Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the Europa League trophy after the 1-0 win over Manchester United in the final at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the Europa League trophy after the 1-0 win over Manchester United in the final at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the Europa League trophy after the 1-0 win over Manchester United in the final at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The third Premier League team to qualify for the 2025-26 Champions League has been confirmed, ahead of Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea.
Despite Spurs sitting 17th in the Premier League table, the Europa League win automatically grants them a place in the group phase of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Manchester United, who sit 16th in the Premier League, will end the season by missing out on Europe for only the second time in the 35 years since the European ban on English teams was lifted.
UEFA rules confirm six Premier League teams in 2025-26 Champions League
For the first time, fifth place in the Premier League will qualify for next season’s Champions League based on league position alone.
UEFA rules introduced last season see the two nations with the highest coefficients for the 2024-25 campaign will each be handed an extra qualification spot. The performance of English clubs in Europe this season has guaranteed England a top-two UEFA coefficient for the 2024-25 campaign and an extra Champions League place as a ‘European Performance Spot’ (EPS).
The top four in the Premier League typically qualifies for the Champions League plus the European Performance Spot which grants qualification to fifth place while the Europa League spot is passed down to sixth.
Heading into the final day of the Premier League season, Manchester City sit third in the Premier League and need just another point away at Fulham to guarantee Champions League qualification.
Fourth-place Newcastle would guarantee qualification with a win at home to Everton on the final day of the season. Fifth-place Chelsea would also qualify with a win away to seventh-place Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa will need at least a result against beaten Europa League finalists Manchester United in order to have a chance of qualifying, while Forest would need to beat Chelsea in order to stand a chance themselves.
Although Spurs have had a miserable season domestically, Brennan Johnson’s first half strike ended a 17 year trophy drought and saw Ange Postecoglou’s side confirm Champions League qualification before the likes of Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea.
The Newcastle United squad and members of the coaching staff celebrate in a team picture after the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)The Newcastle United squad and members of the coaching staff celebrate in a team picture after the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The Newcastle United squad and members of the coaching staff celebrate in a team picture after the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The battle for Europe in the Premier League
The current top seven in the Premier League are all guaranteed to be playing some form of European football next season. In addition, FA Cup winners Crystal Palace and Europa League winners Spurs will be competing in the Europa League and Champions League next season respectively.
There could also be a 10th team in Europe should Chelsea finish sixth in the Premier League while also winning the Conference League. In that instance, they would qualify for the Europa League and their EPS Europa League spot for finishing sixth would pass down to seventh, meaning eighth place would be granted Conference League qualification.
Newcastle’s Conference League spot for winning the Carabao Cup will pass down the Premier League with The Magpies almost certain to finish in the top six. It’s a case of Europa League or Champions League football for Eddie Howe’s side next season.
Beat Everton and Newcastle secure Champions League. More specifically, they will secure Champions League if they at least equal Aston Villa’s result at Manchester United on Sunday.
If Villa beat Manchester United, Newcastle could still qualify for the Champions League with a draw should Chelsea and Nottingham Forest draw.
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