Champions League reveals teams qualified for 2026-27 league phase

European football’s marquee club competition is taking shape for 2026-27, and the guest list is coming into focus. UEFA has confirmed that 29 clubs have already punched their tickets directly to the Champions League league phase, with seven more spots to be decided through qualifying play-offs wrapping up on August 26, 2026. The league phase draw follows the very next day, August 27, in Monaco. Matches kick off September 8, giving the continent’s top clubs a compressed window to prepare. The new format, explained The headline change is the expansion from the traditional group stage to a 36-team single league phase. The old format grouped clubs into pods of four, meaning a team could draw a relatively weak group and cruise through. The new structure distributes matches more broadly, raising the floor for difficulty across the board. Who’s in, and who still has work to do England leads the confirmed entries with five clubs: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Spain matches that total with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, and Real Betis. Italy contributes Inter Milan, Napoli, Roma, and Como, while Germany sends Bayern Munich and...