Premier League gets five Champions League places for upcoming season
The Premier League will have five teams in the Champions League next season after earning one of the additional spots based on performance across Europe’s top competitions, with the battle for the remaining spots heating up as the season continues.
The Premier League is set to have five teams competing in the Champions League next season, thanks to a new performance-based spot allocated to top European leagues. This development marks a significant shift in the way teams qualify for Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
With one of the additional spots secured, England’s dominance in European competitions has all but confirmed its place at the top. As the season progresses, the battle for the remaining Champions League spots intensifies, with multiple clubs still vying for qualification.
England will have 5 teams for upcoming season in upcoming Champions League
The Premier League will have five teams in the Champions League next season after securing one of the additional spots for top performance across Europe’s three major competitions.
Two leagues are set to receive a European Performance Spot (EPS), a system introduced last season as part of a Champions League expansion to 36 teams. England has consistently led the standings, with the extra place nearly confirmed by disappointing results from Italian clubs in the knockout stages and round of 16.
The Premier League needed just one win or two draws from its remaining fixtures, which was sealed on Tuesday when Arsenal triumphed 3-0 at home against Real Madrid.
As a result, England's fifth-place team will now qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea (53 points) currently sit in fourth, with Newcastle United (53 points) in fifth, although the Magpies have a crucial game in hand. Other clubs, including Manchester City (52 points), Aston Villa (51), Fulham (48), and Brighton & Hove Albion (47), are still in the fight for the top five.
Should Aston Villa win the Champions League (they face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals) and finish fifth, it would mean six teams qualifying for the Champions League—top four teams, the Champions League winners, and the EPS spot dropping to sixth.
The maximum possible number of Premier League teams in the Champions League could be seven: the top four, the EPS, plus Villa and either Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur if they win the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
If Villa, Manchester United, or Spurs, along with Chelsea, win all three titles and finish outside the domestic qualification spots, the Premier League could see 11 teams in Europe next season. Titleholders automatically qualify for extra spots if they don’t qualify through their league.
However, if Arsenal or Aston Villa win the Champions League and finish in the top four, the qualification spots for the Premier League remain unchanged, and only the top five will qualify.
UEFA rankings make Premier League stronger
Spain, with five clubs still in European competitions, is expected to take the second EPS spot, though Italy could still catch up.
Last season, Italy and Germany benefited from this system, with Bologna and Borussia Dortmund finishing fifth in their leagues.