The league phase of the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League officially concluded on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with all fixtures played simultaneously across Europe.
Several clubs sealed direct qualification to the round of 16, including Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern München, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sporting CP and Tottenham. On the other hand Chelsea were among the standout performers, edging Napoli 3–2 to secure a top-eight finish and eliminate the Italian champions from the competition.
Teams finishing outside the automatic qualification places were pushed into the knockout phase play-offs, setting up a series of high-profile two-legged ties. Clubs confirmed in the play-offs include Atalanta, Atlético de Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Galatasaray, Inter, Juventus, Monaco, Newcastle, Olympiacos, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabağ, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
The play-off draw has produced several eye-catching match-ups, with Paris Saint-Germain set to face Monaco, Juventus drawn against Galatasaray, and Real Madrid paired with Benfica. Other ties see Borussia Dortmund take on Atalanta, Newcastle clash with Qarabağ, Atlético Madrid face Club Brugge, Inter meet Bodø/Glimt, and Leverkusen square off against Olympiacos.
Meanwhile, Ajax, Napoli, Marseille, PSV, Villarreal and several others were eliminated at the league phase stage. With the round of 16 places on the line, attention now turns to February as Europe’s elite prepare for decisive knockout football.
