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The end of January was crunch time in the UEFA Champions League as teams battled it out for a place in the knockouts.
Heading into the final matchday of the league phase, only a handful of sides had been eliminated from contention for at least a spot in the knockout-stage playoff round.
With all games kicking off at the same time on matchday eight, it promised to be a frenetic ending to the first phase of the 2025/26 tournament. And, boy, it did not disappoint.
With the knockout playoffs having concluded on Wednesday, we now know which teams will compete from the Round of 16 onwards.
Here is a run-down of how things look in terms of teams qualifying for knockout-stage proper.
MORE: Champions League top scorers 2025/26 | All-time leading UCL goal-scorers
Teams in Champions League knockouts
The top eight from the league phase qualified automatically for the Round of 16, and they are joined by the eight winners of the knockout playoffs.
It's an extremely coveted position as those sides not only avoid the peril of a playoff matchup but are also seeded in the Round of 16 draw, so they will be partnered with an opponent that finished lower in the table.
Seeded teams in bold
| Team | Nation | How they qualified |
| Arsenal | England | 1st place in league phase |
| Bayern Munich | Germany | 2nd place in league phase |
| Liverpool | England | 3rd place in league phase |
| Tottenham Hotspur | England | 4th place in league phase |
| Barcelona | Spain | 5th place in league phase |
| Chelsea | England | 6th place in league phase |
| Sporting CP | Portugal | 7th place in league phase |
| Manchester City | England | 8th place in league phase |
| Real Madrid | Spain | 9th in league phase; def. Benfica in playoffs |
| Paris Saint-Germain | France | 11th in league phase; def. Monaco in playoffs |
| Newcastle United | England | 12th in league phase; def. Qarabag in playoffs |
| Atletico Madrid | Spain | 14th in league phase; def. Club Brugge in playoffs |
| Atalanta | Italy | 15th in league phase; def. Borussia Dortmund in playoffs |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Germany | 16th in league phase; def. Olympiacos in playoffs |
| Galatasaray | Turkey | 20th in league phase; def. Juventus in playoffs |
| Bodo/Glimt | Norway | 23rd in league phase; def. Inter Milan in playoffs |
Champions League league phase 2025/26 final standings
Final standings for Champions League league phase
Qualified for Round of 16:
1. Arsenal
2. Bayern Munich
3. Liverpool
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Barcelona
6. Chelsea
7. Sporting CP
8. Manchester City
Entered Round of 16 playoffs:
9. Real Madrid
10. Inter Milan
11. Paris Saint-Germain
12. Newcastle United
13. Juventus
14. Atletico Madrid
15. Atalanta
16. Bayer Leverkusen
17. Borussia Dortmund
18. Olympiacos
19. Club Brugge
20. Galatasaray
21. Monaco
22. Qarabag
23. Bodo/Glimt
24. Benfica
Eliminated from Champions League:
25. Marseille
26. Pafos
27. Union Saint-Gilloise
28. PSV
29. Athletic Club
30. Napoli
31. Copenhagen
32. Ajax
33. Eintracht Frankfurt
34. Slavia Prague
35. Villarreal
36. Kairat
Teams in Champions League Round of 16 and knockout playoffs
After matchday seven in 2025/26, Arsenal and Bayern Munich were the only teams to have mathematically guaranteed a bye to the Round of 16. The remaining six saw their spots confirmed on January 28.
Teams qualified for Champions League Round of 16
| Pos. | Club | Nation |
| 1. | Arsenal | England |
| 2. | Bayern Munich | Germany |
| 3. | Liverpool | England |
| 4. | Tottenham | England |
| 5. | Barcelona | Spain |
| 6. | Chelsea | England |
| 7. | Sporting CP | Portugal |
| 8. | Manchester City | England |
Teams qualified for Champions League knockout playoffs
Below the top eight Round of 16 byes, the next 16 clubs qualify to the knockout-round playoffs.
Positions 9-16 were seeded in the playoff-round draw and had the preferred second-leg home match, while positions 17-24 were unseeded.
Teams in Champions League knockout playoffs 2025/26
| Pos. | Club | Nation |
| 9. | Real Madrid | Spain |
| 10. | Inter Milan | Italy |
| 11. | PSG | France |
| 12. | Newcastle | England |
| 13. | Juventus | Italy |
| 14. | Atletico Madrid | Spain |
| 15. | Atalanta | Italy |
| 16. | Bayer Leverkusen | Germany |
| 17. | Borussia Dortmund | Germany |
| 18. | Olympiacos | Greece |
| 19. | Club Brugge | Belgium |
| 20. | Galatasaray | Turkey |
| 21. | Monaco | France |
| 22. | Qarabag | Azerbaijan |
| 23. | Bodo/Glimt | Norway |
| 24. | Benfica | Portugal |
Teams eliminated from Champions League 2025/26
On matchweek seven, only four teams had their interest in the competition completely ended, meaning 30 of the 36 competitors still had something at stake on January 28.
Teams eliminated from the Champions League league phase
| Pos. | Club | Nation |
| 25. | Marseille | France |
| 26. | Pafos | Cyprus |
| 27. | Union Saint-Gilloise | Belgium |
| 28. | PSV | Netherlands |
| 29. | Athletic Club | Spain |
| 30. | Napoli | Italy |
| 31. | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 32. | Ajax | Netherlands |
| 33. | Eintracht Frankfurt | Germany |
| 34. | Slavia Prague | Czechia |
| 35. | Villarreal | Spain |
| 36. | Kairat | Kazakhstan |
When are the Champions League knockout playoffs 2025/26?
The first legs of the playoff matches took place over February 17-18, 2026. The return legs were a week later over February 24-25.
When are Champions League Round of 16 games 2025/26?
The Round of 16 games will be played over March 10-11, and March 17-18.
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