BBC: ‘Guarantees two games against…’ — The teams Man Utd could face next season after securing UCL qualification

Posted May 4 2026, 12:49 by Isabel Ryan

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 03: The match pennant of Manchester United is seen prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester United and Galatasaray A.S at Old Trafford on October 03, 2023 in Manchester, England

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Manchester United will be returning to the biggest European stage in 2026/2027 following Sunday’s developments.

Indeed, the Red Devils booked their Champions League spot via a 3-2 win over Liverpool, which set in stone that they would finish in the top five of the Premier League.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY

Who might United face in the Champions League next term?

As things stand, United sit third and will be hoping to either maintain that position in the final three fixtures of the campaign, or even try to close the gap on second-placed Manchester City, who have a six-point advantage having played two fewer games.

Want more Stretty News coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

BBC Sport’s Simon Stone took to X/Twitter this morning to preview some of the clubs United may face when the competition gets underway next season.

With it looking as though the Reds will be in pot two or three in the UCL draw, it ‘guarantees’ two fixtures against non-English heavyweights, such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Lots still to be decided but looks like @ManUtd will end up in Pot 2 or 3 in the Champions League draw. Doesn't mean as much with new format but guarantees two games against the biggest non-English clubs; so Bayern, PSG, Real, Barca, Inter.

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) May 4, 2026

Of the quintet, four of the sides either have already (Bayern and Inter) or are about to (PSG and Barcelona) win their respective leagues.

Which other PL clubs will be in the UCL along with United?

Joining United from the Premier League will be Arsenal and Manchester City, and it remains to be seen who else will after matchweek 35.

Fifth-placed Aston Villa suffered a second successive league defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, with the result moving Spurs out of the relegation zone, while Liverpool, Bournemouth and Brentford are still in contention.

However, should Villa, who have to overturn a one-goal deficit against Nottingham Forest in the semi-final second leg this week, win the Europa League, they would automatically qualify.