The top tier of UEFA Champions League, determined by the combined points earned from various national league champions (La Liga champion Real Madrid, French Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint-Germain, English Premier League champion Manchester City, Italian Serie A champion AC Milan, German Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich), is directly promoted to the first tier following these eight teams participating in the competition:
- The top three winners from the Europa League - La Liga, French Ligue 1, and English Premier League - qualify automatically for this level.
- In addition to these top European league champions, there may be one additional Portuguese club, Porto, who finished as the runner-up in the previous season's Europa League, eligible for the first tier due to their previous success in that tournament.
- A further two teams from the Dutch Eredivisie - Ajax and Braga - compete in the first tier if they finish either first or second place, based on their performance in domestic league competitions.
- A single team from the German Bundesliga - FC Bayern Munich - qualifies for the first tier if they finish in third position after the final round of group stage matches.
In summary, the first-tier of UEFA Champions League is composed of the top four European leagues' champions, with certain exceptions such as the top-place finisher in the last season's Europa League, as well as two Dutch clubs from the Eredivisie and one German Bundesliga team. The main purpose of this tier is to provide an opportunity for teams with strong domestic campaigns and consistent performances in Europe's premier club football competition to showcase themselves and compete against the best teams in the world.