Barcelona become first La Liga team confirmed for the 2026-27 Champions League | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have secured their place in the UEFA Champions League for the 2026-27 season, becoming the first La Liga team to guarantee qualification, regardless of their progress in the current edition.

Barcelona went into the international break with a win in La Liga on Sunday – a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, thanks to a single goal from Ronald Araujo.

The result keeps them at the top of the table ahead of the international break with 73 points, four clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have 69 after defeating fourth-placed Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the derby.

Elsewhere, Villarreal, third in the table, secured a 3-1 win against Real Sociedad, while fifth-placed Real Betis lost 2-1 to Athletic Club.

UCL qualification already secured

Qualified for the UCL next season (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)

This combination of results ensures that Barcelona will finish the season in the top four. With only nine matches left to be played, a total of 27 points will be up for grabs for teams. And the 29-point gap between Barça and Betis is already greater than that.

As a result, the current La Liga leaders and reigning champions have mathematically confirmed their place in next season’s Champions League.

It will be their 37th participation in the competition and their 23rd consecutive appearance, having not missed a single edition since the 2004-05 campaign.

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have already reached the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League after defeating Newcastle United 7-2 in the second leg of the round of 16, following a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.

They will now face Atletico Madrid in the next round, and if they progress, their semi-final opponent would be the winner of the tie between Arsenal and Sporting CP.