The 2024/25 season is being special in European football. It has been the one that has introduced a new change in the Champions League where, in addition to going from 32 to 36 teams, it has determined the entry form of two of those four ‘new’ teams. A form of classification that has led to Borussia Dortmund and Bologna to compete in this edition as fifth in the Bundesliga and Serie Arespectively, and that now it is also at stake who will be able to compete with that extra place next season. A UEFA Ranking that takes into account the clubs of the country that best performance they have between the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season to ‘sneak’ one more representative into the top continental competition.
Taking these scales into account, right now the UEFA 2024/25 Ranking classification is like this:
- Portugal: 8,000 points
- England: 7,571 points
- Belgium: 7,400 points
- Poland: 7,125 points
- Czech Republic: 7,100 points
- Sweden: 6,750 points
- Türkiye: 6,500 points
- Italy: 6,375 points
- Greece: 5,875 points
- Slovenia: 5,875 points
- Germany: 5,625 points
- Spain: 5,571 points
Therefore, at this time the countries that would put an extra team in the next Champions League would be Portugal and England. In the case of the Primeira Liga, In addition to Sporting Lisbon as first classified, Porto would go directly and Benfica would have to go through the previous roundgoing from two possible representatives to three. On the other hand, I would go The fifth in the Premier League, Brighton, would accompany Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenalto the next edition of the Champions League. But there is a lot of season ahead and things can change.
Spain, twelfth in the classificationmay still have options as the competition progresses, although he will need his teams to perform well. To finish in the first two places, it is important that the four teams continue in competition in the Champions League, FC Barcelona, Atlético, Real Madrid and Gironaas well as the two that are in the Europa League, Athletic Club and Real Sociedadalong with the Betis in the Conference League, continue to progress and win games.
Griezmann celebrates after scoring a goal in Atlético de Madrid’s match against Sparta Prague
How is the ranking calculated?
To calculate a country’s ranking, all the points achieved by the teams from that country are added and divided by the number of teams from that country that have played European competition that season. In the case of Spain, A possible elimination of Girona in the group stage of the Champions League could penalize himalthough there is still time to remedy it. The points added by all LaLiga EA Sports teams will be divided by seven.
On the other hand, countries like Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Türkiye, Greece and Sloveniaright now ahead of Spain, they already have eliminated teams and it would penalize them in the long run. Furthermore, countries like Italy and Germany with up to eight participants make it more likely that they will have difficulty repeating an extra place. That’s why, It would be important for FC Barcelona, Atlético or Real Madrid to secure their place in the Champions League round of 16 or the good result for Athletic Club that has already managed to get into the Top8 of the Europa Laegue or that he Real Betis manages to consolidate the Top24 and ends up improving their situation in the European competition.
This is the point system:
- 2 points for each victory in the league phase of any of the three competitions.
- 1 point for each victory in qualifying or knockout matches in any of the three competitions.
- 1 point for each tie in the league phase of any of the three competitions.
- 0.5 points for each tie in qualifying or knockout matches in any of the three competitions.
- 1.5 extra points for reaching each of the rounds in the Champions League (play offs, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals or final)
- 1 extra points for reaching each of the rounds in the Europa League (play offs, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals or final)
- 0.5 extra points for reaching each of the rounds in the Europa League (eighth, quarterfinals, semifinals or final)
- 1 point for each club eliminated in the first qualifying round in the Conference League
- 1.5 points for each club eliminated in the second qualifying round in the Conference League
- 2 points for each club eliminated in the third qualifying round in the Conference League
- 2.5 points for each club eliminated in the Play Offs
