The first stage of the 2025-26 Champions League has concluded, with eight teams qualifying automatically for the round of 16, eight entering the playoff round, and twelve eliminated.

Automatically qualified for the round of 16: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, and Manchester City.

Playoff round: The remaining eight teams will compete for the final four spots in the round of 16:

Monaco or Qarabag vs. Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle (winner faces Barcelona or Chelsea)

Club Brugge or Galatasaray vs. Juventus or Atletico Madrid (winner faces Liverpool or Tottenham)

Bodo/Glimt or Benfica vs. Real Madrid or Inter Milan (winner faces Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City)

Borussia Dortmund or Olympiakos vs. Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen (winner faces Arsenal or Bayern Munich)

Eliminated teams: Marseille, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Bilbao, Napoli, FC Copenhagen, Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, and Kairat.

The playoffs promise intense clashes as clubs fight for the last spots in the round of 16, with high-profile matchups including Benfica or Bodo/Glimt against Real Madrid or Inter Milan, and Monaco or Qarabag facing Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle. The round of 16 proper will see the top qualifiers taking on the winners from the playoff round.