Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the 2025 EFL Cup Final On March 16, the Magpies made the first Premier League team to guarantee European football in 2025/26.
The result could lead to a team that ends below Newcastle to reach the conference league next season, depending on where the Eddie Howe team ends in the table.
Other stories still to play in the meeting of a surprising and unpredictable campaign include if the winners of the Champions League in 2022/23 Manchester City will be absent from the competition for the first time under the manager Pep Guardiola, for the last time in 2010/11.
101GeReatGoals.com explains how European qualification works for English clubs, including the competition that FA Cup winners enter and which teams are on the right track to represent the country on the continent next season.
Asensio delivers again ⚽️#Ucl pic.twitter.com/lkfpx4cyip
– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) March 14, 2025
European League European Qualification
Between seven and 11 English teams will play a certain form of European football next season, although there is more chances of at least eight due to the classification of country coefficients, which offer an additional place in the Champions League to the two nations whose teams are best in Europe this season.
England The best organizers of the UEFA competition The ranking of UEFA coefficients at the moment, standing firmly on the right track to win an additional place as a quarter final of the Champions League, the Europa League and the approach of the conference league.
Champions League qualification
The four best teams of Premier league are guaranteed to reach the phase of the Champions League League. The team ending the fifth is also likely to do so due to the classification of coefficients.
The winners of the Champions League and the Europa League will also enter the competition league phase.
James Maddison 🎯@Spursificial | #Uel pic.twitter.com/wd0peudmn7
– UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) March 17, 2025
This means that Arsenal and Aston Villa could guarantee their involvement regardless of their last league post by winning the Champions League, just like Manchester United or Tottenham – which are both very unlikely to qualify in their league post – raising the Europa League trophy.
In total, then England will probably have between five and seven teams in the Champions League next season: the best five, more arsenal or villa if ends outside the first five and becomes European champions, and United or Tottenham if they win the Europa League and are below the fifth of the League.
European Qualification of FA Cup: Europa League
The winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Europa League league phase, as is the fifth team. However, if England receives an additional place in the Champions League, this will go to the fifth place team, with the team in sixth in the Europa League.
The winners of the conference league also join the Europa League the following season. Chelsea is warm favorites to win the league of the conference before the quarter -finals and hope to reach the Champions League thanks to their League post.
Silky finish of Dewsbury-Hall 😮💨#Uecl | @ChelseaFc pic.twitter.com/3rjtlm8rgf
– UEFA Conference League (@Conf_league) March 15, 2025
EFL Cup European qualification: conference league
Newcastle is assured of a place to qualify for the Conference League qualifiers to win the EFL Cup, but hopes to reach the Europa League or the Champions League thanks to its League post.
If this happens, their place in the conference league would fall into the next highest finishing team of the Premier League which has not qualified for Europe.
Can the 11th Premier League team qualify for Europe?
There is an improbable scenario in which all the top 10 teams would qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League and Newcastle Place in the playoffs of the Conference League would go to the 11th team.
Here is an example of how the Premier league suggest that this result could occur:
- Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City all qualify for the Champions League as the first four
- Newcastle reached the Champions League in Fifth following the victory in England
- Brighton & Hove Albion qualifies for the Europa League in sixth
- Bournemouth came seventh and qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup
- Chelsea finished eighth and gaining place in the Europa League by winning the conference league
- Villa is ninth and goes to the Champions League as holders
- Manchester United or Tottenham finish 10th but are in the Champions League as winners of the Europa League
Healthy contents 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ssvkkjrz9j
– Brentford FC (@brentfordfc) March 17, 2025
Which Premier League teams will qualify for Europe?
Before the Premier League returned to action in April, the OPTA statistical experts projected the latter Top 11.
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Forest
- Man
- Newcastle
- Chélat
- Brighton
- Villa
- Bournemouth
- Fulham
- Brentford
This would guarantee that Liverpool, Arsenal, Forest, City and Newcastle in the Champion League
Nottingham Forest would return for the first European club competition for the first time since 1980/81, a season after their second of two consecutive triumphs in the competition.
If Bournemouth or Brentford would qualify, this would represent the first time that one or the other club participated in the European competition. You can Follow Opta’s latest predictions here.
