2021/22 Champions League group stage contenders

The line-up for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage is complete following the play-offs.

Prior to this week, 26 teams were assured of a berth next term thanks to their domestic league placings or, in the case of Villarreal, as UEFA Europa League winners. Benfica, Malmö, Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol and Young Boys then won through qualifying to bring the tally to 32.

2021/22 group stage teams

ESP: Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Villarreal
ENG: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea
GER: Bayern, RB Leipzig, Dortmund, Wolfsburg
ITA: Internazionale Milano, AC Milan, Atalanta, Juventus
FRA: LOSC Lille, Paris Saint-Germain
POR: Sporting CP, Porto, Benfica
RUS: Zenit
BEL: Club Brugge
AUT: Salzburg
UKR: Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk
NED: Ajax
TUR: Beşiktaş
SUI: Young Boys
SWE: Malmö
MDA: Sheriff Tiraspol

What if the Champions League/Europa League winners qualify via domestic leagues?

Since 2021 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea had already qualified via their domestic league, Beşiktaş enter the group stage as champions of the 11th-ranked national association (Turkey). If Premier League runners-up Manchester United had won the UEFA Europa League final, Monaco would have entered the group stage as the third-placed team of the fifth-ranked association (France); instead, however, the victory for Villarreal meant Spain will have the maximum five representatives.

Do we know the draw seedings?

For the group stage draw, the teams are divided into four pots. Pot 1 contains the UEFA Champions League holders, the UEFA Europa League holders and the champions of the top six-ranked associations (Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal). The remaining sides are seeded based on their UEFA club coefficients.

Pot 1
Chelsea (ENG) 98.000
Villarreal (ESP) 63.000
Bayern (GER) 134.000
Manchester City (ENG) 125.000
Atlético de Madrid (ESP) 115.000
Inter (ITA) 53.000
Sporting CP (POR) 45.500
LOSC Lille (FRA) 14.000

Pot 2
Real Madrid (ESP) 127.000
Barcelona (ESP) 122.000
Juventus (ITA) 120.000
Manchester United (ENG) 113.000
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 113.000
Liverpool (ENG) 101.000
Sevilla (ESP) 98.000
Borussia Dortmund (GER) 90.000

Pot 3
Porto (POR) 87.000
Ajax (NED) 82.500
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 79.000
Leipzig (GER) 66.000
Salzburg (AUT) 59.000
Benfica (POR) 58.000
Atalanta (ITA) 50.500
Zenit (RUS) 50.000

Pot 4
Beşiktaş (TUR) 49.000
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 47.000
Club Brugge (BEL) 35.500
Young Boys (SUI) 35.000
AC Milan (ITA) 31.000
Malmö (SWE) 18.500
Wolfsburg (GER) 14.714
Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) 14.500

This article is for information purposes only and all subject to final confirmation from UEFA.