It's not for nothing that it's the best club football competition in the world. The Champions League. On the night of 28 January 2026, it showed all its greatness. On the chaotic final day of the group stage, with 18 matches being played at the same time, there were results and situations that even the most twisted of scriptwriters could not have imagined.

As for the top eight teams that qualify directly for the round of 16 and are guaranteed to play the second leg at home, the big surprises came from the Madrid teams. Both Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid depended on themselves, but Simeone's team fell to Bodo Glimnt at the Metropolitano; Arbeloa's team, who only needed a draw, lost to Benfica at the Da Luz stadium, where they won their tenth European Cup.

Another unexpected result was PSG's draw at the Parc des Princes against Newcastle, which means that the reigning champions will have to play in the play-off round. Luis Enrique's side wasted countless chances, including a missed penalty by Dembele. On the positive side, Sporting Portugal provided a surprise by beating Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in injury time to finish in seventh place.

These are the eight teams that have qualified for the Champions League round of 16.

• Arsenal
• Bayern Munich
• Liverpool
• Tottenham
• Barcelona
• Chelsea
• Sporting Portugal
• Manchester City

Trubin, the unexpected hero

While the battle to get into the top eight was exciting, the fight to stay alive in the Champions League was antagonistic. One of the teams that had the best chance was Olympique de Marseille, but their defeat in Bruges knocked them out. Equally unexpected was the qualification of Bodo Glimnt. The Norwegians, who had just beaten Manchester City at home, stormed the Metropolitano to come back from Sorloth's opening goal and sneak into the top 24 teams in Europe for the first time in their history.

But the madness came at the end. With everything against them, Benfica seemed content to beat Real Madrid. But in injury time, with the other matches finished, they realised that one goal would qualify them. In the 97th minute, the referee awarded a free kick to the Portuguese side, Mourinho sent his goalkeeper up to take it and Trubin connected with a precise header to unleash madness in the Da Luz stadium. The Champions League at its best.

On 30 January, the play-off draw

The following teams will play the play-off with the second leg at home.

• Real Madrid
• Inter Milan
• PSG
• Newcastle
• Juventus
• Atlético Madrid
• Atalanta
• Bayer Leverkusen

Meanwhile, eight other teams know that they will have to play the first leg at home and the tie will be decided away from home for them.

• Borussia Dortmund
• Olympiacos
• Bruges
• Galatasaray
• Monaco
• Qarabag
• Bodo Glimnt
• Benfica

This Friday, 30 January, at 12:00, the play-off draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.