News
All 36 Champions League clubs are now finally confirmed for the 2025/26 competition.
Newcastle United plus 35 others (all listed below).
In total, 36 will take part in the league stage of the 2025/26 Champions League.
All 36 will each play eight matches, four at home and four away, against eight different opponents.
(All the details of the 2025/26 Champions League are set out below in an official UEFA announcement.)
The draw for the league stage starts at 5pm later today (Thursday 28 August).
This midweek saw the final seven teams decided via the all or nothing play-off ties.
Tuesday night saw Kairat, Bodo/Glimt and Pafos go through, as Celtic, Sturm Graz and Red Star Belgrade were eliminated.
**Tuesday 26 August:**
Pafos 1 Red Star Belgrade 1 (Pafos win 3-2 on aggregate)
Sturm Graz 2 Bodo/Glimt 1 (Bodo/Glimt win 6-2 on aggregate)
Kairat 0 Celtic 0 (The tie ends 0-0 on aggregate and AET Kairat win 3-2 on penalties)
**Then last night these final four play-off second leg ties played out:**
**Wednesday 27 August:**
Benfica 1 Fenerbahce 0 (Benfica win 1-0 on aggregate)
Club Brugge 6 Rangers 0 (Club Brugge win 9-1 on aggregate)
Qarabag 2 Ferencvaros 3 (Qarabag win 5-4 on aggregate)
Copenhagen 2 Basel 0 (Copenhagen win 3-1 on aggregate)
**Here are the 36 now confirmed 2025/26 Champions League clubs:**
Benfica
Club Brugge
Qarabag
Copenhagen
Pafos
Kairat
Bodo/Glimt
Tottenham
Liverpool
Arsenal
Manchester City
Chelsea
[Newcastle United](https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/08/this-is-the-best-thing-you-will-read-all-day-about-newcastle-united-essential-reading/)
Napoli
Inter Milan
Atalanta
Juventus
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid
Athletic Club
Villarreal
Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen
Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Dortmund
Paris St-Germain
Marseille
Monaco
PSV Eindhoven
Ajax
Sporting
Union Saint-Gilloise
Galatasaray
Slavia Prague
Olympiakos
**UEFA official announcement on 2025/26 Champions League:**
_2025/26 Champions League: Format, dates, draws, final_
_All you need to know about the 71st season of Europe’s elite club competition._
_In 2025/26, Europe’s elite club competition returns for its 71st season and its 34th since it was renamed the UEFA Champions League. It kicks off on 8 July 2025 and runs until the final in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday 30 May 2026._
_**How will 2025/26 Champions League qualifying work?**_
_Twenty-nine teams qualify directly for the league phase, with the final seven spots coming through qualifying, culminating in August’s play-offs. The stage at which the teams enter qualifying is based on their association club coefficient rankings. All ties are played over two legs._
_**When are the 2025/26 Champions League qualifying rounds and play-offs?**_
_First qualifying round: 8/9 & 15/16 July 2025_
_Second qualifying round: 22/23 & 29/30 July 2025_
_Third qualifying round: 5/6 & 12 August 2025_
_Play-offs: 19/20 & 26/27 August 2025_
_**When are the league phase matches in the 2025/26 Champions League?**_
_Matchday 1: 16–18 September 2025_
_Matchday 2: 30 September–1 October 2025_
_Matchday 3: 21/22 October 2025_
_Matchday 4: 4/5 November 2025_
_Matchday 5: 25/26 November 2025_
_Matchday 6: 9/10 December 2025_
_Matchday 7: 20/21 January 2026_
_Matchday 8: 28 January 2026_
_**When is the 2025/26 Champions League knockout phase?**_
_Knockout phase play-offs: 17/18 & 24/25 February 2026_
_Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026_
_Quarter-finals: 7/8 & 14/15 April 2026_
_Semi-finals: 28/29 April & 5/6 May 2026_
_Final: 30 May 2026 (Budapest)_
_**When are the 2025/26 Champions League draws?**_
_First qualifying round: 17 June 2025_
_Second qualifying round: 18 June 2025_
_Third qualifying round: 21 July 2025_
_Play-offs: 4 August 2025_
_League phase: 28 August 2025_
_Knockout phase play-offs: 30 January 2026_
_Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final: 27 February 2026_
_**Where is the Champions League final in 2026?**_
_The Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, will provide the stage as Champions League action reaches its zenith on 30 May 2026. The stadium also hosted the UEFA Europa League decider in 2023, but this will be the first time that the final of Europe’s premier club competition is held in Hungary._
_As well as the Champions League trophy, the 2025/26 winners also gain a place in the league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League if they have not qualified via their domestic competition.’_