GENEVA – The curtain has fallen on the inaugural 36-team league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League. In a dramatic final matchday on January 29, 2026, the continent's heavyweights and surprise packages solidified their standing, carving out the path toward the final in Istanbul.
From Lyon’s clinical dominance to Nottingham Forest’s late surge, the new format delivered high-stakes drama until the final whistle. Here is everything you need to know about the final standings and the road ahead.
The top eight teams have secured a vital "bye," skipping the February play-off round and advancing directly to the Round of 16. Olympique Lyonnais finished at the summit, boasting an impressive +13 goal difference and 21 points.
Aston Villa secured their runner-up spot with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Salzburg, while Midtjylland shocked the field to take third place after a 2-0 win against GNK Dinamo.
The teams finishing 9th through 24th must now navigate a two-legged knockout play-off in February. This group features several "giants" of European football who failed to crack the top eight, including Lille and Fenerbahçe.Seeded Teams (9th–16th):
Unseeded Teams (17th–24th):
Nottingham Forest was one of the big winners of MD8, crushing Ferencváros 4-0 to jump into the seeded positions, ensuring they will play the second leg of the play-offs at home.
The final day was a goal-fest across the continent. Key results that shifted the table include:
| Match | Result | Impact |
| Lyon vs. PAOK | 4-2 | Lyon clinches 1st place |
| Nott'm Forest vs. Ferencváros | 4-0 | Forest secures seeding |
| Porto vs. Rangers | 3-1 | Porto secures Top 8; Rangers eliminated |
| Lille vs. Freiburg | 1-0 | Lille survives; Freiburg stays in Top 8 |
| M. Tel-Aviv vs. Bologna | 0-3 | Bologna moves into Top 10 |
For those finishing 25th to 36th, the European journey ends here. Young Boys (25th) and Sturm Graz (26th) narrowly missed the play-off cut, while Rangers and Ajax (notably absent from the top 24) reflect a disappointing campaign for some of the competition's usual suspects. Maccabi Tel-Aviv finished at the bottom of the pile with a -20 goal difference.
The draw for the knockout phase play-offs will take place shortly, with matches scheduled for February 19 and 26, 2026. The winners of these ties will then meet the "Elite Eight" in the Round of 16 this March.