One chapter of the 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League new era closes, and another opens. All 18 teams participated in the final matchday of the league phase on Wednesday, with simultaneous kickoffs for maximum chaos, and nothing was decided until the final whistle.
As the league phase ends, the competition now welcomes the knockout phase playoff, and eight teams will compete for a spot in the future quarterfinals as 12 of the 18 teams that participated in the league phase are still alive. On Thursday, the UWCL knockout phase draw will determine which clubs will battle it out in February for the remaining quarterfinal spots.
Here’s everything you need to know about what’s next:
Matchday 6 results
- Juventus 0, Real Madrid 1
- PSG 1, Benfica 1
- Roma 6, St. Polten 1
- Bayern 3, Valerenga 0
- FC Twente 1, Real Madrid 1
- OH Leuven 0, Arsenal 3
- Paris FC 0, Barcelona 2
- OL Lyonnes 4, Atletico Madrid 0
- Wolfsburg 1, Chelsea 2
Standings
Top four advance to quarterfinals, and spots 5-12 enter the knockout phase playoffs.
1. Barcelona, 16 points (+17 GD)
2. OL Lyonnes, 16 points (+13 GD)
3. Chelsea, 14 points (+17 GD)
4. Bayern Munich, 13 points, (+1 GD)
5. Arsenal, 12 points (+5 GD)
6. Man United, 12 points (-2 GD)
7. Real Madrid, 11 points, (+6 GD)
8. Juventus, 10 points (+5 GD)
9. Wolfsburg, 9 points (+3 GD)
10. Paris FC, 8 points (-3 GD)
11. Atletico Madrid, 7 points, (+4 GD)
12. OH Leuven, 6 points (-5 GD)
13. Valerenga, 4 points (-5 GD)
14. Roma, 4 points (-10 GD)
15. Twente, 3 points (-6 GD)
16. Benfica, 2 points (-7 GD)
17. PSG, 2 points (-8 GD)
18. St. Polten, 1 point (-22 GD)
Who are the quarterfinalists?
- FC Barcelona
- OL Lyonnes
- Chelsea
- Bayern Munich
FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes left little room for doubt entering the final matchday about their quarterfinal aspirations. The pair of Champions League titans head to the quarterfinals, and Wendie Renard provided vintage heroics for Lyonnes.
The two sides were only separated by goal differential, with Barcelona claiming first, and OL would have needed seven goals and a result from Paris FC over the Catalonians to top the table. Joining Barcelona and Lyonnes are Chelsea FC and Bayern Munich.
Who are the knockout phase teams?
- Arsenal
- Manchester United
- Juventus
- Real Madrid
- Wolfsburg
- Paris FC
- Atletico de Madrid
- OH Leuven
Teams who finished the league phase 5th through 12th will compete in a new knockout phase round. The two-leg fixtures will determine the remainder of the competition, and plenty of attention will be on current title holders Arsenal as the Gunners ended matchday 6 with a big 3-0 victory against OH Leuven.
Joining them are tournament debutants, Manchester United, and U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Phallon Tulis-Joyce aided her club in 1-0 victory against Juventus.
Who were eliminated?
Several teams were eliminated ahead of matchday 6, with Benfica, Roma, St. Polten, FC Twente, and the biggest disappointment, Paris Saint-Germain. Joining them is the debutant team Valerenga. The Norwegian side were in a position to try an advance but needed a win over Bayern Munich and help with an OH Leuven loss.
What’s next?
The draw will take place on Thursday at 7 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Golazo Network as the competition prepares to close out the calendar year. The teams 5-8 are seeded and those 9-12 are unseeded and will be paired via the draw.
The knockout phase for the 2025-26 season begins in February (11-12, 18-19), and quarterfinals in March (24-25) and April (1-2). Following the semifinals in late April and early May, the final two teams will compete for the ultimate title in Oslo, Norway, on May 23 at Ullevaal Stadion.
