Newcastle United could meet former opponents like Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Inter in next season’s Champions League.
The iconic Champions League anthem reverberated around St James Park as Newcastle United celebrated their return to European football’s top table on the final day of the Premier League season.
Despite suffering a disappointing home defeat against Everton, Eddie Howe’s side were handed a spot in UEFA’s primary club cup competition as top five rivals Aston Villa suffered a defeat at Manchester United. Once the news had filtered through to Tyneside, Magpies supporters were dreaming of return trips to Inter, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona after facing a number of world football’s biggest clubs during their previous Champions League adventures.
Newcastle are projected to be in pot four when the league phase draw is made in August and that means Howe’s men are all but guaranteed to face some of the titans of European football during their eight league fixtures in the competition next season. But which clubs have already secured a place in the 2025/26 Champions League and what has Eddie Howe said about guiding the Magpies back into the competition for the second time in his managerial reign at St James Park?
Who has qualified for the 2025/26 Champions League?
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Qualified as current Champions League winners: Paris Saint-Germain Qualified as Europa League winners: Tottenham Hotspur Champions League winner ‘rebalancing’: Greece European Performance spots: Newcastle United, Villarreal
England: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea Italy: Napoli, Inter, Atalanta, Juventus Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club Bilbao Germany: Bayern München, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Dortmund France: Marseille, Monaco Netherlands: PSV, Ajax Portugal: Sporting CP Belgium: Union Saint-Gilloise Türkiye: Galatasaray Czechia: Slavia Praha
Qualifying rounds – champions path: Five clubs TBC Qualifying rounds – league path: Two clubs TBC
What has Eddie Howe said about Newcastle United qualifying for the Champions League?
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Speaking after the final day defeat against Everton, Howe said: "I think we’ve had an incredible season, and the players deserve a lot of credit and praise, in terms of how they’ve handled the season, how they’ve conducted themselves. We’ve had some sticky moments, we’ve had some massive ups and downs, but we got there and it was fully deserved.
"In the beginning of the season, there was a little bit of uncertainty, but we’ve always given our best. I think we’ve tried to give real honesty in our performances. The players have given their all, and with the amount of games, including the cup run, the players’ mindsets have been incredible. You know what the hypotheticals are, but now you have to do it. First domestic trophy in 70 years, Champions League place, just how big an achievement is it? It’s a massive achievement. A massive season for us. To win a cup was a game-changer for us. The quality of teams and players should never be underestimated. It’s enough to get back into the Champions League, which really sets the appetite for what next season could be.”
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