In a major boost for English football, UEFA has officially confirmed that the Premier League will be granted an additional slot in next season’s UEFA Champions League, meaning the team finishing fifth will also qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.
The development follows England’s strong performance in UEFA‘s coefficient rankings this season, with clubs excelling in both the Champions League and Europa League.
As a result, England has secured one of the two additional qualification spots awarded to nations with the best collective performances in European competitions.
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This means that five Premier League teams will now qualify for the 2025/26 Champions League, regardless of whether one of them wins a European trophy this season.
The decision is expected to intensify the top-four race, now effectively a top-five race, with clubs in fifth place now having just as much to play for as those above them.
This is the first time since the competition’s format change that England has been awarded the extra slot, and it reaffirms the Premier League’s dominance in European football.