Champions League Revolution: Dramatic Changes Between 2024-25 and 2025-26 Final League Phase Standings
The 2025–26 Champions League group stage provided yet another captivating display that reached its climax with the final matchday fixtures.
Direct qualification to the round of 16 and spots in the knockout phase playoffs were at stake during an action-packed evening of matches on Wednesday. While some celebrated success, others faced disappointment.
Several of Europe's top clubs struggled to perform on football's biggest stage, though this wasn't a universal experience, as numerous teams actually enhanced their previous season's continental showing.
Here's a comparison between this season's Champions League group stage final table and the 2024–25 final standings.
Final 2025–26 Table vs. Final 2024–25 Table
Final 2025–26 Table vs. Final 2024–25 Table
Club | 2025–26 Position | 2024–25 Position | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Arsenal | 1 | 3 | +2 |
Bayern Munich | 2 | 12 | +10 |
Liverpool | 3 | 1 | -2 |
Tottenham | 4 | — | — |
Barcelona | 5 | 2 | -3 |
Chelsea | 6 | — | — |
Sporting CP | 7 | 23 | +16 |
Man City | 8 | 22 | +14 |
Real Madrid | 9 | 11 | +2 |
Inter | 10 | 4 | -6 |
Paris Saint-Germain | 11 | 15 | +4 |
Newcastle | 12 | — | — |
Juventus | 13 | 20 | +7 |
Atlético Madrid | 14 | 5 | -9 |
Atalanta | 15 | 9 | -6 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 16 | 6 | -10 |
Borussia Dortmund | 17 | 10 | -7 |
Olympiacos | 18 | — | — |
Club Brugge | 19 | 24 | +5 |
Galatasaray | 20 | — | — |
Monaco | 21 | 17 | -4 |
Qarabağ | 22 | — | — |
Bodø/Glimt | 23 | — | — |
Benfica | 24 | 16 | -8 |
Marseille | 25 | — | — |
Pafos | 26 | — | — |
Union Saint-Gilloise | 27 | — | — |
PSV Eindhoven | 28 | 14 | -14 |
Athletic Club | 29 | — | — |
Napoli | 30 | — | — |
Copenhagen | 31 | — | — |
Ajax | 32 | — | — |
Eintracht Frankfurt | 33 | — | — |
Slavia Prague | 34 | — | — |
Villarreal | 35 | — | — |
Kairat | 36 | — | — |
Bayern Munich, Man City Climb, Barcelona Descend
Bayern Munich, Man City Climb, Barcelona Descend
Just half of the clubs participating in the 2025–26 Champions League group stage also featured in last year's competition. Among those 18 teams, Sporting CP experienced the most dramatic rise, jumping 16 positions from their previous campaign and surprisingly securing direct qualification to the round of 16.
Manchester City and Bayern Munich also made significant continental improvements, with Guardiola's squad rising 14 positions and finding redemption after last season's disappointing 22nd-place finish. The Bavarians, who finished outside the top eight in 2024–25, claimed second place in this year's group stage after winning seven of their eight matches.
Arsenal were the sole team to defeat Bayern in this year's group phase—both on the pitch and in the final table. The North London club claimed the top spot, marginally bettering their previous third-place result.
Liverpool led the table in the previous campaign but have switched positions with Arsenal, dropping to third despite securing six victories overall. The Merseyside club has found solace in European competition amid a disappointing domestic season.
Though finishing outside the top eight once again, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain did manage a modest improvement. The Parisian club rose four positions and will hope to demonstrate significant progress in the knockout rounds—as they achieved last season.
Luciano Spalletti's appointment has enabled Juventus to achieve a better finish, improving their previous position by seven spots, though their Italian counterparts Inter and Atalanta both fell six places.
Despite their dramatic conclusion at Benfica that saw them miss the top eight, Real Madrid actually bettered last year's performance. They only managed 11th previously, making ninth a modest upgrade, though there will be little celebration in the Spanish capital. Their city rivals Atlético Madrid also declined, falling from fifth to 14th.
Madrid's Clásico rivals Barcelona also slipped down the rankings, but Hansi Flick's side maintained their top-eight position, despite dropping to fifth. The Catalans remain among the tournament favorites and will skip the unwanted February playoff round.