Yamal’s Barcelona in, Mbappé’s Real Madrid out: Who qualified directly for Champions League Round of 16?
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league phase concluded Wednesday, determining which teams advanced, entered the playoff round, or were eliminated. Among the headline outcomes, Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona secured direct qualification, while Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid were forced into the playoffs.
In the second edition of the revamped Champions League format, eight teams qualified directly for the Round of 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th will contest the playoff round and the remaining 12 were eliminated. Arsenal topped the table with a perfect eight wins, marking the first flawless league-phase campaign under the new format.
Four other English clubs joined the Gunners in the top eight: Liverpool (third), Tottenham Hotspur (fourth), Chelsea (sixth), and Manchester City (eighth). The remaining direct qualifiers were Bayern Munich (second), Barcelona (fifth), and Sporting CP (seventh).
Real Madrid forced to play the playoff round
Despite entering Matchday 8 in third place, Real Madrid dropped out of the top eight following a 4–2 loss to Benfica, sealed by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s stoppage-time header. Finishing with 15 points from eight matches, Mbappé’s side must now navigate two additional knockout games to reach the Round of 16.
Other high-profile teams headed for the playoff round include Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and last season’s finalists Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. Among the most notable eliminations are Italian champions Napoli, Spain’s Athletic Club, and France’s Olympique Marseille.
When and how will the Champions League playoffs be played?
The draw for the Champions League playoffs, which will determine the Round of 32 matchups, will take place on January 30 in Nyon, Switzerland. While pairings will be finalized then, several matchups are already restricted based on league-phase standings.
Final positioning is decisive under the current format, as teams are paired by finishing spots (9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and so on) and placed on opposite sides of the bracket, preventing them from meeting until the final. This structure directly shapes each club’s path through the knockout rounds.
As a result, each team will have two possible opponents, starting with the 23rd- and 24th-place finishers and working upward to the 17th and 18th. Unlike previous formats, clubs from the same country may now face each other from the knockout stage onward, and rematches from the league phase are also possible.
The playoffs will be played over consecutive weeks in February, with first legs scheduled for February 17 and 18 and return legs on February 24 and 25. A subsequent draw on February 27 will then integrate the playoff winners into the Round of 16.