The 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League is officially turning the page towards the quarterfinal round in March and April, live on Paramount+. After rewriting the tournament script with an 18-team Swiss model league phase, now just eight teams are left in the hunt for Europe’s biggest prize.
The newly shifted format of the competition produced exciting results, with some lopsided wins, exciting come-from-behind draws to salvage a point, and 181 goals during the league phase. Now it’s time to plan for the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will feature perennial powerhouses FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes. The two sides dominated their opposition, and a three-goal differential proved the ultimate difference-maker in the standings heading into the quarterfinal phase. Manchester United and Arsenal join Chelsea FC as dominating English clubs in the next round, alongside Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Wolfsburg.
Which teams are surging and which look untested? Time look at the results, the matchups and to rank the final eight Champions League teams:
Playoff results
Real Madrid 2, Paris FC 0 (Real win 5-2 on aggregate
Arsenal 3, OH Leuven 1 (Arsenal win 7-1 on aggregate)
Wolfsburg 2, Juventus 0 (Wolfsburg win 4-2 on aggregate)
Man United 2, Atletico Madrid 0 (United win 5-0 on aggregate)
Quarterfinal matchups
Watch all the action live on Paramount+.
First legs to be played March 24-25, and second legs April 1-2
Man United vs. Bayern Munich
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Arsenal vs. Chelsea
Wolfsburg vs. Lyon
1. FC Barcelona
It’s no secret that the Catalonians remain the team to beat in this tournament, topping the league phase with a plus-17 goal differential, and an opening 7-1 annihilation of Bayern Munich that sent defiant alarms throughout the competition. Carolina Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas, alongside Claudia Pina and rising star Vicky Lopez, are getting it done flawlessly, with Aitana Bonmati on the sidelines with a leg injury.
2. OL Lyonnes
The eight-time winners flexed their champion experience, matched Barcelona’s 16 points in the league phase, and showed they can put games away and rally from behind. Melchie Dumornay has officially reintroduced herself as a Ballon d’Or candidate with four goals (two braces) against Arsenal and Manchester United. Dumornay, alongside Kadidiatou Diani, Marie Antoinette Katoto, and Tabitha Chawinga, form an attacking quartet that strikes fear into every backline they face.
3. Arsenal
The current title holders had a rocky start to their tournament but are now in solid form and back in familiar territory, the quarterfinals. Peaking at the right time is just part of the equation; scoring 88% of their open play goals off sequences in as few passes as possible makes them a dangerous side to face as the stakes get higher. New acquisition Olivia Smith is getting more lethal, and Alessia Russo is showing she’s as reliable as ever in front of goal.
4. Manchester United
Don’t call them nervous newcomers, because the Red Devils keep proving they belong. They carried themselves with defensive performances in the league phase, and showed they know how to score during the knockout playoffs. Goalkeeper Phallon Tulis-Joyce of the U.S. women’s national team and center back duo Dominique Jenssen and Maya Le Tissier have become a formidable defensive trio in front of goal.
5. Chelsea FC
The Blues earned a straight bye to the quarterfinals out of the league phase with four wins and two draws, and they matched Barcelona’s 20 goals scored. They’ve hit a snag in form domestically, but there’s no better reset than a run at the Champions League. The gradual return of Sam Kerr after a lengthy ACL absence adds another dimension to an attack highlighted by Alyssa Thompson’s quick rise and skill on offense.
6. Bayern Munich
It’s tough to rank Bayern Munich outside of the top five but the beauty of a knockout phase highlights the more current form of other clubs, and while they earned their bye through to the quarterfinals after an embarrassing opening 7-1 loss to Barcelona, they won’t be as battle tested when they go up against a rising Manchester United in the next round.
7. Real Madrid
Another team that was difficult to put this low due to their recent efforts, but Real Madrid’s too close for comfort performances combined with a quarterfinal match against their domestic rivals Barcelona, will force some adjusments. Hopefully, they won’t be too dramatic of changes, as Caroline Weir and Linda Caicedo are delivering right when it matters.
8. VfL Wolfsburg
The former two-time champions have quietly built their way back into the quarterfinal round. Veteran Alexandra Popp is still a game changer, with Lineth Beerensteyn and Janina Minge shifting as impact players game to game. The group performance has been fairly mixed, whether that’s due to an attack that can sometimes generate, combined with a defence that can also concede. It highlights inconsistency, and that’s not who you want to play heading into a quarterfinal against OL Lyonnes.
