Paris Saint-Germain won the previous Champions League, securing their first European crown under Luis Enrique. The 2025/26 Champions League qualifying rounds began in early July and involved 53 teams competing for seven places in the newly formatted league phase. Forty-two sides entered via the Champions Path for smaller-nation champions, while 11 clubs joined via the League Path for non-champions from stronger leagues. The final qualifying round concluded this week, with Benfica, Qarabag and Club Brugge among the teams advancing to the main draw. The full lineup of 36 teams is now confirmed and will contest the league phase.
The Champions League journey for 2025/26 has been quietly but steadily unfolding for months, long before the group stage glamour and the lights of Europe's biggest arenas take center stage. Since early July, the competition has been bubbling away with the qualifying rounds, where lesser-known clubs from across the continent battled fiercely for a place among Europe's elite. In total, 53 teams were part of this rigorous process.
This week brought the final round of qualifiers to a dramatic conclusion. On Wednesday night, European regulars Benfica, along with Qarabag and Club Brugge, emerged triumphant from their ties, securing their places in the main draw. With the qualifying rounds wrapped up, the full lineup of 36 teams is now confirmed. All of them will begin their quest to follow in the footsteps of last season's winners, Paris Saint-Germain, who claimed their maiden European crown in emphatic fashion.
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