Portugal will have three teams in the 2026/27 Women's Champions League, ensuring that the next two editions will see an increase in Portuguese participation, with the champion having direct entry.
"The presence of three Portuguese clubs in the Champions League in 2025/26 was already guaranteed and, now, with one round left in the group stage of this season, the same number of teams is guaranteed for the following season", said a source from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
This scenario is created by the fact that the countries that are behind Portugal in the ranking "no longer have teams with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Champions League", which allows for a favourable result for Portuguese representation.
Also according to the same source, the Portuguese champion will have direct entry to the Champions League, an unprecedented situation, while the second and third placed teams will play in the qualifying rounds.
"If they fail to qualify, they will participate in the second European competition created by UEFA", he added.
This season, Benfica, the national champions, and Sporting failed to qualify for the competition, with the Eagles being knocked out in the second qualifying round by Sweden's Hammarby, and the Lionesses by Real Madrid.
2025/26 will be the first season with a new format, which will have a league phase with 18 teams, replacing the old group stage, and which will have six rounds, with three games at home and three away.
The top four teams will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, while the teams finishing between 5th and 12th place will compete in a two-legged playoff to guarantee four more teams.
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