Can Manchester United Qualify for Europe Next Season?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Man Utd’s Premier League Route to Europe in 2025-26
The 2024-25 Premier League season is into the second half of the campaign and there have already been plenty of surprises, with some of the usual big hitters struggling for consistency, while a few surprise packages have emerged to challenge for the coveted European spots, such as Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.
Among the biggest fallers this season are Man United, who, after 24 league games are languishing in 13th place in the Premier League standings with 29 points. The Red Devils’ most recent outing ended in a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace - their 11 defeat in the top flight this season - while they have still only won eight matches to date (33% win rate).
United were set on the backfoot early in the campaign when they mustered just 12 points from their first 10 games, which led to the club opting to part ways with Erik ten Hag and replacing him with now-former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim on November 11. However, it has not been smooth sailing for the Portuguese tactician - in his first 13 league games in charge, he has managed just four wins, along with two draws and seven losses.
Still, despite United’s lowly league position, qualifying for Europe via the league route is not inconceivable. Given how tightly compact the Premier League mid-table is, the Red Devils are 14 points behind the top four and 12 off the top six. Indeed, it is a sizable ask, but with a few new players arriving in the winter transfer window, if they can string together a run of positive results, the Red Devils could be back in the top-six equation come the end of the term.
Notably, one way that Man Utd can secure European football in 2025-26 - and perhaps the method that most United fans and players will see as their best chance - is via the FA Cup. The winner of the FA Cup earns direct entry to the Europa League, which is exactly how they qualified for this season’s second-tier continental competition.
Indeed, Ten Hag steered the 13-time Premier League winners to FA Glory at Wembley Stadium last season, with a sensational 2-1 victory over cross-town rivals Manchester City, booking their spot in the Europa League despite only managing eighth place in the league standings. United’s automatic qualification came at the expense of Newcastle United, who had finished above them in seventh on goal difference.
Amorim’s side are in the fourth round of this season’s FA Cup and face fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City - who are now under the guidance of United legend and former interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy - on Friday night at Old Trafford. Fair to say, this is a crucial match for the defending champions and a victory will keep their hopes of qualifying for Europe via domestic competition alive for a few more weeks.
Europa League Triumph Can Send Man United into UCL in 2025-26
The one bright light in what has otherwise been a dismal season to date for Manchester United has been their performance in this season’s Europa League. Under the new revamped tournament structure, few had expected United to taste success at the start of the inaugural League Phase, which was designed to level the playing field among teams, but the Red Devils have done exceptionally well so far.
After the eight matches in the League Phase, Man Utd emerged as the only team to end the group stage with an unbeaten record, notching up five wins and three draws, scoring 16 goals while conceding nine to finish with a +7 goal difference. Their remarkable achievement on the continental stage earned them direct entry into the round of 16, foregoing the Playoff knockout round, with a number three seeding behind Lazio (1) and Athletic Bilbao (2).
With the third seed in the League Phase, United are paired with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who finished fourth, in the knockout round. The Playoff draw, which took place last week, sees the 13th, 14th, 19th, and 20th seeds competing for a spot in next month’s last 16 draw to face either the Red Devils or the Lilywhites. The teams (and matches) involved in the shake-up are Real Sociedad vs. Midtjylland and Galatasaray vs. AZ Alkmaar.
Given the Red Devils’ Premier League record and position this season, cracking the top four seems unlikely, even for a team with the history of Man United, especially when considering the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Forest are absolutely flying this season, while Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle are also in the running. Therefore, United’s greatest hope of making it to the UEFA Champions League hinges on winning the Europa League.
To their credit and owing heavily to their unbeaten League Phase performance, Man United are currently showing up as the bookmakers’ favourite to lift the Europa League title this season. However, from here on, the level of competition ramps up significantly, and the mighty Red Devils will need to step it up a notch when they face fellow seeded opponents in the upcoming Round of 16.
