Advertisement

Qualifying for the UEFA Champions League is almost like winning a trophy these days, especially with the attention and revenue it garners for the clubs.

For other so-called lesser teams, playing in the UEFA Champions League can be the pinnacle of careers for many players who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with Europe’s elite on European club football’s biggest stage.

On the other hand, for the traditional heavyweights of European football, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League is the bare minimum.

As we approach the end of the 2022-23 season, the candidates for the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 season are starting to get more clear.

The top four leagues in Europe - Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga - have four confirmed teams in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

These four teams are the clubs that finish in the top four places in the preceding season. Meanwhile, the top two clubs from France and Portugal are also guaranteed a spot in next season’s champions.

Meanwhile, the league winners from Austria, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Serbia are also assured an automatic spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Overall, as many as 24 clubs gain direct entry to the UEFA Champions League’s group stage and the previous season’s competition winner as well as the last campaign’s UEFA Europa League are also assured an automatic spot in the group stage.

A further six teams will qualify for the competition via the Champions Path and League Path playoff rounds.

The first, second, and third qualifying rounds will be held on July 11, July 25, and August 8 respectively. This will be followed by the playoff round that’s slated to take place from August 22 to 30.

With that in mind, here’s a look at all the clubs that are a part of the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 campaign.

UEFA Champions League 2023-24 qualified teams

Manchester City (England)

Arsenal (England)

Manchester United (England)

Newcastle (England)

Barcelona (Spain)

Real Madrid (Spain)

Atletico Madrid (Spain)

Real Sociedad (Spain)

Napoli (Italy)

Lazio (Italy)

Inter Milan (Italy)

AC Milan

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Bayern Munich (Germany)

RB Leipzig (Germany)

Union Berlin (Germany)

Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Lens (France)

Benfica (Portugal)

Porto (Portugal)

Feyenoord (Netherlands)

Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)

Celtic (Scotland)

Photo credit: Unsplash

Advertisement