The UEFA Champions League league phase officially came to an end on Wednesday night, bringing clarity to the fate of all 36 competing clubs after a dramatic final round of fixtures across Europe.
With qualification spots, playoff places and eliminations on the line, the final matchday delivered decisive results that shaped the road to the knockout rounds of Europe’s elite club competition.
Teams That Qualified Directly for the Round of 16
At the conclusion of the league phase, eight teams finished in the top positions of the standings and qualified automatically for the Champions League Round of 16.
These clubs finished in the top 8 and booked their spots: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City.
These clubs avoided the knockout playoff stage and will advance straight into the last-16 draw, scheduled to take place next month.
Teams Headed for Champions League Playoffs
Clubs that finished between 9th and 24th in the final league table secured places in the newly introduced Champions League knockout playoffs.
These 16 teams will compete in two-legged playoff ties in February, with the winners progressing to the Round of 16.
Teams going into the playoff round include: Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Newcastle United, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta,Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabağ FK, Bodø/Glimt, Benfica, and Marseille
These 16 teams will face off in two-legged playoff matches in February, with the winners advancing to the Round of 16
Teams Eliminated from the Champions League
For teams that finished outside the top 24, the European journey ends here.
A total of 12 teams failed to secure enough points to progress and have now been eliminated from the Champions League, missing out on both direct qualification and the playoff round.
Eliminated teams include: PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao), Napoli, Copenhagen, Ajax, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Praha, Villarreal and Kairat Almaty
