Winners & Losers of the 2025/26 Champions League League Phase

The curtain came down on the revamped UEFA Champions League league phase with the kind of all-at-once drama UEFA hoped for when it redesigned the competition. Eighteen simultaneous kick-offs, tables reshuffling by the minute, and qualification decided by goals scored in the final moments.

Over five months and 144 matches, the new format delivered spectacle, stress and more than a few storylines that will linger long into the knockout rounds.

From flawless campaigns and unlikely heroes to heavyweight disappointments and coaches once again haunted by Europe, here is a winners-and-losers look at how the league phase shook out.

WINNER: Arsenal

Arsenal could not have scripted a better league phase if they tried. Eight games, eight wins, top of the table and straight into the last 16 with momentum firmly on their side. Rotation barely dulled their edge, squad depth proved decisive, and Mikel Arteta’s side looked more comfortable in Europe than at any point in the Emirates era.

Avoiding the play-offs is already a major advantage in a season bloated with fixtures, but finishing first brings even more value under the updated rules, with the highest seeds guaranteed second-leg home advantage throughout the knockouts. That alone could be decisive. Arsenal still have domestic questions to answer, but in Europe, they’ve laid down a marker that feels far more serious than in previous campaigns.

WINNER: Sporting CP

Sporting were meant to be happy just staying competitive. Instead, they went further and forced their way into the top eight. Their late winner in Bilbao to seal automatic qualification was the perfect summary of their campaign: fearless, relentless and utterly committed.

What stands out is not just the results, but the manner of them. Sporting repeatedly refused to accept their “outsider” status, backing themselves in hostile stadiums and thriving under pressure. For a club often overshadowed by Portugal’s traditional giants, this was a statement run that will live long in Lisbon folklore.

LOSER: Villarreal

Villarreal’s early exit felt jarring because it contradicted everything they’ve been domestically. Strong in La Liga, tactically organised and competitive week after week, yet in Europe they never quite landed the decisive blow when it mattered.

Missed chances, lapses at key moments and a lack of ruthlessness defined their campaign. As the league phase wore on, it became clear that decent performances alone weren’t enough. In this format, efficiency is king, and Villarreal paid the price for failing to master it.

WINNER: Qarabag

Few stories matched Qarabag’s surreal journey. Written off before a ball was kicked, they spent the league phase tearing up expectations. Shock results, late comebacks and a qualification confirmed despite a heavy final-day defeat summed up a campaign built on belief rather than reputation.

Their decisive home win in matchday seven, snatched in dramatic fashion, was the emotional peak. It underlined why the Champions League still matters beyond the elite: because sometimes organisation, courage and timing can outmuscle wealth and pedigree.

LOSER: Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain scraped through, but it felt like a failure rather than relief. Unlike last season, there was no late surge, no sense of inevitability. Instead, dropped points, erratic performances and a worrying lack of control saw them tumble out of the top eight.

Luis Enrique still has an exciting, youthful squad, but this league phase exposed unresolved issues in balance and game management. Entering the play-offs without rhythm is dangerous, and PSG look far more vulnerable than a reigning champion should.

WINNER: José Mourinho

Few managers thrive on chaos quite like Mourinho, and Benfica’s escape act had his fingerprints all over it. From the bottom of the table at the halfway point to qualification sealed by a goalkeeper’s last-gasp header, it was peak Mourinho theatre.

Beyond the drama, it was a reminder of his ability to keep teams fighting when logic says they’re finished. Written off early, doubted loudly, and still standing at the end, it was vintage “Special One” energy.

LOSER: Antonio Conte

Conte’s domestic pedigree is unquestionable, but Europe continues to be his unresolved riddle. Napoli fought bravely, often impressively, but the campaign unravelled in familiar fashion: intensity fading, margins slipping, and control lost at critical moments.

Injuries offer mitigation, but history is unkind. Conte’s Champions League record increasingly suggests that his high-octane methods struggle over long European campaigns. For all his brilliance, Europe remains the one arena that consistently resists him.

LOSER: Real Madrid

Real Madrid stumbling into the play-offs felt unnatural, almost wrong. Yet over eight games, the warning signs were clear: indiscipline, tactical uncertainty and a lack of cohesion under pressure.

The league phase exposed a side in transition, still dangerous but no longer inevitable. Madrid can always awaken in the knockouts, but this was one of their most underwhelming European openings in years.

WINNER: Kylian Mbappé

If Madrid were erratic, Mbappé was anything but. Ruthless, efficient and devastating, he carried his scoring form across the league phase with frightening consistency. Limited appearances didn’t stop him from piling up goals and edging closer to tournament records.

Even amid dysfunction, elite talent shines. Mbappé did exactly that.

LOSER: Roberto De Zerbi

Marseille’s elimination felt self-inflicted. Inconsistency plagued them from the start, and when clarity was required, they unravelled. De Zerbi spoke openly about volatility and mental fragility, admissions that explained more than they excused.

In a format that punishes emotional swings, Marseille never found equilibrium.

WINNER: The Premier League

English clubs dominated the upper reaches of the table, with the majority qualifying directly for the last 16. Depth, financial power and tactical variety were all on display, reinforcing the league’s growing continental grip.

Whether that dominance converts into the trophy remains to be seen, but the league phase left little doubt about where European power currently sits.

WINNER: Bodø/Glimt

No story captured the romance of this league phase like Bodø/Glimt. Written off repeatedly, they responded with fearless performances, stunning results and belief that bordered on defiance.

Victories against far richer, more established opponents were not accidents, they were the product of identity and courage. In a competition increasingly shaped by economics, Bodø/Glimt reminded everyone why football still belongs to dreamers.

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