UCL Play-Offs: 32 Champions League League Phase Teams Confirmed

The Champions League league phase teams for 2026/27 are almost confirmed, with 32 clubs now assured of places in the expanded competition. Three clubs secured their places through the first set of play-off second legs on 25 August, while the remaining four qualifiers will be decided on 26 August.

Sabah, LASK and Bodø/Glimt have joined the 29 clubs that qualified directly for the league phase. Four places remain available through the decisive ties involving AEK Athens, Levski Sofia, Viking, GNK Dinamo, Celje, Slovan Bratislava, Lyon and Fenerbahçe.

The full 36-team field will be known before the league-phase draw takes place in Monaco on Thursday, 27 August 2026.

Read more about the 2026/27 Champions League qualified teams, format and key dates.

How many Champions League teams are confirmed?

A total of 32 clubs are currently confirmed for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase.

Twenty-nine qualified directly through their domestic competitions, UEFA coefficients or European tournament results. Sabah, LASK and Bodø/Glimt then became the first three clubs to advance from the Champions League play-off round.

The winners of the four outstanding play-off ties on 26 August will complete the 36-team line-up.

Confirmed Champions League league phase teams

The following 32 clubs have qualified for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase:

England

• Arsenal
• Aston Villa
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Manchester United

Spain

• Atlético de Madrid
• Barcelona
• Real Betis
• Real Madrid
• Villarreal

Germany

• Bayern München
• Borussia Dortmund
• Leipzig
• Stuttgart

Italy

• Como
• Inter
• Napoli
• Roma

France

• Lens
• Lille
• Paris Saint-Germain

Netherlands

• Feyenoord
• PSV

Portugal

• Porto
• Sporting CP

Other confirmed teams

• Bodø/Glimt – Norway
• Club Brugge – Belgium
• Galatasaray – Türkiye
• LASK – Austria
• Sabah – Azerbaijan
• Shakhtar Donetsk – Ukraine
• Slavia Praha – Czechia

These 32 clubs will be joined by four winners from the remaining play-off matches.

Champions League play-off results

Three play-off ties were completed on Tuesday, 25 August.

Sabah and LASK produced notable comebacks to reach the league phase. LASK overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Celtic, while Sabah recovered from losing the opening match 2-1 against Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Bodø/Glimt completed a convincing 6-1 aggregate victory over N.E.C. to qualify for the league phase for a second successive season.

For earlier qualifying results, see the Champions League third qualifying-round results and play-off fixtures.

Remaining Champions League play-off fixtures

The final four league-phase places will be decided on Wednesday, 26 August.

All four ties remain level after their first legs. Extra time and penalties may be required if the aggregate scores remain tied after 90 minutes.

The four winners will advance to the Champions League league phase. The defeated clubs will transfer to the UEFA Europa League league phase.

Read the earlier Champions League qualifying results, talking points and return fixtures.

Champions League league phase format explained

The 2026/27 tournament is the third Champions League season played under the 36-team league-phase format introduced in 2024/25.

Instead of eight groups containing four teams, all 36 clubs are placed in a single league table. Each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents—four at home and four away.

The teams are divided into four seeding pots containing nine clubs each. Every team faces two opponents from each pot, playing one of those opponents at home and the other away.

In principle, clubs cannot be paired with another team from their own national association. A club can also face no more than two opponents from any other single association.

How do teams qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds?

League position determines how each team progresses:

• Teams finishing first to eighth qualify directly for the round of 16.
• Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter two-legged knockout-phase play-offs.
• The eight knockout play-off winners advance to the round of 16.
• Teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated from European competition.

Unlike the former group-stage format, clubs eliminated during the Champions League league phase do not transfer to the Europa League.

When is the Champions League league phase draw?

The 2026/27 Champions League league-phase draw takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, 27 August.

The draw begins at 18:00 CET and will determine each club’s eight league-phase opponents. The draw uses physical balls to select clubs before automated software assigns the eight opponents and determines which matches will be played at home and away.

For background on the process, read about the previous UEFA Champions League league-phase draw.

Important 2026/27 Champions League dates

The 2027 Champions League final will be staged at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.

What happens next?

The four outstanding play-off ties will determine the final qualifiers on 26 August. Once those matches finish, the confirmed list should be updated from 32 to all 36 teams.

Attention will then move to the league-phase draw on 27 August and the opening round of matches between 8 and 10 September.

SportPesa Kenya will continue to provide Champions League updates, draw analysis, fixtures, match previews and results throughout the 2026/27 competition.

Read Also

• 2026/27 UEFA Champions League qualified teams, format and key dates
• Champions League third qualifying-round results and play-off fixtures
• Champions League qualifying results, talking points and return fixtures
• How the UEFA Champions League league-phase draw works

Conclusion

Thirty-two Champions League league phase teams are confirmed, with Sabah, LASK and Bodø/Glimt securing the first three available places from the play-off round.

The final four qualifiers will emerge from the matches on 26 August before the complete 36-team line-up enters the league-phase draw in Monaco. This article should be updated with the four winners immediately after UEFA confirms the final results.