List of 24 teams that qualified for the knockout stages: Arsenal perfect, Madrid must play-off

  The 2025/26 Champions League season officially concluded after matchday eight. Twenty-four teams secured their place in the knockout phase, with eight teams advancing directly to the round of 16, while the remaining 16 teams had to go through the playoffs.

Arsenal top the standings with full points, followed by Bayern Munich in second place. The other six teams that automatically qualified for the round of 16 are Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, ​​Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City.

These teams secured their places in the top eight thanks to wins in their final league matches. Liverpool thrashed Qarabag 6-0, Tottenham beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0, while Barcelona and Chelsea both bounced back to secure crucial wins.

In contrast, a number of European giants have had to take the playoff route, including Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund.

The Champions League playoffs are scheduled to take place on 17–18 February 2026 for the first legs and 24–25 February 2026 for the second legs.