After the last round of the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, UEFA released the best XI of #8, with a Brazilian leading the attack!João Pedro made the selection, as did Bruno Felipe, righ...
After the last round of the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, UEFA released the best XI of #8, with a Brazilian leading the attack!
João Pedro made the selection, as did Bruno Felipe, right-back for Pafos.
Chelsea's number 20 scored twice against Napoli, in a very tough match, but it secured the Blues' qualification for the knockout stage of the UCL.
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Next Phase 🏆
The league phase of the UEFA Champions League has come to an end, defining the eight teams that advance directly to the round of 16.
Meanwhile, another 16 clubs will compete in the playoffs for the remaining spots. The highlight of this edition so far is the dominance of English clubs and Arsenal's perfect campaign.
The Top 8: Who advanced directly?
Arsenal finished the phase with the best overall campaign, amassing an impressive 24 points (100% success rate), securing their spot in advance. Right behind, Bayern Munich confirmed their tradition with 21 points and second place.
The Premier League showed full strength: besides Arsenal, Liverpool (3rd, 18 points), Tottenham (4th, 17 points), Chelsea (6th, 16 points), and Manchester City (8th) secured their spots.
Pep Guardiola's City struggled to beat Galatasaray in the last round but secured the last direct spot.
The list is completed by Barcelona (5th), who came back against Copenhagen to accumulate 16 points, and the surprising Sporting (7th), who had a solid campaign among the giants.
Playoffs
While the top eight advanced directly, the teams that finished between 9th and 24th place will have to face the knockout playoffs.
The Drama of the Favorites The big surprise was the presence of heavyweights in the playoffs. Real Madrid, the tournament's most successful club, and PSG, the current titleholder (won last season), failed to secure a spot in the top 8 and now risk early elimination.
How does it work?
- Draw: The matchups will be determined this Friday (30th).
- Games: The first and second legs take place between February 17 and 25.
- Rest: The teams ranked from 1st to 8th will rest on these dates and will only play again in the round of 16.
Complete list of teams qualified for the Playoffs: Real Madrid, Inter Milan, PSG, Newcastle, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Monaco, Qarabag, Bodo/Glimt, and Benfica.
📅 Decisive Calendar
- Playoffs: February 17/18 and 24/25.
- Round of 16: Starting March 10.
- Grand Final: May 30, 2026.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
📸 Tullio M. Puglia - 2026 Getty Images
Category: General Sports
