Julius OkorieFollowing completion of matches across the leagues over the weekend, UEFA has released the list of 29 teams that have booked a place in the 2025/2026 Champions league season.
The expanded Champions league format will feature 36 teams, which means seven more teams will need to join the already qualified 29. The new league phase format is an expansion from 32 teams to 36 teams next season.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelA look at the list of qualified teams so far, indicate that the Premier league produced the highest number of teams in the champions league with six representatives, followed by La liga with five representatives with German Bundesliga and Serie A boasting of four representatives each.
Twenty-nine teams qualify directly for the league phase, with the final seven spots coming through qualifying, which concludes with two-legged play-off ties.
England’s top UEFA coefficient ranking means all six Premier League sides enter at the league phase, but Scotland’s current 14th-placed ranking means there is no longer an automatic league phase spot for champions Celtic, who will enter at the play-off stage.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will learn their opponents when the play-off draw is made on August 4
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s missing out of the Champions League has been described as a blessing in disguise. Club boss Ruben Amorim believes the miss will work in the club’s favour as it will provide an opportunity to struggling Reds to rebuild.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur ahead of a post-season friendly against a Southeast Asian XI, Amorim struck a positive tone despite United enduring their worst top-flight campaign since 1974, finishing 15th in the Premier League.
United’s chance to qualify for next season’s Champions League via the Europa League also slipped away last week, following a 1-0 defeat to fellow underperformers Tottenham in the final — a loss that also denied the club a significant financial boost.
“For us not to be in the Champions League could actually be an advantage,” Amorim told reporters. “It allows us to prepare better, to perform better, and to build the strong core we need for the future.”
The Portuguese manager, who took over from Erik ten Hag during the season, was unable to arrest the team’s decline.
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“Everyone expects Manchester United to be at the top,” he added. “But we have to acknowledge the current reality. I don’t want the players thinking about long-term goals just focus on winning the next match.”
Amorim also hinted at giving opportunities to fringe players during Wednesday’s friendly, part of a short tour that also includes a match in Hong Kong on Friday. The two matches are expected to generate around $10 million (£7.8 million) for the club, according to the BBC.
Midfielder, Mason Mount, expressed excitement about the trip, despite the tight turnaround following United’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
“We landed and there were hundreds of fans at the airport to greet us,” he said. “It’s great to be here and we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s match.”
With Kuala Lumpur sweltering at 37°C this week and thunderstorms forecast for match day, conditions at the 84,000-capacity Bukit Jalil National Stadium may test the players’ stamina.
Here Is List Of 29 Teams That Qualified For Champions League So Far:
England: Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, and Villarreal.
Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Frankfurt.
Italy: Napoli, Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus.
France: PSG, Marseille, and Monaco.
Portugal: Sporting CP.
Netherlands: Ajax, PSV.
Belgium: Union Saint-Gilloise.
Czech Republic: Slavia Praha.
Turkey: Galatasaray.
Greece: Olympiacos.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
