The 2026 Champions League is back after a long hiatus of more than two months, and with it, the true joy of football has returned.
The seventh round of group stage matches took place between Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in several teams already securing their place in the Round of 16.
As is known, the top eight teams qualify directly for the Round of 16, while those ranked 9th to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff in early February for the remaining eight spots in the knockout stage.
This year, UEFA has added a special advantage for the eight teams that qualify directly: they will play all the second-leg matches in the knockout rounds at home, giving them a significant advantage, especially after the abolition of the away goals rule several years ago.
In this report, we’ll look at the teams that have qualified for the Round of 16 after the seventh round, the 2026 Champions League standings, and the remaining fixtures for the final round of group stage matches.
Champions League Standings 2026
Teams Qualified for the Round of 16 in the 2026 Champions League
Arsenal were the first to secure their place in the Round of 16 after a 2-1 away win against Inter Milan, reaching 21 points. They are the only team to have achieved a perfect record in the league stage.
Bayern Munich were the second to qualify, reaching 18 points.
Real Madrid are practically guaranteed a direct qualification to the Round of 16 as well. The Royal Club have 15 points with a +11 goal difference, a significant advantage over their closest rivals (ninth-placed Barcelona have a goal difference of only 5).
The positions from fourth to eighth are wide open and will be decided in the next round.
Matchday 8 of the 2026 UEFA Champions League:
Ajax vs. Olympiacos
Arsenal vs. Kairat
Monaco vs. Juventus
Athletic Bilbao vs. Sporting Lisbon
Atletico Madrid vs. Bodø/Glimt
Barcelona vs. Copenhagen
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Villarreal
Benfica vs. Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs. Inter Milan
Club Brugge vs. Marseille
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool vs. Qarabag
Manchester City vs. Galatasaray
Napoli vs. Chelsea
Pafos vs. Slavia Prague
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Newcastle United
PSV Eindhoven vs. Bayern Munich
Saint-Gilloise vs. Atalant
