Which Premier League teams will qualify for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League?
How the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League qualifying spots will be decided this season, including what an FA Cup win could mean for Crystal Palace or Man City and other Premier League sides...
Thursday 8 May 2025 22:00, UK
How many Premier League teams will qualify for the Champions League?
Thanks to England's strong UEFA co-efficient score this season AND Tottenham and Manchester United's progression to the Europa League final, SIX Premier League teams will play in the Champions League next season - the top five in the final Premier League table and the victors of the Europa League final on May 21.
Which Premier League teams will qualify for the Europa League?
The FA Cup winners and the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League will qualify for the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest are currently sixth.
It is Crystal Palace and Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
If Crystal Palace win it, they will be in the Europa League. They are currently unlikely to finish in a position in the Premier League that would qualify them for European competition.
If Man City win the FA Cup but qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top five, their Europa League spot will be passed onto the team that finishes seventh. That is currently Aston Villa.
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(We'll come to it shortly but a City win and top-five finish plus a top-six finish for Newcastle would also lead to the Conference League play-off place being handed down to eighth. So there is the prospect that an FA Cup win for Crystal Palace could deny Bournemouth (currently eighth) or Brentford (in ninth) a place in Europe!)
If Chelsea win the Conference League they will qualify for the Europa League - but they will only take that spot if they do not finish in the top five of the Premier League, which would qualify them for the Champions League.
If they do finish in the top five - or qualify for the Europa League through their league position - their Europa League place for winning the Conference League does NOT get passed on.
Which Premier League teams will qualify for the Conference League?
Newcastle have already guaranteed themselves a Conference League play-off berth by winning the Carabao Cup.
Of course, they are currently in the top five and will be hoping to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League through their final league position.
If Newcastle finish in the top six, their Conference League play-off place will be passed onto the team in seventh. That is currently Aston Villa. However, if Man City win the FA Cup and finish in the top six, seventh place will take City's Europa League spot and Newcastle's Conference League play-off place will be passed onto eighth, which is currently Bournemouth.
If Man City were to win the FA Cup but finish seventh, Newcastle would be in the top six and that Conference League place would be passed down to eighth.
How Chelsea's finishing position affects the permutations…
Two key rules to keep in mind for this bit:
European title winners get a place in Europe - but if they finish in a Premier League spot which qualifies them for the competition, their title win earns them entry (or the next tier up) - there is no additional place passed on.
If the European title winners finish in a Premier League spot which does not qualify them for the competition, their title win earns them entry, so there is an additional place.
So…
Chelsea can qualify for the Champions League as a top-five finisher. If they do that and win the Conference League, their Europa League spot for winning the Conference League is given up.
If Chelsea win the Conference League and finish sixth, they qualify for the Europa League through their Conference League win and their league position entry to the Europa League is passed on.
If Chelsea win the Conference League and finish in a Premier League position which would qualify them for the Conference League play-off (passed on from Newcastle), they would qualify for the Europa League through their Conference League win and the Conference League play-off place would be given up.
