Uefa
UEFA to allow five Champions League teams per league from 2024
European football’s governing body has sent letters to national associations explaining the criteria to qualify for the new-look tournament.
UEFA has sent a letter to all member associations to explain the updated qualification procedure for the new 36-team Champions League.
The expanded format will coming into effect for the 2024/25 season but UEFA has taken steps to advise teams on the new qualification rules in advance. From 2024 onwards each league will be able to send a maximum of five teams to the group stages of the Champions League.
The most important of the changes relates to how the four additional spots in the group stage will be distributed. After the upcoming season the Champions League will go from 32 to 36 participants.
One of those places will be given to the association ranked fifth in terms of accumulated UEFA ranking over the past five years. Another will go to the association of the previous year’s Champions League winner, meaning that the Premier League would be granted five spots in the group stage if the rules came into affect now.
The remaining two new places will go to the associations who performed the best across all UEFA competitions the previous season. This could allow smaller nations to get increased access to the Champions League if their teams do well in the Europa League or Conference League.
Here’s how UEFA explain qualification for the expanded competition...
In part, UEFA opted to make these changes to counter the threat of a break-away Super League. Teams from the bigger leagues, where qualification is more difficult due to the greater domestic competition, have pushed for greater access to the group stages. The changes are expected to give the biggest leagues the chance to get a fifth spot in the Champions League.