How title races, UCL spots, and more unfolded in Europe's top leagues

Another season is in the books. Europe's top leagues have all concluded their respective 2025-26 domestic campaigns, with only promotion playoffs still to be decided in various countries. Here's how the title races, fights for European places, and relegation battles unfolded across the top tiers.

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EPL | LA LIGA | SERIE A | BUNDESLIGA | LIGUE 1 | GOLDEN SHOE

Premier League 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Title winners

Arsenal clinched their first Premier League title in 22 years after nearest rivals Manchester City came up short following an enthralling race.

The Gunners, English champions for the first time since the iconic 2004 "Invincibles" squad, celebrated their title win on Sunday before turning their attention to the Champions League final, where they meet PSG on May 30.

European qualification

The Premier League earned an extra Champions League berth for 2026-27 due to the UEFA club coefficient rankings, so the top five finishers will compete in the competition next season.

Manchester City's victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, plus their league position, means the Europa League berth reserved for the FA Cup winners was transferred down the table, with Bournemouth and Sunderland getting those spots on the final day of the season.

Brighton are going to the Conference League.

There could be nine Premier League teams in European competitions next season if Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on May 27. A victory would send the Eagles to next season's Europa League.

Relegation and promotion

Wolves and Burnley had long been relegated prior to the final day of the season after dismal campaigns. The battle to avoid the final relegation place came down to a straight fight between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, with Spurs defeating Everton to avoid the drop and end the Hammers'

Given their strong advantage on goal difference, Tottenham should need just one point when they entertain Everton in their season finale Sunday. West Ham, meanwhile, host Leeds needing both a win and help from the Toffees.

Coventry and Ipswich Town earned automatic promotion to the Premier League after excellent years in the Championship. They'll be joined by Hull City after the Tigers scored a stoppage-time winner to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the promotion playoff final, the proverbial "richest game in football."

Southampton were originally supposed to play in the playoff final against Hull, but were expelled by the English Football League after admitting to spying on Boro's training sessions ahead of their playoff semifinal.

La Liga 🇪🇸

Title winners

Barcelona clinched their second consecutive La Liga title, and 29th overall, with a satisfying 2-0 victory over eternal rivals Real Madrid.

European qualification

La Liga joined the Premier League in earning the other additional Champions League berth for next season via the coefficient rankings, so five Spanish teams will feature in the competition. Barca will be joined by Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, and Real Betis; the latter are returning to the competition after a 21-year absence.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad sealed a Europa League place by winning the Copa del Rey.

Rayo just missed out on a European place by finishing eighth, but can make up for that (and earn a Europa League spot) if they beat Crystal Palace in the Conference League final on May 27.

Relegation and promotion

Spain's relegation scrap was an absolute dogfight. Real Oviedo were already relegated going into the final day of the season, but the battle royale to avoid joining them stretched well up the table.

Ultimately, Mallorca and Girona stayed in the bottom three after all the chaos. Mallorca's win over Oviedo wasn't enough to ensure survival due to head-to-head tiebreakers, while Girona could only muster a draw against fellow strugglers Elche. The Catalan side is only a season removed from playing in the Champions League, but will now head down to the second tier.

Spain's second division is similar to the English Championship: the top two finishers jump directly to the top tier, while teams finishing third through sixth enter a promotion playoff.

Racing Santander, one of the founders of the Spanish league, sealed their return to the top flight after a 14-year absence, while Deportivo La Coruna joined them and ended their own eight-year exile.

Serie A 🇮🇹

Title winners

Inter Milan captured their third Scudetto in six seasons, recovering from last year's traumatic finish to the campaign to lift their 21st Serie A title. The Nerazzurri also win the Coppa Italia to complete a dominant domestic double.

European qualification

A season-long seesaw battle that ebbed and flowed all year ended with perhaps the most unexpected outcome, as Roma and Como secured Champions League spots with wins on the final day of the season.

Como, led by Cesc Fabregas, will be making their first-ever appearance in the competition next season.

Traditional powers AC Milan and Juventus had to settle for the Europa League; Milan lost at home to lowly Cagliari on the last day of the campaign to fall out of the top four amid fan protests.

Meanwhile, Atalanta secured seventh place and a Conference League berth.

Relegation and promotion

Pisa, Verona, and Cremonese are going down to Serie B next season.

Venezia (and their gorgeous kits) are jumping back up to Serie A next season after finishing atop the second division. They'll be joined by fellow returnees Frosinone. The last promotion spot from Serie B gets decided by a playoff, where Monza and Catanzaro will meet in a two-legged final.

Bundesliga 🇩🇪

Title winners

Bayern Munich now have 35 Bundesliga titles in their history after retaining their crown in dominant fashion this season; they scored 122 league goals this season, smashing the previous record of 101.

No other German club has even cracked double figures in league titles.

Bayern then completed a domestic double by crushing Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final.

European qualification

The Bundesliga gets four Champions League berths.

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig had already secured their spots alongside Bayern Munich prior to last week's conclusion to the campaign.

Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, and Bayer Leverkusen were all fighting for the coveted last spot on the final day of the season. Despite conceding a stoppage-time equalizer versus Eintracht Frankfurt, a 2-2 draw was enough for Stuttgart to finish fourth because Hoffenheim got hammered 4-0 by Monchengladbach.

Hoffenheim and Leverkusen are going to the Europa League.

Freiburg, beaten finalists in the Europa League, are slated to take part in the Conference League playoffs next season after finishing seventh.

Relegation and promotion

In the 18-team Bundesliga, the bottom two sides are automatically sent down to Bundesliga 2, while the top pair from the second division replace them.

St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated on the final day of the Bundesliga season.

Seven-time German champions Schalke are returning to the Bundesliga, bringing one of the country's most storied clubs back to the top flight. Elversberg, an outfit that represents a community of just 12,800 people, earned their first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga despite only playing in the fourth tier in 2021.

Wolfsburg, winners of the 2009 Bundesliga title, finished 16th and entered a two-legged playoff against Paderborn, who ended the second-tier season in third place. The aggregate score is 0-0 going into Monday's decisive second leg in Paderborn, which will determine whether the teams stay put or swap leagues.

Ligue 1 🇫🇷

Title winners

Paris Saint-Germain clinched their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title, and 12th in the last 14 seasons, by beating nearest challengers Lens on May 13.

European qualification

PSG, Lens, and Lille secured Ligue 1's three automatic Champions League berths. Lyon, who finished fourth, will enter the Champions League qualification rounds.

Rennes' 3-1 loss at Marseille on the final day of the season was damaging for the visitors as it meant the teams swapped places. As a result, Marseille are headed to the Europa League and Rennes will compete in the Conference League.

Relegation and promotion

Ligue 1 uses the same relegation and promotion system as the Bundesliga. Metz and Nantes were relegated before the final day, leaving three clubs trying to avoid finishing 16th and heading into the playoff. Le Havre and Auxerre both recorded away wins, meaning Nice's result against Metz was irrelevant. Nevertheless, Nice still contrived to draw 0-0 at home to the cellar-dwellers.

Troyes won the second division to earn automatic promotion. Le Mans' last match of the season was abandoned due to crowd trouble while they were winning and on course to finish second. That result was later validated by the French league (LFP), so they'll join Troyes in Ligue 1 next season. Saint-Etienne finished third and will compete in the playoff with Nice.

European Golden Shoe 🏅

The European Golden Shoe is awarded to the highest scorer across the top tiers of Europe's various domestic leagues.

Only goals in league matches count toward a player's total, and a coefficient points system is used to weigh the strength of different leagues. The top five leagues based on UEFA's rankings have a coefficient factor of two, while the leagues ranked sixth to 22nd by the governing body have a factor of 1.5.