Champions League Predictions
Champions League 2026/27: What’s Needed For Six Teams To Qualify For Europe’s Elite Club Competition?
A look at the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with William Hill News considering the permutations for six Premier League clubs to feature in Europe’s most prestigious tournament.
The Premier League has representation in each of the European finals once again. In 2026-27, English clubs could have an even greater impact on Europe’s continental competitions, with as many as nine teams potentially qualifying.
Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United have guaranteed their Champions League spots for next season. A minimum of five clubs will qualify for the Champions League through England’s strong coefficient.
The FA Cup winners and the sixth-placed team earn a Europa League spot, with seventh getting the Conference League as it stands.
Impact of FA Cup
- If Chelsea win: Chelsea qualify for the Europa League. If the Blues are already qualified for the Europa League through league position (sixth) then the next league position would also qualify for the Europa League.
- If Manchester City win: Their Europa League spot will go to seventh in the Premier League, and eighth will earn the Conference League.
Conference League
- If Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final: Palace would qualify for next season’s Europa League as Conference League winners, granting yet another European place for English teams.
How Villa’s Europa League Final Impacts Other Clubs
Several Premier League teams will be desperate for Aston Villa to win the Europa League final. The Midlands club would automatically qualify for next season’s Champions League and if they also finished fifth, this would create an extra Champions League spot.
- If Villa win the Europa League and finish in the top four: The top five enter the Champions League as normal. Sixth and seventh go into the EL and UECL, respectively, then account for the FA Cup winner and its implications.
- If Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth: This is the scenario that causes the most potential chaos. The Premier League would lose a Europa League spot, but the top six teams would qualify for the Champions League.
- If Villa win the Europa League and finish sixth: The top six would qualify for the Champions League. The Premier League loses its Europa League spot.
If Villa finish outside the top four and Chelsea win the FA Cup while finishing outside the qualifying spots, the Blues would take the Premier League’s lone Europa League place.
If Villa finish out the top four and Manchester City win the FA Cup, seventh in the Premier League would qualify for the Europa League.
Teams in Contention
Brighton, Brentford, and Bournemouth are the teams poised to benefit from Villa winning the Europa League.
It will be a remarkable story if any of the trio qualify for the Champions League – they are currently split by four points in sixth, seventh, and eighth.
Ninth-placed Chelsea are two points behind Brentford and could yet sneak into the top seven to enhance their chances of qualifying for European football in the event they don’t win the FA Cup this Saturday.
Final Day Mayhem
Even with a couple of rounds of matches still to be played, there are endless possibilities. The most drastic is that Brighton and/or Brentford would want to lose on the final day.
Brentford, if they are secure in sixth, might want to lose to Liverpool to keep Villa in fifth. Brighton, hosting Manchester United, could be in a similar position if they are sixth and need United to win to keep Villa behind them.
Crucially, the Europa League final is played on the Wednesday before the Premier League’s final weekend. Every club will know what they are playing for on the last day of the season – multiple teams will be supporting Villa against Freiburg on May 20!
