Benfica has secured its place in the revamped 36-team Champions League, edging out José Mourinho's Fenerbahce in a tightly contested playoff match. The Portuguese side's 1-0 victory on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, was enough to seal their spot in the competition, thanks to Kerem Aktürkoğlu's decisive goal.

The match was a tense affair, with Benfica having two goals disallowed by video review in the first half, adding to the drama. However, Aktürkoğlu, a Turkish forward, broke the deadlock in the 35th minute with a powerful shot, which ultimately proved to be the only goal of the two-legged tie. The first leg ended in a goalless draw.

For Mourinho, a two-time Champions League winner, this defeat means he will have to wait longer to return to the competition's main stage, as he has not coached in it for six seasons. Fenerbahce's absence from the Champions League now extends to 17 seasons.

In other playoff matches, Club Brugge, Copenhagen, and Qarabag also secured their places in the Champions League. Club Brugge showcased a dominant performance, routing Rangers 6-0, resulting in an aggregate score of 9-1. Qarabag, representing Azerbaijan, made a return to the Champions League after eight years, overcoming Ferencvaros with a 5-4 aggregate victory, despite losing 3-2 in Baku. Copenhagen advanced with a 3-1 aggregate win over Basel, following their 2-0 victory at home.

The draw ceremony for the Champions League league phase is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Monaco. The event will be held at a concert hall and conference venue by the beach.

This year's Champions League will feature a record number of six teams from England. More than half of the participating teams, 19 in total, come from the top four ranked countries: England, Italy, Spain, and Germany. There are also several newcomers to the main phase of the competition, including Bodo/Glimt of Norway, Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan, Pafos of Cyprus, and Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium.

With Bodo located inside the Arctic Circle and Almaty situated near Kazakhstan's border with China, the Champions League will expand its geographical reach further north and east than ever before. Pafos, a club owned by Russian interests and formed just 11 years ago through a merger of two clubs, is another notable debutant. Athletic Bilbao is set to make a comeback to the competition after a long absence.