Premier League: Qualification for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League permutations as run-in heats up
The Premier League could have as many as NINE teams playing in European competition next season; Man City's FA Cup win means eighth place will now secure European football; Aston Villa's result in the Europa League final also has a huge impact on European places
Wednesday 20 May 2026 14:59, UK
The race for Europe is well and truly on - with the final weekend of the season holding as many as many as five different teams' continental fortunes in its hands.
It was confirmed on Saturday that at least eight Premier League teams will now play in European competition next season after Manchester City's win in the FA Cup final.
Their place in the Europa League as cup winners now passes to seventh place in the Premier League, while eighth will now secure a Conference League spot.
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However, there is still plenty to be decided - including how many teams will play in the Champions League next season.
That all hinges on whether fourth-placed Aston Villa win the Europa League on Wednesday night, and are then leapfrogged by Liverpool on the Premier League final day to finish fifth. Liverpool host Brentford on Sunday, while Villa travel to Man City in what looks set to be Pep Guardiola's final game in charge.
If that happens, Villa will have already qualified for the Champions League next season by virtue of their Europa League win - so their league spot will pass down to the team in sixth. If it doesn't, the teams in sixth and seventh will both play Europa League football next season.
Sixth spot is currently occupied by Bournemouth, who need only a point away to Nottingham Forest to finish in sixth, above Brighton - the only team able to catch them. Fabian Hurzeler's side host Manchester United in their final game.
Regardless of what happens with Villa, the team finishing in eighth will qualify for the Conference League next season.
Though Bournemouth's European spot is confirmed, Brighton's is not. Chelsea visit Sunderland, who could both jump above Brighton into seventh, while Brentford still harbour European ambitions of their own from their trip to Anfield.
However, Aston Villa will be playing in the Champions League regardless of their Europa League final result on Thursday as they will finish in the top five. If they win in Istanbul, it will have a huge bearing on the Premier League places.
Manchester United, Man City and Arsenal will also finish in the top three places.
If Villa win the Europa League...
Villa finish third or fourth: The Premier League's top five go into the Champions League, sixth and seventh into Europa League, eighth into Conference League.
Villa finish fifth: The extra Champions League spot would be passed on to sixth and the Premier League would give up its Europa League spot for league position.
So the Premier League could have NINE places in Europe next season as Crystal Palace will also play in the Europa League if they win the Conference League in addition to the other league finishes.
Who qualifies for Europe?
Thanks to England's strong UEFA coefficient ranking, the Premier League has been awarded an extra fifth place in the Champions League for next season.
So currently, the top five teams in the Premier League go into the Champions League in addition to two Europa League qualifying places (the team finishing sixth and the FA Cup winners) and a single Conference League space (Carabao Cup winners).
Man City have already secured a Champions League spot, so their Conference League place as Carabao Cup winners will be passed on to the next highest finisher in the Premier League who hasn't qualified for Europe. So that means sixth is Europa League, seventh is Conference League.
