussia Dortmund has secured either second or third place in the Bundesliga, and reigning Ligue 1 champions PSG will not finish lower than second this season.

A total of 36 teams will participate in the league phase of the Champions League, with 29 spots being filled before the end of the current season. The remaining seven teams will come from qualification rounds set to take place in the early months of the 2026-27 campaign.

Understanding UEFA's Qualification System

The first two spots in the league phase of the Champions League are reserved for the winners of this season's Champions League and Europa League. UEFA determines the number of places allocated to each nation based on their association rankings from the five-year period ending two seasons prior to the tournament. For the 2026-27 season, rankings from the 2020-21 to 2024-25 seasons are considered.

With England, Italy, Spain, and Germany ranked first to fourth, the top four teams from these leagues will qualify directly. France, ranked fifth, will see the top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify, while the fourth-placed team will enter the third qualifying round. The Netherlands, ranked sixth, will have the top two Eredivisie teams qualify, with a third team entering the third qualifying round. Portugal, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Turkey, ranked seventh to tenth, will each receive two spots, with league winners entering the league phase and runners-up entering the third qualifying round, except for Turkey, which will have an additional team in the second qualifying round.