2026/27 UEFA Champions League: Which teams are in the European Performance Spots as it stands?

Regular updates on which associations and clubs are set to earn an extra league phase place via the European Performance Spots.

Last updated: 09:00 CET on Thursday 5 February

What are the European Performance Spots?

As has happened in the previous two years under the new format of European club competitions, the 2026/27 European Performance Spots will go to the associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the 2025/26 UEFA men's club competitions (i.e. the association club coefficient of the previous season, which is based on the total number of club coefficient points obtained by each club from an association, divided by the number of clubs from that association, in accordance with Annex D of the competition regulations).

Those two associations will each earn one automatic place in the league phase ("European Performance Spot") for the club ranked next-best in their domestic league behind those clubs that have already qualified directly for the league phase.

Which associations would benefit from the European Performance Spots as it stands?

England and Portugal currently have the highest 2025/26 association club coefficients and would therefore each earn a European Performance Spot.

2025/26 association club coefficients 
1. England 188.625 points / 9 clubs = 20.958 average
2. Portugal 83.000 points / 5 clubs = 16.600 average
3. Germany 113.500 points / 7 clubs = 16.214 average
4. Spain 124.250 points / 8 clubs = 15.531 average
5. Italy 108.500 points / 7 clubs = 15.500 average
6. France 96.250 points / 7 clubs = 13.750 average
7. Poland 54.500 points / 4 clubs = 13.625 average

Which clubs would take the European Performance Spots as it stands?

Chelsea and Benfica would currently each claim an automatic league phase place via the European Performance Spots.

England have four automatic league phase spots for the 2025/26 campaign, meaning the team that finish fifth in the Premier League (currently Chelsea) would also be assured of a place in the league phase.

Portugal, meanwhile, are guaranteed one automatic spot. They would currently also have a second league phase berth courtesy of UEFA Europa League rebalancing; should the Europa League winners have also qualified for the league phase of the Champions League via their domestic league position, then the club with the best individual coefficient of all the teams in Champions League qualifying (champions path and league path) goes directly to the league phase. This would, as it stands, be Sporting CP, the team second in the Portuguese Liga.

This means that Benfica, third in the Portuguese top flight, would also be assured of an automatic berth via Portugal's European Performance Spot.

European Performance Spots as it stands
England: Chelsea
Portugal: Benfica

Who else will qualify for the 2026/27 league phase?

The 36 spots for the 2026/27 league phase will be determined as follows:

2025/26 UEFA Champions League winner (1)
2025/26 UEFA Europa League winner (1)
England (4)
Italy (4)
Spain (4)
Germany (4)
France (3)
Netherlands (2)
Portugal (1)
Belgium (1)
Czechia (1)
Türkiye (1)
European Performance Spots (2)
Qualifying rounds – champions path (5)
Qualifying rounds – league path (2)