How the European Cup places are distributed
The end of a season always brings with it the question of which team will qualify for a European competition. Here's an overview of the distribution of European Cup starting places in Germany.
The three trophies of the UEFA club competitions. imago images (3)
German football will receive seven European spots for the 2025/26 season, six of which will be distributed across the Bundesliga. Teams placed first through fourth will advance to the Champions League, fifth will play in the Europa League, and sixth will receive a spot in the Conference League playoffs. The remaining seventh European spot is valid for the Europa League and will be awarded to the winner of the DFB-Pokal.
The distribution of European Cup places at a glance| placement | Competition |
|---|---|
| Places 1 - 4 | Champions League |
| 5th place | Europa League |
| 6th place | Conference League (Playoffs) |
| Cup winners | Europa League |
The distribution of European Cup starting places can also shift if a team that has already qualified via the top six places in the league wins the DFB-Pokal. The Champions League participants remain unchanged, but the fifth and sixth-place finishers would then play in the Europa League, while the seventh-place finisher in the Bundesliga would move up and compete in the Conference League. Since the 2015/16 season, a losing cup finalist no longer receives the winner's ticket to Europe, but rather the next-placed team in the league.
What possibilities are there for another CL place?In addition, internationally represented clubs can earn an additional Champions League starting spot via the UEFA annual rankings, which are determined by the association coefficient. This last happened in the 2023/24 season – partly due to Dortmund's run to the Champions League final – which is why Germany had five clubs competing in the premier class in the 2024/25 season. However, this could not be repeated this season; instead, Spain and England each gained an additional Champions League spot.
Another possibility for a German team to receive an additional starting spot in the Champions League is if the club wins the Europa League but fails to qualify for European competition via the Bundesliga. A similar situation—in this case, a Europa League ticket—also applies if the team wins the Conference League and finishes below the European places in the league.
In an absolutely exceptional case, as many as eleven German teams could be represented on the European stage through title wins and special regulations.
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