Race for Europe: UEFA qualifying permutations, standings, and what teams need in Premier League and big-five European leagues

While many of the European title races, including that of the Premier League, are over as the season entered into the final week of the domestic campaign, there was still plenty at stake.

Much of the focus was on qualification to UEFA club competitions, most of which are gained by table finish in each European league.

In the Premier League, the chase for European places has provided a thrilling conclusion to the season in the absence of close title or relegation races. While the qualifying teams have largely been determined, their order has not, leaving many with a chance to secure a spot in the coveted Champions League.

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Further around the big five European leagues, there are still a number of berths to be earned, even while two of the five league seasons have concluded. With some European places determined by the domestic cup winner, the qualifying spots are still up in the air even as the league campaign has come to an end.

The Sporting News details where all five European leagues stand as the campaigns come to a close, with a breakdown of what each contending club needs on the final day to see their way into the various competitions next season.

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Race for Europe: UEFA qualifying permutations, standings

Here is how things look across the big five leagues when it comes to European qualification for 2025/26.

Premier League

Teams qualified for Europe

Given not only the incredibly crowded race for European places, but also the presence of three clubs in European finals, the permutations for the Premier League coming into the final day of the season were by far the most complicated.

With plenty of drama on the final day, it was a wild race for the Champions League places. Ultimately, Man City, Chelsea, and Newcastle came away with the UCL spots, while Aston Villa fell short and will play in the Europa League, and Nottingham Forest was left with the Conference League place.

Premier League standings

Primary tiebreakers:

1. Goal differential
2. Goals scored
3. Head-to-head record

Champions League positions

Europa League position

Conference League position

Fell just short

Here was the crux of the race:

• England and Spain are the two nations that earned five Champions League places next season.
• Liverpool and Arsenal have mathematically confirmed a place in the Champions League through their league finish.
• Crystal Palace have confirmed a place in the Europa League via their FA Cup title, which takes away one European place from the table finishers. Thus, only sixth place secured a Europa League berth.
• Newcastle United won the Carabao Cup, and with it the Conference League place, but by way of their 5th place finish securing Champions League play, their Conference League place moves to the seventh place position in the table.
• Tottenham have qualified for the Champions League via their Europa League final win over Manchester United in Spain.

What happened on the final day of the Premier League season

• Liverpool: Already qualified for Champions League
• Arsenal: Already qualified for Champions League
• Man City (@ Fulham): Man City beat Fulham 2-0 on goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland, which confirmed their Champions League place regardless of other results.
• Chelsea (@ Nottingham Forest): A win on the final day against Nottingham Forest not only gave them a Champions League place regardless of outside results, but it also saw Forest fall short of the pack. Chelsea jumped to fourth with the win as everyone else below them failed to secure three points.
• Newcastle (vs. Everton): Newcastle left themselves vulnerable with a frustrating 1-0 defeat at home against Everton, but the St. James' Park faithful were left cheering in the end after Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest both lost as well.
• Aston Villa (@ Man United): Because of their goal-differential inferiority, Villa needed something against Man United on the final day and outside help. They got the help, but were unable to capitalise, as Emi Martinez's red card and a blown refereeing decision led to a damaging 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford, and a Europa League place.
• Nottingham Forest (vs. Chelsea): Nottingham Forest had the chance to move up on the final day of the season, as they played a direct rival in Chelsea, but they fell 1-0 at home. Chris Wood missed a big chance to level the score late, leaving Forest with a Conference League spot next season.

La Liga

Teams qualified for Europe

• England and Spain are the two nations that earned five Champions League places next season. All five Spanish spots were determined before the final matchday.
• Barcelona winning the Spanish domestic treble left all other European places to be determined by table finish.
• Real Betis wrapped up the first Europa League spot.
• Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano, and Osasuna were battling for the final two European places on the final day. Celta took the Europa League place, with Rayo finishing in the Conference League position.

La Liga standings

Primary tiebreakers:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Head-to-head goal difference
3. Overall goal difference
4. Overall goals scored

Champions League positions

Europa League positions

Conference League position

Serie A

Teams qualified for Europe

• Napoli, Inter Milan, and Atalanta mathematically secured three of the four Champions League places before the final day of the season. Juventus held serve to earn the fourth on the last day of competition.
• Bologna have secured one of the two Europa League places by way of their Coppa Italia win, leaving final losers AC Milan out of Europe entirely.
• A 2-0 win for Roma on the final day fended off Fiorentina and Lazio and guaranteed a Europa League League place, but they could not catch Juventus in fourth after they beat Venezia.
• A brutally damaging final day 1-0 defeat at home against nearly relegated Lecce left Lazio out of Europe next season entirely. The result also saved Lecce from the brink of relegation. Fiorentina took advantage of Lazio's slip on the final day, beating Udinese on the road to snatch a Conference League place next season.

Serie A standings

Primary tiebreakers:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Head-to-head goal difference
3. Overall goal difference
4. Overall goals scored

Champions League positions

Europa League positions

Conference League position

Fell just short

Bundesliga

Teams qualified for Europe

• The Bundesliga season is over, meaning only the DFB-Pokal winner is left to be determined.
• The winner of the DFB-Pokal will earn a Europa League berth. As the final will be played between two teams who did not qualify for Champions League or Europa League through table position — Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefield — it means only one Europa League spot will be left for the standings.

Bundesliga standings

Primary tiebreakers:

1. Goal difference
2. Goals scored
3. Head-to-head record

Champions League positions

Europa League positions

Conference League position

x — qualified for Champions League
y — qualified for Europa League
z — qualified for Conference League

Ligue 1

Teams qualified for Europe

* Enters the Champions League in the 3rd qualifying round

• The Ligue 1 season is over, meaning only the Coupe de France winner is left to be determined.
• The Coupe de France final was between PSG and Reims. PSG's victory means Lyon took a Europa League spot alongside Lille, with Strasbourg claiming the Conference League place.

Ligue 1 standings

Primary tiebreakers:

1. Goal difference
2. Head-to-head record
3. Head-to-head goal difference, goals scored, away goals scored (only if three or more teams still level)
4. Goals scored

Champions League positions

Europa League positions

Conference League position