At the beginning of each season, qualifying for the Champions League remains a priority for a large group of European giants, but things could be slightly easier this year.
With the format of Europe's top competitions changing from 32 teams, there are two additional qualifying spots left in some of the continent's top regions. Which leagues will qualify for these places depends on each country's UEFA link standings.
These coefficient rankings are related to the club's performance in UEFA competitions this season, with only the two countries with the highest coefficient qualifying for additional qualifications.
How many teams have qualified for the 2024/25 Champions League?
As the format of the Champions League has changed, so has the size of the competition, with a total of 36 teams competing from the start of the 2024/25 season, four more than the current number of participants.
Although they have added four clubs to next season's competition, the Europa League will only add two places according to their coefficients.
For example, if England finishes the 2023/24 season with one of the best two overall coefficient rankings, there will be five teams from the Premier League to qualify for next year's Champions League instead of the current four.
A country's coefficient depends on the performance of that country's participants in UEFA competitions. Ideally, countries want their clubs to play in the European Championship for as long as possible, as this will give them a better chance of being on the coefficient table.
Current 2023/24 UEFA Contact Numbers Table
| ranking | country | coefficient |
| 1. | Italy | 19.428 |
| 2. | Germany | 17.928 |
| 3. | United Kingdom | 17.375 |
| 4. | France | 15.583 |
| 5. | Spain | 15.312 |
Serie A will get an additional Champions League place next season due to the overall coefficient, while the Bundesliga will get another European one.
This is bad news for teams like Tottenham and Manchester United, as the Premier League currently sits third in the coefficient rankings. That could still change, but Manchester City and Arsenal were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals, and Liverpool and West Ham United were eliminated in the Europa League, meaning it all depended on league champions Aston Villa.
Even if Villa win the game, the three German teams remaining in Europe – Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – will only need to have two wins in their respective semi-finals.
What is the new Champions League format for the 2024/25 season?
As mentioned earlier, the 2024/25 Champions League will feature 36 teams, but that's not the only change. The group stage has been cancelled and replaced by a league standings, with the participating teams playing eight matches in the league stage.
Half of the matches will be played at home and the other half on the road, with the schedule decided by four different seeded clubs. Each team will play against two teams from each team, with each team having a home and away match against one club.
The teams that finish in the top eight at the league stage automatically advance to the round of 16, while the teams from ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off. The teams from ninth to sixteenth place will play against teams from seventeenth to twenty-fourth in the play-offs.
From round 16 onwards, the tournament will remain unchanged from its current format.
A complete breakdown of the 36 places available in the 2024/25 Champions League
| Route / Eligible | Available seats |
| Champions League winner in 2023/24 | 1. |
| Europa League winner in 2023/24 | 1. |
| United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy | 4 （x4） |
| France | 3. |
| Netherlands | 2. |
| Portugal, Belgium, Scotland, Austria | 1 （x4） |
| European performance spots | 2. |
| Qualifiers - The Road to Champions | 5. |
| Qualifiers - League Path | 2. |
| total | 36 |
Can six teams from one country qualify for the Champions League?
The simple answer is yes. If a team from one of the top two coefficients wins the Europa League but fails to qualify for the Champions League domestically, then their respective leagues could have six teams in action next season.
For example, if Roma win the Europa League this season and are outside the top five in Serie A, they will join the teams in Italy that have qualified for the Champions League next season – Italy have already earned one of the two highest coefficients.
The same is true if Dortmund win the Champions League, and if they finish fifth, then sixth place in the Bundesliga will also earn a place at the top of European football.