The updated qualification picture shows that the competition will once again feature a wide mix of traditional powerhouses and surprise entrants, as UEFA’s new structure continues to reward consistency across domestic leagues and European competitions.

One major development already shaping next season is UEFA’s confirmation that both England and Spain have secured additional league-phase slots through the European Performance Spots system, which rewards the two best-performing associations in continental tournaments.

England (Premier League)

The Premier League already boasts strong representation, with several heavyweights confirmed for next season’s campaign. More English clubs are still expected to join as the season progresses.

Qualified clubs:

• Arsenal
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Liverpool
• Aston Villa
• Bournemouth

Spain (La Liga)

Spain continues to maintain a strong presence, with multiple clubs already confirmed for the league phase.

Qualified clubs:

• Barcelona
• Real Madrid
• Atlético Madrid
• Villarreal
• Real Betis

Italy (Serie A)

Italy’s representation is still developing, but one of its most consistent European sides has already booked a place.

Qualified clubs:

• Inter Milan
• Napoli
• AS Roma
• Como

Germany (Bundesliga)

Germany will once again be strongly represented by familiar names in European competition.

Qualified clubs:

• Bayern Munich
• Borussia Dortmund
• RB Leipzig
• VfB Stuttgart

France (Ligue 1)

France also has notable representation already confirmed, led by its most dominant club in recent years.

Qualified clubs:

• Paris Saint-Germain
• RC Lens
• Lille OSC

Netherlands (Eredivisie)

Dutch football continues to maintain its presence on Europe’s biggest stage.

Qualified clubs:

• PSV Eindhoven
• Feyenoord

Portugal & Turkey

• Porto
• Galatasaray

Current confirmed overview

• England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bournemouth
• Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Real Betis
• Italy: Inter Milan, Napoli, AS Roma, Como
• Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, VfB Stuttgart
• France: Paris Saint-Germain, RC Lens, Lille OSC
• Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord
• Portugal: Porto
• Turkey: Galatasaray

With several domestic seasons still ongoing and qualifying rounds yet to be completed, the final list is expected to expand further.

The 2026/27 Champions League is already shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions yet, with Europe’s elite once again preparing for a demanding league-phase battle.

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Manchester United forward Antony is on the verge of completing a loan move to Real Betis until the end of the current season, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Brazilian winger is set to leave Old Trafford on a short-term deal, with no option to buy included in the arrangement. Final documentation is currently being reviewed before Antony travels to Spain for his medical examination.

This move will make Antony the first high-profile departure from Manchester United under manager Ruben Amorim, with rumors suggesting that Marcus Rashford could also follow suit before the January transfer window closes on February 3rd.

Antony, who has not started a Premier League match this season, had been the subject of intense speculation regarding his future. He was recently linked with Olympiacos, who showed interest in bringing him to Greece.

🚨⚪️🟢 Antony to Real Betis, here we go! Verbal agreement in place between all parties with Man United too.

Documents being checked; then time for travel and medical tests.

United will let him leave on loan deal with 𝐧𝐨 buy clause. He’ll be formally back to United in June. pic.twitter.com/2Bywbzdxvj

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 20, 2025

The 24-year-old joined Manchester United as one of Erik ten Hag’s first signings for a hefty £86 million but has struggled to justify his price tag. In 62 appearances, he has managed to score only five goals in the Premier League.

This season, under Amorim, Antony has primarily been used as a substitute, making just two starts in all competitions. His only goal in this term came during a 7-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley in September. Notably, the Brazilian has failed to score in the Premier League since April 2024, despite being one of the highest earners at United, with a weekly salary of £200,000.

Antony is not the only player expected to leave Manchester United this month. Marcus Rashford, who has also fallen out of favor under Amorim, is reportedly being pursued by Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona. Romano has stated that both clubs are set to hold further discussions regarding a potential move for the 27-year-old, who has been omitted from the squad for the last seven Premier League matches.

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Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez announced the extension of his contract during a pre-game press conference prior to their match against Real Betis.

Prior to the start of La Liga play, former Barcelona midfielder Xavi revealed during the pre-match press conference that the club he had agreed to an extension of his contract.

“I am happy at Barça, the project is continuing. My contract renewal will be announced in a few days,” Xavi confirmed.

“When they speak badly of me I laugh because you have put a lot of blame on me this year, but it turns out that I’m nominated for The Best,” he added.

Barcelona have already won a league title under the tutelage of the Spaniard in the previous season. The Catalan side finished 10 points ahead of rivals Real Madrid in the 2022/23 season. They are unbeaten in the 2023/24 season with three wins and one draw from the opening four games of the season.

On September 16th, the Blaugrana will play Real Betis in La Liga.

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Brighton’s first taste of continental play has pitted them against Ajax and Marseille, while Scottish heavyweights Rangers, who failed to qualify for the Champions League, will face Real Betis and Sparta Prague.

• EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP STAGE DRAW IN FULL

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Raphael Varane acknowledges that Casemiro’s four-match ban may disrupt the harmony Manchester United has recently had in their side.

Since bringing in the highly experienced Brazilian midfielder, the Red Devils have played much more consistently, and his destructive abilities have helped the team’s efforts at both ends of the field.

Varane, who previously worked with Casemiro at Real Madrid, is aware of how tough it will be for Erik ten Hag’s team to compensate for the loss of a talismanic presence as Casemiro is about to serve a domestic ban after receiving his second straight red card of the season.

Varane has said of having to manage without Casemiro, with United opting not to appeal against his latest sending-off: “He’s a player who’s very important for us.

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He brings balance to the team and to the squad, but we have a great squad and we have to find another balance without him. But we have good players in every position on the pitch and we’re ready for the next games.

I think he was very disappointed because nobody wants to get out of the pitch before the end but as I say it’s part of football. It was obviously very disappointing but we can focus on the next games and that’s it.”

Casemiro won’t be available for United’s FA Cup quarterfinal match against Fulham on Sunday, as well as a trip to Newcastle right after the international break and back-to-back Premier League home games against Brentford and Everton.

While Casemiro won’t play for Manchester United again until their mid-April trip to Nottingham Forest, he is available for international competition and is likely to play in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 match against Real Betis on Thursday. The Red Devils currently have a series lead 4-1 on aggregate.

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After getting injured against Southampton, Alejandro Garnacho is questionable for Thursday’s match between Manchester United and Real Betis.

Even though the Argentine winger had only been on the field for 15 minutes, a challenge with Kyle Walker-Peters in the closing ten minutes of Sunday’s scoreless draw forced him out in stoppage time.

After being seen leaving Old Trafford on crutches and Erik ten Hag admitting that Garnacho had sustained an injury, worries about his condition increased.

The 18-year-old was eventually partially replaced by Fred to strengthen United’s defence late in the contest when Southampton’s towering attacker Paul Onuachu came off the bench.

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Garnacho’s injury was regarded as “not too bad” by Ten Hag, who said that the substitute was also made for tactical reasons because he also added Harry Maguire to secure the point.

“He was limping a little bit after a bad tackle,” confirmed the manager.

“So in the end I thought they bring on another striker, a tall one, I don’t want to go for a risk, we were already down to 10, to go to maybe 90 per cent, that’s why I took him off but I think it’s not too bad.”

Ahead of the international break, United hosts Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday after playing Betis in the previous week.

The inclusion of Garnacho in the world champions’ roster may potentially put his participation in Argentina’s games against Panama and Curacao in jeopardy.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has explained how Wout Weghorst’s level of fitness has allowed him to establish himself as a constant in his starting lineup.

The United manager acknowledged that Weghorst has played so much because of Anthony Martial’s injury problems, but he also praised the physical qualities of the Dutch striker when he snapped his goalless streak in the 4-1 Europa League victory against Real Betis.

“He’s physically capable of playing a lot of games, he’s a very fit player, he recovers very good,” Ten Hag told a press conference. “I expect that he’d play a lot but obviously we have an injury to Anthony Martial so that’s the main reason he’s playing every game from start to almost finish.”

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As Cristiano Ronaldo abruptly left the team in January, Weghorst was brought in as a temporary offensive replacement. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old has ended up starting 15 straight games. His close-range strike against Betis was just his second goal for United, and it came after he had earlier missed a few great chances.

Ten Hag hailed Weghorst’s persistence and his ability to read the game.

“As you can see he is often in the right position and he fails but he keeps going and so he showed great personality and character,” added the United manager. “In this game, he could already have had his goal earlier on. He keeps focused, he keeps working, he keeps putting himself in the right position and finally he got his goal and his reward.”

Weghorst and his teammates have little time to rest before Sunday’s Premier League match against struggling Southampton.

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Erik ten Hag was happy with the impact of his captain as Bruno Fernandes starred to help Manchester United to a 4-1 win over Real Betis.

After a poor performance over the weekend, Fernandes had the ideal opportunity to silence his detractors with a goal and an assist in a convincing 4-1 victory over Real Betis. In an effort to respond, Erik ten Hag used the same starting lineup that was destroyed at Anfield.

He was pleased with his captain’s performance against their Spanish opponents.

“He [Fernandes] was brilliant today,” Ten Hag told BT Sport, adding: “He led the team from the first minute, in possession he controlled the rhythm of the game and scored a goal.”

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Marcus Rashford’s goal put his team up just six minutes into their round of 16 first-leg match gave United the perfect start to react to their opponents’ 7-0 thrashing on Sunday. Ayoze Perez, despite what appeared to be a handball in the buildup, equalized for Betis before halftime as United stumbled into the interval.

Yet United achieved a significant victory in front of the Old Trafford fans thanks to a thoroughly dominant second-half performance that included goals from captain Fernandes, Antony, and Wout Weghorst. Fernandes‘ performance significantly reduced the number of naysayers who claimed he had the qualifications to hold the position.

This weekend’s Premier League matchup between United and Southampton is a must-win for the team to regain momentum. They will feel as though they already have one foot in the Europa League quarterfinal as they carry a three-goal lead into their last 16-second leg in Seville.

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On Friday, the 2022–23 Europa League last 16 draw took place as clubs from across Europe watched to find out who they would play in the following round.

On Thursday night, the elimination playoff round finished, giving spectators fantastic entertainment so early in the season as the Champions League losers faced off against the runners-up of the Europa League group round.

The last 16 games for places in the quarterfinals will now feature matches between group winners and playoff tie winners.

UEFA aired the 2022–23 Europa League last 16 draw on their website and social media accounts. Around 11:00 GMT, it happened in Nyon, Switzerland.

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Manchester United was given a tie with Real Betis of Spain after defeating Barcelona in the quarterfinal playoff round. As they attempt to strike a compromise between their Premier League title chances and a strong run in Europa, Arsenal will face Portuguese side Sporting CP.

Juventus battered Nantes in the second leg of their playoff. Their reward is a clash with Bundesliga team Freiburg.

• Union Berlin vs Union Saint-Gilloise
• Sevilla vs Fenerbahce
• Juventus vs Freiburg
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencvaros
• Sporting CP vs Arsenal
• Manchester United vs Real Betis
• Roma vs Real Sociedad
• Shakhtar Donetsk vs Feyenoord

The last 16 games of the 2022/23 Europa League are set on March 9 and 16. The group stage winners are seeded, while the playoff winners are unseeded.

Round of 16 🤩

Most exciting tie?#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/YJLGm1er6J

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 24, 2023

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Erik ten Hag gave a candid appraisal of Manchester United’s defeat to Cadiz, admitting that the friendly had more drawbacks than advantages.

The Red Devils lost 4-2 to the team now ranked 19th in La Liga to begin a midseason tour of Spain. The Red Devils fell down early on by two goals and trailed by 2-1 at the break.

After the break, Kobbie Mainoo soon tied it 2-2, but because United made 10 substitutions and fielded a much youthful lineup in the second half, Cadiz benefited and won easily.

Speaking to MUTV after the game, Ten Hag delivered his verdict: “It’s quite clear we were not awake, we were asleep in the first 15 minutes. They were a threat in transition. In the second goal we were not awake, a bad rest defence – especially in the midfield, we got ran off. It’s not possible, unacceptable.”

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“The first goal as well, a set play, bad organisation and discipline; you concede a goal,” he added: “After that, we came in the game, but couldn’t make the equaliser before half-time.”

“We are unhappy with this game. Of course, you always have some positives even when you lose, but today there are more negatives.”

Given that so many of Manchester United’s top stars were still in Qatar for the World Cup, a number of peripheral first-team players were given a chance to play during the first half, but with a few notable exceptions, the majority of them struggled to make an impression.

Despite a few impressive performances and moments to be excited about in the second half, the experience prevailed. Ten Hag, though, was content with what he saw from a young XI after the break: “They gave energy. They run and fight, maybe not always in the right organisation. They make mistakes. It was a good lesson, they see that small mistakes have big consequences.”

Before returning to action in the Carabao Cup against Burnley on December 21, United plays Real Betis on December 10 in their second and final midseason friendly.

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Six LaLiga Players were shortlisted for the LaLiga Santander Player of the Month award after producing outstanding performances in September 2022.

Fans and football lovers have voted for their favourite via the website for September’s LaLiga Santander Player of the Month award.

The public vote has been combined with those of a panel of football experts to decide the winner, who was revealed.

After the voting was combined Real Madrid player, Fede Valverde was named LaLiga Santander Player of the Month for September.

The Real Madrid player has been a major factor in Los Blancos’ outstanding start to the LaLiga Santander 2022–23 season, helping them to the top of the standings with a perfect six-matchday record.

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Fede Valverde has been voted the LaLiga Santander Player of the Month for September. The midfielder has started the campaign in scintillating form for Real Madrid, propelling Carlo Ancelotti’s charges to produce an almost perfect start to the season.

The capital club leads the table after winning all six of its LaLiga Santander 2022/23 games. Fede Valverde has been one of their standout players, particularly in September.

In two of Real Madrid’s victories in this month’s LaLiga Santander games, Valverde contributed a goal. The Uruguayan led his team to victory in the derby against Atletico Madrid by scoring the second goal in the 2-1 victory away at the Civitas Metropolitano after scoring the opening goal in the comeback victory against RCD Mallorca on Matchday 5.

However, Valverde made a significant offensive and defensive contribution to these victories beyond just scoring goals. As a result, the judges chose him as the player of the month over Dani Parejo (Villarreal CF), Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona), Samu Castillejo (Valencia CF), Luis Felipe (Real Betis), Brais Mendez (Real Sociedad), and Nico Williams (Athletic Club). Following in the footsteps of Borja Iglesias of Real Betis, who won it in August, Valverde accepts the award.

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