Champions League: Who has qualified, who is in the playoffs and who is out
Brugge's goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, front left, celebrates with his team after their win during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Club Brugge and Marseille in Bruges, Belgium, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
LONDON — Here’s the state of play after the conclusion of the first stage of the Champions League:
Teams qualified automatically to the round of 16
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City.
How the playoffs look for the remaining round-of-16 spots
Monaco or Qarabag vs. Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle (for the right to play Barcelona or Chelsea)
Club Brugge or Galatasaray vs. Juventus or Atletico Madrid (for the right to play Liverpool or Tottenham)
Bodo/Glimt or Benfica vs. Real Madrid or Inter Milan (for the right to play Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City)
Borussia Dortmund or Olympiakos vs. Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen (for the right to play Arsenal or Bayern Munich)
Qarabag or Monaco vs. Newcastle or Paris Saint-Germain (for the right to play Chelsea or Barcelona)
Real Madrid players gesture towards supporters at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match between Benfica and Real Madrid, in Lisbon, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: AP/Armando Franca
Galatasaray or Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid or Juventus (for the right to play Tottenham or Liverpool)
Benfica or Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter Milan or Real Madrid (for the right to play Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon)
Olympiakos or Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta (for the right to play Bayern Munich or Arsenal)
Teams eliminated from Champions League
Marseille, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Bilbao, Napoli, FC Copenhagen, Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, Kairat.
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