The league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League has officially concluded, leaving us with a clear picture of which teams have secured their spot in the Round of 16 and which must now navigate the high-stakes knockout play-off round to stay in the competition. The Automatic Qualifiers (Last 16)The following eight teams finished at the top of the league phase and will bypass the play-off round:1. Man CityThe Play-Off ContendersThese 16 teams will compete in the play-offs. Unlike previous iterations of the tournament, there are no country protections at this stage; teams from the same national association can be drawn against each other, as can teams that already met during the league phase. For instance, the winner of Newcastle’s tie is already slated to face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round.