Which Bundesliga clubs qualified for Europe for 2026/27?
Following Freiburg's UEFA Europa League final defeat to Aston Villa, we now know the competitions that the Bundesliga's seven European qualifiers will play in for 2026/27.
How does European qualification work in Germany?
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: 1st (Champions League's league phase)
Points: 89
Goal difference: +86 (121-36)
Ultimately ending up 27 points clear of fifth-placed Hoffenheim, the newly crowned champions' place in Europe’s premier club competition next season was assured way back on Matchday 28 with their dramatic stoppage-time comeback win over Freiburg.
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: 2nd (Champions League's league phase)
Points: 73
Goal difference: +36 (70-34)
Dortmund sneaked into the Champions League places on a dramatic final day last season, but things were more comfortable for Niko Kovač’s charges this time, as they made sure of qualification on Matchday 31.
They were already guaranteed second place ahead of their Matchday 34 trip to Werder Bremen, and a 2-0 win saw them reach their best points tally since the 2018/19 term.
Watch: Dortmund round off 2025/26 with Bremen win
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: 3rd (Champions League's league phase)
Points: 65
Goal difference: +19 (66-47)
Die Roten Bullen were absent from European competition for the first time in their top-flight history in 2025/26, but secured a top-four spot with their victory over St. Pauli on Matchday 33.
An emphatic 5-0 victory over Hoffenheim saw them leapfrog their European rivals on goal difference, while further wins over Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin put them well on their way.
Watch: Leipzig book Champions League return with Pauli win
Club: VfB Stuttgart
Position: 4th (Champions League's league phase)
Points: 62
Goal difference: +22 (71-49)
The DFB Cup holders and 2026 finalists entered the final matchday of the season in fourth spot, and they just about got over the line with a 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Having competed in the inaugural league phase of the Champions League in 2024/25, Sebastian Hoeneß’s side managed to make it into the last 16 of this season’s Europa League. In 2026/27, they will rub shoulders with the elite once more.
Watch: Stuttgart qualify for Champions League despite Frankfurt draw
Club: Hoffenheim
Position: 5th (Europa League's league phase)
Points: 61
Goal difference: +13 (65-52)
Hoffenheim will return to Europe after narrowly avoiding relegation last term. However, they will be bitterly disappointed to miss out on the top four after their 4-0 hammering at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 34 saw their hopes fade away, having been level on points with Stuttgart going into the final day.
Just three wins in their last nine ultimately proved pivotal, but their run of one defeat in 14 earlier in the season contributed to their impressive fifth-placed finish, and they can now look forward to Europa League football next term.
Watch: Gladbach end Hoffenheim's Champions League hopes
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: 6th (Europa League's league phase)
Points: 59
Goal difference: +21 (68-47)
Leverkusen entered the final day needing both Stuttgart and Hoffenheim to lose to have any chance of a top-four spot, but while that almost came to pass, their own 1-1 draw with Hamburg was less than the victory they also required.
The DFB Cup final between Champions League-qualified Bayern and Stuttgart means that sixth place in the Bundesliga has qualified for the Europa League instead of the Conference League, which has ended up playing into Leverkusen's hands. After reaching the final of that competition in 2023/24, they will feel they can compete again next term.
Watch: Leverkusen miss out on top four with final-day HSV draw
Club: Freiburg
Position: 7th (Conference League qualification play-offs)
Points: 47
Goal difference: -6 (51-57)
Freiburg headed into the final day of the season needing a win to guarantee a European spot next term regardless of results elsewhere, and Leipzig were hardly the opponents they would have wished for to get over the line. However, buoyed by their progresstion to the final of this season’s Europa League, they put their opponents to the sword with a 4-1 win.
It was a strong end to an already historic campaign for the Black Forest club, following up last term's top-six finish with another continental qualification.
It could've been even better, with victory in the Europa League final meaning a place in next season's Champions League, but a 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa in Istanbul meant that wasn't to be and they have to contend with playing in the Conference League for 2026/27, starting in the qualification play-off rounds.
What: Behind Freiburg's success
