Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in the 2025 EFL Cup final on March 16 made the Magpies the first Premier League team to be guaranteed European football in 2025/26.
The result could lead to a team who finishes below Newcastle reaching next season’s Conference League, depending on where Eddie Howe’s side finish in the table.
Other stories still to play out in the run-in to a surprising, unpredictable campaign include whether 2022/23 Champions League winners Manchester City will be absent from the competition for the first time under manager Pep Guardiola, last missing out in 2010/11.
101GreatGoals.com explains how European qualification works for English clubs, including which competition the FA Cup winners enter and which teams are on course to represent the country on the continent next season.
Asensio delivers again ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/lkfPX4CYiP
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 14, 2025
Premier League European qualification
Between seven and 11 English teams will play some form of European football next season, although there are more likely to be at least eight because of competition organisers Uefa’s coefficient rankings, which offer an extra Champions League place to the two nations whose teams perform best in Europe this season.
England are firmly on course to earn an extra spot via those rankings as the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League approach.
Champions League qualification
The top four teams in the Premier League are guaranteed to reach the league phase of the Champions League. The team finishing fifth is also likely to because of the coefficient rankings.
The winners of the Champions League and Europa League will also enter the league phase of the competition.
James Maddison 🎯@SpursOfficial | #UEL pic.twitter.com/Wd0PEUdmN7
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 17, 2025
That means Arsenal and Aston Villa could guarantee their involvement regardless of their final league position by winning the Champions League, as could either Manchester United or Tottenham – both of whom are very unlikely to qualify through their league position – by lifting the Europa League trophy.
In total, then, England is likely to have between five and seven teams in next season’s Champions League: the top five, plus Arsenal or Villa if either finishes outside of the top five and become European champions, and United or Tottenham if they win the Europa League and are below fifth in the league.
FA Cup European qualification: Europa League
The FA Cup winners qualify for the league phase of the Europa League, as do the fifth-placed team. However, in the likely event of the fifth-placed team taking the extra Champions League spot, the side in sixth will enter the Europa League.
The winners of the Conference League also join the Europa League the following season. Before the quarter-finals, Chelsea are warm favourites to win the Conference League and are hopeful of reaching the Champions League through their league position.
Dewsbury-Hall’s silky finish 😮💨#UECL | @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/3rjTLM8rGf
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) March 15, 2025
EFL Cup European qualification: Conference League
Newcastle are guaranteed a Conference League play-off qualification place for winning the EFL Cup but will be hoping to reach the Europa League or Champions League through their league position.
Should that happen, their Conference League place would drop to the next-highest finishing team in the Premier League that has not qualified for Europe.
Can the team in 11th in the Premier League qualify for Europe?
There is an unlikely scenario in which all of the teams in the top 10 would qualify for the Champions League or Europa League and Newcastle’s place in the Conference League play-offs would go to the team in 11th.
Here is an example of how the Premier League suggests that outcome could happen:
- Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and City all qualify for the Champions League as the top four
- Newcastle reach the Champions League in fifth as a result of England winning an extra spot
- Brighton & Hove Albion qualify for the Europa League in sixth
- Bournemouth come seventh and qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup
- Chelsea finish eighth and earn a Europa League berth by winning the Conference League
- Villa are ninth and go to the Champions League as holders
- United or Spurs finish 10th but are in the Champions League as Europa League winners
Wholesome content 🥹 pic.twitter.com/SsVKkjrZ9J
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) March 17, 2025
Which Premier League teams will qualify for Europe?
Before the Premier League returned to action in April, statistics experts Opta projected this final top 11.
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Forest
- Man City
- Newcastle
- Chelsea
- Brighton
- Villa
- Bournemouth
- Fulham
- Brentford
That would guarantee Liverpool, Arsenal, Forest and City places in the Champions League, with the likely extra spot in the competition going Newcastle’s way.
The identity of the English clubs in the Europa League and Conference League would depend on domestic and European cup winners and league positions.
Nottingham Forest would return to Europe’s leading club competition for the first time since 1980/81, a season after their second of two consecutive triumphs in the competition.
Should Bournemouth or Brentford qualify, it would represent the first time either club has taken part in European competition. You can follow Opta’s latest predictions here.
