Next season’s UEFA Champions League promises to be full of surprises, with several new names ready to shake up the European stage—and we’re absolutely here for it.
Chelsea aren’t the only European giants likely to miss out on next season’s edition of UEFA’s top competition, but that just adds to the excitement of seeing fresh contenders take centre stage.
There’s still an outside chance that Bournemouth or Brighton could feature in the Champions League next year, yet there are several other surprise entrants from across the continent worth talking about.
Here’s a look at six unexpected teams who have either secured or are on the verge of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Allan Saint-Maximin! Florian Thauvin! Arthur Masuaku! Odsonne Edouard! Malang Sarr! The line-up sounds like a Premier League reunion, and that’s exactly the charm of Lens’ squad.
Their mix of former Premier League figures has been a breath of fresh air in Ligue 1, with the team pushing Paris Saint-Germain in a thrilling title race that went right down to May.
This marks only the fourth time in Lens’ history that they’ve reached UEFA’s elite competition.
Granted, their previous three campaigns (1998-99, 2002-03, 2023-24) ended in relatively quiet group-stage exits, but this year could be the turning point.
Interestingly, all three previous runs ended with an identical record—two wins, two draws, and two defeats—a perfect balance that will be tough to repeat under the expanded league-phase format. Still, a similarly mixed result could now be enough to carry them into the knockout stage play-offs.
We’re hoping Lens become next season’s version of Brest from 2024-25—energetic, unpredictable, and a joy to watch.
Next up are Los Verdiblancos, Real Betis—the only other team on this list to have already guaranteed their place in next season’s Champions League. As big a club as their Seville rivals, Betis fans have had to endure years of watching Sevilla dominate Europe with seven UEFA Cup and Europa League trophies.
Now, as Sevilla struggle through mismanagement and flirt with relegation, Betis have the chance to enjoy the European limelight and show off some glamour of their own.
Finishing fifth in La Liga means Betis return to the Champions League for only the second time in their history. The last appearance came just over two decades ago, when they famously beat Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea at home before bowing out in the group stage.
It’s a slight disappointment that Manuel Pellegrini’s side—featuring stars like Isco and Pablo Fornals—won’t play at their lively Estadio Benito Villamarin for now. Instead, they’ll use the more sterile La Cartuja athletics stadium until renovations are completed in 2028.
Meanwhile, in Norway, Bodo/Glimt continue to defy expectations. Amazingly, they weren’t even national champions when they stunned the world with wins over Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter.
This incredible run early in 2026 came after they narrowly missed out on the 2025 Eliteserien title to Viking, with Norway’s league operating on a summer-based calendar.
Head coaches Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen share managerial duties—a rare setup that’s clearly delivering results.
For those curious about their journey, The Guardian’s long read on Bodo/Glimt is highly recommended. The club still need to survive a two-legged play-off to reach the group stage, competing alongside champions from Greece (AEK Athens), Austria (LASK), and Scotland (Celtic).
For the football hipsters out there, keep an eye on Dick Schreuder.
“Who should Manchester United, Liverpool, or any struggling big club hire next? They should go for Dick Schreuder.”
It might sound absurd now, but you could end up being proven right.
The elder brother of former Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder, Dick has worked wonders in his debut season at NEC Nijmegen, guiding them to a third-place Eredivisie finish after promotions with PEC Zwolle and Spain’s Castellon.
It’s a remarkable rise for a club with almost no European pedigree—save for a few Intertoto Cup appearances decades ago—that could soon be hearing the Champions League anthem at their intimate 12,000-seat Goffertstadion.
NEC still need to make it through the third qualifying round, but it would be fantastic to see them go all the way.
Aarhus Gymnastikforening—better known as AGF—have just captured their sixth Danish championship, and their first in 40 years.
It’s an underdog story reminiscent of Viking’s triumph, and we’re rooting for them to continue their dream run through the qualifiers.
After all, the Champions League could use some fresh faces. We’ve seen enough Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City clashes to last a lifetime.
Finally, we move into long-shot territory.
Technically, sides like Shamrock Rovers, The New Saints, and Lincoln Red Imps are in contention, but realistically, their prospects of reaching the group stage are slim.
Hearts, however, might just be the exception. Their fairytale title chase ended in heartbreak at Celtic Park, but finishing second keeps alive the dream of trips to the Bernabeu or Parc des Princes next season.
With Tony Bloom’s backing and Derek McInnes at the helm uncovering talents like Claudio Braga, Hearts could rebound from disappointment and make history.
Tynecastle hasn’t hosted top-tier European football since Bela Guttmann’s Benfica visited in 1961. Maybe, just maybe, that’s about to change.
