PSG's success in Champions League boosts France's UEFA ranking

For the Champions League round of 16, PSG secured a victory against Real Sociedad (1-2) on their turf. This win not only sees Parisians through to the quarter-finals but also maintains France's position in the UEFA rankings.

Following PSG's victory over Real Sociedad and their advancement to the Champions League quarter-finals, France's fifth place in the UEFA rankings is nearly guaranteed. This ranking is crucial for French football, although not sufficient alone.

To solidify their position in the European rankings, France will need to rely on a defeat and subsequent elimination of PSV Eindhoven against Borussia Dortmund (1-1 in the first leg) on March 13th. At this stage, the Netherlands would be unable to surpass France in the UEFA rankings, with Ajax Amsterdam as their last representative in the Conference League.

PSG's success in Champions League boosts France's UEFA ranking

By reaching the finals in the Conference League, the current 5th-placed team in Eredivisie would gather 14 points for Dutch football, bringing their total to 64,300 points compared to France's 64,331 points as of March 6th, the day after PSG's qualification.

Portugal, currently seventh in the UEFA rankings, also cannot surpass France, as their three representatives in European competitions (FC Porto in the Champions League, Benfica, and Sporting in the Europa League) can only reach a maximum of 62,982 points.

In practical terms, France would benefit from this situation by sending the same number of clubs to European competitions in 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Therefore, for the inaugural edition of the new Champions League format, four French clubs will participate (three in the group stages, and one in the preliminary rounds). In total, seven French clubs will compete in European competitions.