A historic first for English football—six Premier League clubs will feature in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Already guaranteed five spots through its UEFA coefficient ranking, England will now send a sixth representative thanks to Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur reaching the Europa League final on Thursday night. United secured their place with a commanding 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, while Spurs overcame Norway’s Bodø/Glimt 2-0 away from home.
According to UEFA regulations, a Europa League title earns the winner an automatic place in the next Champions League. Since England has already secured five qualification spots through league performance, the trophy bonus pushes the total to six.
Premier League champions Liverpool are already confirmed participants. They will be joined by four teams from the group currently battling for top-four finishes—Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest. The sixth and final spot will go to the Europa League winner, provided it’s either United or Spurs.
This marks not only a record for the Premier League, but also the first time any European country will have more than five clubs competing in a single Champions League season.