Arsenal and Manchester City have already secured qualification for the 2026-27 Champions League, joining Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSV Eindhoven as confirmed participants. England's top five teams will qualify due to an Elite Performance Spot awarded for strong European results this season, expanding their allocation beyond the traditional four places.

In addition to Arsenal and City, Inter have secured a Serie A top-four finish, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have done the same in La Liga. Bayern and PSV have already clinched their domestic titles in the Bundesliga and Eredivisie respectively. The expanded 36-team format will see 29 places decided before season's end, with seven coming through qualification rounds.

The qualification structure allocates places based on Uefa's five-year association rankings, with England, Italy, Spain, and Germany receiving four automatic spots each. The remaining places are distributed through various qualifying paths, including the champions path for league winners from nations outside the top 10 and the league path for clubs from multiple-qualifier nations that didn't win their domestic league.