Arsenal lead a record English contingent into the 2026–27 Champions League
Five Premier League clubs will compete in the Champions League league phase this season — the most England has ever sent into Europe's top competition in a single campaign.
Five from the Premier League
Arsenal qualify as Premier League champions, with Manchester City (2nd), Manchester United (3rd) and Aston Villa (4th) following them into the league phase on league position. Liverpool complete the quintet via England's UEFA association performance spot, awarded for the country's strong overall showing in European competition last season.
A record English showing
Five English clubs in a single Champions League campaign is the most the Premier League has ever sent into the competition, underlining the strength of a 2025–26 season that also produced two Europa League entrants and a Conference League title-holder.
Wider English representation
Beyond the Champions League, Bournemouth and Sunderland qualified for the Europa League on league position, while Crystal Palace join that competition as defending Conference League champions. Brighton complete the set as England's sole representative in this season's Conference League.
What's next
All five clubs learn their league-phase opponents at the draw in Nyon on August 27, with the 36-team league phase kicking off September 8.
Sources: UEFA, July 2026.