England and Spain have clinched the top two positions in the 2025/26 association club coefficients, securing European Performance Spots for the 2026/27 Champions League. England leads with 28.125 average points from nine clubs, while Spain follows with 22.093 from eight clubs. As it stands, Aston Villa and Real Betis would claim these additional automatic league phase places as the fifth-place finishers in their respective leagues. The European Performance Spots reward the two associations whose clubs delivered the best collective performance in the previous season’s UEFA competitions, granting each an extra automatic qualification berth.
In-Depth:
England and Spain are now assured of finishing in the top two of the 2025/26 association club coefficients and have therefore both secured a European Performance Spot for the 2026/27 league phase.
Last updated: 09:00 CET on Friday 8 May
What are the European Performance Spots?
As has happened in the previous two years under the new format of the European club competitions, the 2026/27 European Performance Spots go to the two associations with the best collective performance by their clubs in the 2025/26 UEFA men’s club competitions (i.e. the best association club coefficient of the previous season, based on the total number of club coefficient points obtained by each club from an association, divided by the number of clubs from that association, in accordance with Annex D of the competition regulations).
Those two associations each earn one automatic place in the league phase – the ‘European Performance Spot’ – for the club ranked next-best in their domestic league behind those clubs that have already qualified directly for the league phase.
Which associations will benefit from the European Performance Spots next season?
England and Spain have finished in the top two of the 2025/26 association club coefficients and have therefore each earned a European Performance Spot.
2025/26 association club coefficients
1. England 253.125 points / 9 clubs = 28.125 average
2. Spain 176.750 points / 8 clubs = 22.093 average
Which clubs would take the European Performance Spots as it stands?
Right now, Aston Villa and Real Betis would both claim an automatic league phase place via the European Performance Spots.
England and Spain each have four automatic league phase spots for the 2025/26 campaign, meaning the teams that finish fifth in the Premier League and Spanish Liga (currently Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively) would also be assured of places in the league phase.
European Performance Spots as it stands
England: Aston Villa
Spain: Real Betis
Who else will qualify for the 2026/27 league phase?
The 36 spots for the 2026/27 league phase will be determined as follows:
2025/26 UEFA Champions League winner (1)
2025/26 UEFA Europa League winner (1)
England (4)
Italy (4)
Spain (4)
Germany (4)
France (3)
Netherlands (2)
Portugal (1)
Belgium (1)
Czechia (1)
Türkiye (1)
European Performance Spots (2)
Qualifying rounds – champions path (5)
Qualifying rounds – league path (2)
This article is updated every Monday morning as well as every Friday of a men’s UEFA club competition matchweek.
