How can the Bundesliga still earn a fifth UEFA Champions League spot for 2026/27?

May 8, 2026 - 10:30

The battle for a spot in the top four - and with it the chance to play Champions League football - is usually one of the most thrilling storylines in the course of a Bundesliga season, and this year will likely be no exception.

There was a chance it could be a top five and not just the top four playing in Europe's top club competition - as was the case in 2024/25 - for the 2026/27 campaign.

However, after Bayern Munich exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage to holders Paris Saint-Germain, Freiburg were left as the Bundesliga's sole representative in European competition.

The Black Forest club beat Portugal's Braga 3-1 in their Europa League semi-final second leg, but Rayo Vallecano also won their UEFA Conference League second leg at Strasbourg, leaving Germany unable to claim second place from Spain in the UEFA coefficient rankings - no matter how Freiburg fare in the Europa League final against Aston Villa on 20 May.