On the final day, each goal could make the difference in deciding who advances and which European dreams are cut short prematurely.
The league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 has brought a lot of excitement and incredible goals, but the knockout rounds are approaching quickly. We are just hours away from knowing which 24 teams will advance to aspire to European glory.
But first, the last day of the league phase must be played, and there is a lot at stake for some of the continent’s biggest clubs. Liverpool, BarcelonaTottenham Hotspur and the current champion, Paris Saint-Germaincompete for the top eight places, which would allow them to directly access the round of 16. He Manchester City are also in that group, having suffered a shocking 3-1 defeat to Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday.
The matches will be played this January 28, in what promises to be absolute chaos for two hours. Each goal could make the difference in deciding who advances and which European dreams are prematurely cut short.
As a reminder, teams that finish first through eighth will not advance to the knockout round. The clubs in 9th to 24th place will meet in that round in February, and those in 25th to 36th place will be eliminated. And, like last year, no team will be relegated from the Champions League to the Europa League.
Which teams are still in the fight for the playoffs? What is each club at stake? Here’s everything you need to know before the final day of the league phase.
Who is already qualified for the knockout rounds?
Round of 16 (2):
He Arsenal He is guaranteed first or second place, which gives him a prominent position in the draw.
He Bayern Munich They secured their place in the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise last Wednesday.
Guaranteed at least a spot in the playoffs elimination round (13): Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, PSG, Newcastle, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atlético de Madrid, Atalanta, Inter y Juventus.
They will advance to the round of 16 or be eliminated (17): Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Qarabag, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Monaco, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Club, Olympiacos, Napoli, FC København, Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, Benfica, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise and Ajax.
Eliminated (4): Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat Almaty.
The battle for passage: how teams can qualify
An exciting last day awaits us, since both the fight for the top 8 and the top 24 will be decided at the last moment. At the top, only Arsenal and Bayern have secured their places in the table, while 32 of the 36 teams could still qualify for the knockout rounds.
(Each team below appears alongside its opponent in the final round on January 28).
1. Arsenal (21 points, +18 goal difference)
Kairat Almaty (local)
The Gunners are qualified and will surely finish in the top two. This guarantees them the advantage of playing the second leg of each tie at home until the final.
2. Bayern Munich (18, plus -13)
PSV Eindhoven (visitor)
Bayern have secured their place in the round of 16 and will secure a place in the top two with a draw or a win against PSV. This would allow them to avoid Arsenal until the final, if both teams make it there.
3. Real Madrid (15, plus 11)
Benfica (A)
4. Liverpool (15, +6)
Qarabag (L)
The two powers are in a similar situation: if they win on the last day, a place in the round of 16 awaits them. However, while a draw against Benfica would almost certainly qualify Real Madrid for the round of 16, Liverpool’s lower goal difference puts them at slightly greater risk if they do not pick up the three points at Anfield against Qarabag.
5. Tottenham Hotspur (14, plus -8)
Eintracht Frankfurt (A)
While Spurs’ Premier League campaign has had its difficulties, they are in a good position in Europe. A win against Frankfurt would guarantee them a place in the last 16, and a draw could do the same if Thomas Frank’s club receives help from other teams.
6. Paris Saint-Germain (13, plus 10)
Newcastle (L)
7. Newcastle United (13, +10)
Paris Saint-Germain (V)
8. Chelsea (13, plus -6)
Naples (A)
9. Barcelona (13, plus -5)
FC Copenhagen (H)
10. Sporting CP (13, plus -5)
Athletic Club (A)
11. Manchester City (13, +4)
Galatasaray (L)
12. Atlético de Madrid (13, plus -3)
Bodo/Glimt (H)
13. Atalanta (13, plus -1)
Union Saint-Gilloise (A)
This is where things get a little crazy. There are six automatic places left in the round of 16, and all of these clubs have a clear chance of qualifying. Taking points from their games would be an advantage for Real Madrid, Liverpool and/or Tottenham, as it would increase the chances of a victory placing them in the top eight.
Goal difference could be crucial in determining who gets one of those spots, and more tiebreakers may be needed. The following, for reference, are the goals for and goals against the visitors. (Scroll down to see the full list of tiebreakers.)
In particular, PSG vs. Newcastle promises to be an unmissable match. While both teams could progress to the round of 16 with a draw, neither would be comfortable with that, and their solid goal difference means a win is very likely to qualify them.
One thing is certain: no matter what happens in the rest of the tournament, the three teams in this group that win their final match and finish with the most points and the best goal difference will advance to the round of 16.
14. Internazionale (12, plus -6)
Borussia Dortmund (H)
15. Juventus (12, plus 4)
Beneficial (L)
This pair of Italian clubs also has a remote chance of qualifying for the round of 16. In all likelihood, they would need to win their last match. That would leave them with 15 points, so they would need (for example) six of the eight clubs currently on 13 points to draw or lose their last match.
Inter’s relatively strong goal difference of +6 (equal or better than seven of the 13 clubs above them in the table) puts them in a decent position for any tiebreaker.
At least the clubs know that they have passed the league stage.
16. Borussia Dortmund (11, plus -4)
International (A)
17. Galatasaray (10, par)
Man City (V)
18. Qarabag (10, less-2)
Liverpool (V)
These teams are still technically in contention for the round of 16, but their attention (especially Galatasaray and Qarabag) will likely focus on the lower teams. Dortmund must win or draw to ensure their place in the knockout rounds, while Galatasaray and Qarabag must achieve victories against first division teams. They would still need a lot of results against them to not qualify, but a crushing defeat could make them nervous as they review the scores as the end approaches.
19. Marseille (9, even)
Club Brugge (A)
20. Bayer Leverkusen (9, minus -4)
Villarreal (H)
21. AS Monaco (9, minus -6)
Juventus (local)
Sometimes the task is simple: win the last match and advance to the knockout rounds. That’s how it is for these three clubs, and while a draw might be enough, it would give the six clubs just below them cause for hope.
A defeat could be disastrous, especially for Monaco. Five of the six clubs that are below, with seven or eight points, have a superior goal difference.
22. PSV Eindhoven (8, plus -1)
Bayern Munich (H)
23. Athletic Club (8, menos -4)
Sporting CP (L)
24. Olympiacos (8, minus -5)
Ajax (F)
25. Napoli (8, minus -5)
Chelsea (H)
26. FC Copenhagen (8, minus -6)
Barcelona (A)
27. Club Brugge (7, minus -5)
Marseille (L)
At the heart of the race for the top 24, the second tiebreaker (goals scored) currently separates Olympiacos and Napoli on the dividing line.
Specific matchups greatly influence these teams’ perception of their chances of qualifying. Olympiacos, for example, are surely happy to see Ajax (currently 32nd in the table) on their schedule. Meanwhile, PSV, Napoli and Copenhagen will have monumental tasks ahead of them if they are to secure their place, taking on some of the biggest teams in Europe.
Winning their final matches would be very beneficial for either of these teams, although nothing can be guaranteed regardless of other results.
28. Bodo/Glimt (6, minus -2)
Atlético de Madrid (A)
29. Benfica (6, minus -4)
Real Madrid (L)
30. Paphos (6, menos -6)
Slavia Prague (H)
31. Union Saint-Gilloise (6, menos -10)
Atalanta (L)
32. Ajax (6, minus -12)
Olympiacos (V)
For these teams that are currently out, it is a matter of victory and hope. Anything less than that and their European campaigns will come to an end.
33. Eintracht Frankfurt (4, minus -9)
Tottenham Hotspur (H)
34. Slavia Prague (3, minus -11)
Pafos (A)
35. Villarreal (1, minus -10)
Bayer Leverkusen (A)
36. Kairat Almaty (1, menos-14)
Arsenal (A)
The last four clubs have been eliminated.
What are the league stage tiebreakers?
1 – Goal difference
2 – Goals scored
3 – Goals scored as a visitor
4 – Victories
5 – Victories as a visitor
6 – Highest number of total points obtained by opponents in the league phase
7 – Highest goal difference obtained by opponents in the league phase
8 – Most goals scored by opponents in the league phase
9 – Disciplinary points
10 – UEFA club coefficient
Does it matter where you finish on the table?
Potentially, because the positions in the league stage shape the knockout round draw.
The “seeding” system introduced for 2024-25 means that the highest-placed teams will not face each other until the latter stages of the knockout rounds.
Last season was a notable example of the huge impact the new system can have. Manchester City did not qualify for the playoffs until the last day of the league phase, and their 22nd place forced them to compete in the knockout round playoffs. This placed them in a clash with Real Madrid, who won 6-3 in the round trip. However, PSG did not seem to be affected by the extra round, beating Brest in the playoffs and to the title.
The chart below shows how the final table affects the chart.
When is the draw for the knockout stage playoffs?
The draw for the knockout round of the playoffs, in which the clubs that finish from ninth to twenty-fourth place will participate, will take place on January 30.
