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2025–26 UEFA Conference League

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2025–26 UEFA Conference League
The Red Bull Arena in Leipzig will host the final
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
8 July – 28 August 2025
Competition proper:
2 October 2025 – 27 May 2026
TeamsCompetition proper: 24+12
Total: 109+55 (from 54 associations)
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 UEFA Conference League is the fifth season of the UEFA Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

This is the second UEFA Conference League played under a new format involving a 36-team league phase.[1] The new format also does not allow teams to transfer from the Europa League to the Conference League from the league phase onwards, and thus the Conference League titleholders (Chelsea) are unable to defend their title as the winner of the Conference League automatically qualifies for the Europa League league phase.[2] However, Chelsea had already qualified for the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase via their domestic league position prior to winning the Conference League, so the automatic berth in the Europa League was not required and the access list was rebalanced.

The final will be played at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.[3] The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League league phase, unless they qualify for the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League or Europa League through their league performance. In which case, the access list will be rebalanced.

Association team allocation

[edit]

A total of 164 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations are participating in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League. The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[4]

Association ranking

[edit]

For the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2024 UEFA association coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2019–20 to 2023–24.[5]

Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Conference League, as noted below:

  • (UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
  • (UEL) – Additional/vacated teams transferred from/to the UEFA Europa League
Association ranking for 2025–26 UEFA Conference League
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
1  England 104.303 1
2  Italy 90.284
3  Spain 89.489
4  Germany 86.624
5  France 66.831
6  Netherlands 61.300
7  Portugal 56.316
8  Belgium 48.800 +1 (UEL)
9  Turkey 38.600 +2 (UEL)
10  Czech Republic 36.050 +2 (UEL)
11  Scotland 36.050 +2 (UEL)
12  Switzerland 32.975 +2 (UEL)
13  Austria 32.600 2 +1 (UEL)
14  Norway 31.625 +1 (UEL)
15  Greece 31.525
16  Denmark 31.450
17  Israel 31.125 +1 (UEL)
18  Ukraine 28.000 +2 (UEL)
19  Serbia 27.775 +1 (UEL)
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
20  Croatia 25.525 2 +1 (UEL)
21  Poland 25.375 +2 (UEL)
22  Russia 22.965 0 [Note RUS]
23  Cyprus 22.100 2 +1 (UEL)
24  Hungary 21.875 +1 (UEL)
25  Sweden 21.500 +1 (UEL)
26  Romania 21.375 +1 (UEL)
27  Bulgaria 20.375 +1 (UEL)
28  Azerbaijan 20.125 +1 (UEL)
29  Slovakia 19.625 +2 (UEL)
30  Slovenia 13.250 +1 (UCL)
+1 (UEL)
31  Moldova 13.125 +1 (UCL)
+1 (UEL)
32  Kosovo 11.541 +2 (UEL)
33  Kazakhstan 11.500 +1 (UEL)
34  Finland 11.125 +2 (UEL)
35  Republic of Ireland 10.875 3 −1 [Note IRL]
+1 (UEL)
36  Armenia 10.625 +1 (UEL)
37  Latvia 10.625 +1 (UEL)
38  Faroe Islands 10.375 +1 (UCL)
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
39  Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.000 3 +1 (UEL)
40  Liechtenstein 10.000 1 [Note LIE]
41  Iceland 9.583 3 +1 (UEL)
42  Northern Ireland 9.208 +1 (UCL)
43  Luxembourg 8.625 +1 (UCL)
44  Lithuania 8.500 +1 (UCL)
45  Malta 8.250 +1 (UEL)
46  Georgia 7.625 +1 (UCL)
47  Albania 7.375 +1 (UCL)
48  Estonia 7.207 +1 (UCL)
49  Belarus 6.625 +1 (UCL)
50  North Macedonia 6.000 +1 (UEL)
51  Andorra 5.998 2 +1 (UCL)
52  Wales 5.791 +1 (UCL)
53  Montenegro 5.708 +1 (UCL)
54  Gibraltar 4.957 +1 (UEL)
55  San Marino 1.832 +1 (UCL)

Distribution

[edit]

The following is the access list for this season.

Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League Teams transferred from Europa League
First qualifying round
(48 teams)
  • 8 domestic cup winners from associations 48–55
  • 20 domestic league runners-up from associations 34–55 (except Liechtenstein and Republic of Ireland)[Note LIE][Note IRL]
  • 20 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 30–50 (except Liechtenstein)[Note LIE]
Second qualifying round
(100 teams) 		Champions Path
(12 teams)
  • 12 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
League Path
(88 teams)
  • 12 domestic cup winners from associations 35–47 (except Republic of Ireland)[Note IRL]
  • 18 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–33 (except Russia)[Note RUS] and association 35[Note IRL]
  • 16 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–29 (except Russia[Note RUS] and Slovakia[Note SVK])
  • 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 6
  • 24 winners from the first qualifying round
  • 8 teams eliminated from Europa League first qualifying round
Third qualifying round
(60 teams) 		Champions Path
(8 teams)
  • 6 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions Path)
  • 2 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round[Note UCL Q1]
League Path
(52 teams)
  • 44 winners from the second qualifying round (League Path)
  • 8 teams eliminated from Europa League second qualifying round
Play-off round
(48 teams) 		Champions Path
(10 teams)
  • 4 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions Path)
  • 6 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path)
League Path
(38 teams)
  • 5 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–5 (EFL Cup winners for England)
  • 26 winners from the third qualifying round (League Path)
  • 7 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (League Path)
League phase
(36 teams)
  • 5 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path)
  • 19 winners from the play-off round (League Path)
  • 12 teams eliminated from Europa League play-off round
Knockout phase play-offs
(16 teams)
  • 16 teams ranked 9–24 from the league phase
Round of 16
(16 teams)
  • 8 teams ranked 1–8 from the league phase
  • 8 winners from the knockout phase play-offs

The information here reflects the ongoing suspension of Russia in European football, and so the following changes to the default access list were made:

  • The cup winners of associations 39 to 44 (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg and Lithuania) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
  • As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) so one transferred team will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).

As the Champions League title holders (Paris Saint-Germain) qualified for the Champions League via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list were made:

  • As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round (two fewer in total) transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path), so one transferred team (two in total) will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).

As the Conference League title holders (Chelsea) qualified for the Champions League phase via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list were made:

  • The cup winners of association 34 (Finland) will enter the Europa League first qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round.
  • The cup winners of associations 45 (Malta) and 46 (Georgia) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.

Teams

[edit]

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • CW: Domestic cup winners
  • 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position of the previous season
  • LC: League cup winners
  • RW: Regular season winners
  • PW: End-of-season Conference League play-offs winners
  • CL: Transferred from the Champions League
    • Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round
  • EL: Transferred from the Europa League
    • PO: Losers from the play-off round
    • CH/MP Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round (Champions/Main Path)
    • Q2: Losers from the second qualifying round
    • Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round[6]

The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round were divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).

Qualified teams for 2025–26 UEFA Conference League
Entry round Teams
League phase Turkey Samsunspor (EL PO) Czech Republic Sigma Olomouc (EL PO) Scotland Aberdeen (EL PO) Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv (EL PO)
Croatia Rijeka (EL PO) Poland Lech Poznań (EL PO) Cyprus AEK Larnaca (EL PO) Slovakia Slovan Bratislava (EL PO)
Finland KuPS (EL PO) Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar (EL PO) North Macedonia Shkëndija (EL PO) Gibraltar Lincoln Red Imps (EL PO)
Play-off round CH Kosovo Drita (EL CH Q3) Republic of Ireland Shelbourne (EL CH Q3) Armenia Noah (EL CH Q3) Latvia RFS (EL CH Q3)
Iceland Breiðablik (EL CH Q3) Malta Hamrun Spartans (EL CH Q3)
MP England Crystal Palace (CW)[Note ENG] Italy Fiorentina (6th) Spain Rayo Vallecano (8th) Germany Mainz 05 (6th)
France Strasbourg (7th) Switzerland Servette (EL MP Q3) Austria Wolfsberger AC (EL MP Q3) Norway Fredrikstad (EL MP Q3)
Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk (EL MP Q3) Poland Legia Warsaw (EL MP Q3) Sweden BK Häcken (EL MP Q3) Romania CFR Cluj (EL MP Q3)
Third qualifying round CH Faroe Islands Víkingur Gøta (CL Q1) [Note UCL Q1] San Marino Virtus (CL Q1)[Note UCL Q1]
MP Belgium Anderlecht (EL Q2) Turkey Beşiktaş (EL Q2) Czech Republic Baník Ostrava (EL Q2) Scotland Hibernian (EL Q2)
Switzerland Lugano (EL Q2) Bulgaria Levski Sofia (EL Q2) Slovenia Celje (EL Q2) Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol (EL Q2)
Second qualifying round CH Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana (CL Q1) Moldova Milsami Orhei (CL Q1) Northern Ireland Linfield (CL Q1) Luxembourg Differdange 03 (CL Q1)
Lithuania Žalgiris (CL Q1) Georgia (country) Iberia 1999 (CL Q1) Albania Egnatia (CL Q1) Estonia FCI Levadia (CL Q1)
Belarus Dinamo Minsk (CL Q1) Andorra Inter Club d'Escaldes (CL Q1) Wales The New Saints (CL Q1) Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica (CL Q1)
MP Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva (EL Q1) Serbia Partizan (EL Q1) Hungary Paks (EL Q1) Azerbaijan Sabah (EL Q1)
Slovakia Spartak Trnava (EL Q1) Kosovo Prishtina (EL Q1) Kazakhstan Aktobe (EL Q1) Finland Ilves (EL Q1)
Netherlands AZ (PW) Portugal Santa Clara (5th) Belgium Charleroi (PW) Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir (5th)
Czech Republic Sparta Prague (4th) Scotland Dundee United (4th) Switzerland Lausanne-Sport (5th) Austria Austria Wien (3rd)
Austria Rapid Wien (PW) Norway Viking (3rd) Norway Rosenborg (4th) Greece AEK Athens (4th)
Greece Aris (5th) Denmark Brøndby (3rd) Denmark Silkeborg (PW)[Note IRL] Israel Maccabi Haifa (3rd)
Israel Beitar Jerusalem (4th) Ukraine Oleksandriya (2nd) Ukraine Polissya Zhytomyr (4th) Serbia Novi Pazar (3rd)
Serbia Radnički 1923 (5th)[Note SRB] Croatia Hajduk Split (3rd) Croatia Varaždin (4th) Poland Raków Częstochowa (2nd)
Poland Jagiellonia Białystok (3rd) Cyprus Aris Limassol (2nd) Cyprus Omonia (3rd) Hungary Puskás Akadémia (2nd)
Hungary Győri ETO (4th)[Note SVK] Sweden Hammarby IF (2nd) Sweden AIK (3rd) Romania Universitatea Craiova (3rd)
Romania Universitatea Cluj (4th) Bulgaria Cherno More (3rd) Bulgaria Arda (PW) Azerbaijan Zira (2nd)
Azerbaijan Araz-Naxçıvan (3rd) Slovakia Žilina (2nd) Slovakia Košice (5th)[Note SVK] Slovenia Maribor (2nd)
Moldova Zimbru Chișinău (3rd) Kosovo Ballkani (2nd) Kazakhstan Astana (2nd) Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers (2nd)[Note IRL]
Armenia Ararat-Armenia (2nd) Latvia Riga (2nd) Faroe Islands HB (CW) Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo (CW)
Liechtenstein Vaduz (CW) Iceland KA (CW) Northern Ireland Dungannon Swifts (CW) Luxembourg UNA Strassen (2nd)
Lithuania Banga (CW) Malta Hibernians (CW) Georgia (country) Spaeri (CW) Albania Dinamo City (CW)[Note IRL]
First qualifying round Slovenia Koper (3rd) Moldova Petrocub Hîncești (4th) Kosovo Malisheva (3rd) Kazakhstan Ordabasy (4th)
Finland HJK (3rd) Finland SJK (PW) Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Athletic (3rd) Armenia Urartu (3rd)
Armenia Pyunik (4th) Latvia Auda (3rd) Latvia Daugavpils (5th)[Note LVA] Faroe Islands KÍ (2nd)
Faroe Islands NSÍ (4th) Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka (2nd) Bosnia and Herzegovina Željezničar (4th) Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík (2nd)
Iceland Valur (3rd) Northern Ireland Larne (2nd) Northern Ireland Cliftonville (PW) Luxembourg F91 Dudelange (3rd)
Luxembourg Racing Union (4th) Lithuania Hegelmann (2nd) Lithuania Kauno Žalgiris (3rd) Malta Birkirkara (2nd)
Malta Floriana (3rd) Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi (2nd) Georgia (country) Dila Gori (3rd) Albania Vllaznia (2nd)
Albania Partizani (3rd) Estonia Nõmme Kalju (CW) Estonia Paide Linnameeskond (3rd) Estonia Flora (4th)
Belarus Neman Grodno (CW) Belarus Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino (3rd) Belarus Dynamo Brest (4th) North Macedonia Vardar (CW)
North Macedonia Sileks (2nd) North Macedonia Rabotnicki (3rd) Andorra Atlètic Club d'Escaldes (2nd) Andorra FC Santa Coloma (3rd)
Wales Penybont (2nd) Wales Haverfordwest County (PW) Montenegro Dečić (CW) Montenegro Sutjeska (3rd)[Note MNE]
Gibraltar Magpies (CW)[Note GIB] Gibraltar St Joseph's (2nd) San Marino La Fiorita (PW) San Marino Tre Fiori (3rd)

Two teams not playing in a national top division will take part in the competition: Vaduz (2nd tier) and Spaeri (2nd tier).

Notes

  1. ^
    Champions League (UCL Q1): Two of the Champions League first qualifying round losers will be drawn to receive byes to the third qualifying round (Champions Path), as two fewer losers will be transferred to the second qualifying round (Champions Path), due to Champions League league phase berths vacated following the Champions League title holders qualifying via league position and the suspension of Russia from the 2025–26 European season.
  2. ^
    England (ENG): Initially the winners of the 2024–25 FA Cup (Crystal Palace) qualified for the Europa League. But on 11 July, UEFA ruled[7] that Crystal Palace and French club Olympique Lyonnais were both part of a group owned by the same company prior to the 1st of March, and as such could not compete in the same competition under UEFA rules. As Crystal Palace missed a key deadline, they and Nottingham Forest, the 7th placed team, were forced to swap European rights, with Nottingham Forest promoted to the Europa League, and Crystal Palace demoted to the Conference League. Crystal Palace's place in the Conference League was confirmed when their appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 11 August.[8][9]
  3. ^
    Gibraltar (GIB): FCB Magpies, who qualified by winning the 2024–25 Rock Cup, merged into Calpe City Magpies on 1 June 2025,[10] but will play as Magpies during the 2025–26 season due to registration issues.
  4. ^
    Latvia (LVA): Valmiera finished 4th in the 2024 Latvian Higher League, but were disqualified and expelled from the league outright. In addition, the club was also disqualified from all European competitions including the Conference League. As a result, their place in the competition was passed on to the 5th placed team, Daugavpils.
  5. ^
    Liechtenstein (LIE): The seven teams affiliated with the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) all played in the Swiss football league system. The only competition organised by the LFV was the Liechtenstein Football Cup – the winners of which qualified for the UEFA Conference League for the 2025–26 season.
  6. ^
    Montenegro (MNE): Petrovac would have qualified for the first qualifying round by finishing second, but failed to obtain a UEFA license. As a result, their berth was passed onto the third-placed side, Sutjeska.[11]
  7. ^
    Republic of Ireland (IRL): Drogheda United qualified for the second qualifying round as the 2024 FAI Cup winners. They were expelled from the competition as their owners, Trivela Group, also own Danish club Silkeborg, and Silkeborg finished in a higher league position than Drogheda did. No Irish club was able to replace them as the deadline for a UEFA license had passed. Second place Shamrock Rovers moved from the first qualifying round to the second qualifying round to replace Drogheda United. With an odd number of teams in the first qualifying round as a result, the next-highest cup winner Dinamo City from Albania also moved up.[6][12]
  8. ^
    Russia (RUS): On 28 February 2022, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[13] The tables reflect Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA competitions.[14]
  9. ^
    Serbia (SRB): OFK Beograd qualified for the second qualifying round but failed to obtain a UEFA license. As a result, the berth was given to fifth-place Radnički.
  10. ^
    Slovakia (SVK): DAC Dunajská Streda originally qualified for the second qualifying round but were later excluded by UEFA due to multi-club ownership rules, because Győr (Hungary) also qualified. Both teams finished fourth in their leagues but DAC Dunajská Streda were removed due to Slovakia's lower position in the UEFA standings. Initially, UEFA cancelled DAC Dunajska Streda's second qualifying round tie, meaning whoever won first qualifying round match 20 would have received a bye to the third qualifying round.[15] However, Košice, the next highest-placed team of the Slovak league, replaced DAC Dunajská Streda on 15 July, in time to participate in the second qualifying round.[6]

Round and draw dates

[edit]

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[16] Matches are scheduled for Thursdays, with an exclusive day of 18 December, apart from the final, which takes place on a Wednesday, though exceptionally can take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts.[17]

Schedule for 2025–26 UEFA Conference League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying First qualifying round 17 June 2025 10 July 2025 17 July 2025
Second qualifying round 18 June 2025 24 July 2025 31 July 2025
Third qualifying round 21 July 2025 7 August 2025 14 August 2025
Play-offs Play-off round 4 August 2025 21 August 2025 28 August 2025
League phase Matchday 1 29 August 2025 2 October 2025
Matchday 2 23 October 2025
Matchday 3 6 November 2025
Matchday 4 27 November 2025
Matchday 5 11 December 2025
Matchday 6 18 December 2025
Knockout phase Knockout phase play-offs 16 January 2026 19 February 2026 26 February 2026
Round of 16 27 February 2026 12 March 2026 19 March 2026
Quarter-finals 9 April 2026 16 April 2026
Semi-finals 30 April 2026 7 May 2026
Final 27 May 2026 at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig

Qualifying rounds

[edit]
Main article: 2025–26 UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds

First qualifying round

[edit]

The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 17 June 2025.[18] The first legs were played on 8 and 10 July, and the second legs were played on 16 and 17 July 2025.

The winners of the ties advanced to the second qualifying round.

First qualifying round
Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
NSÍ Faroe Islands4–5Finland HJK4–00–5 (a.e.t.)
Torpedo Kutaisi Georgia (country)5–4Kazakhstan Ordabasy4–31–1
Željezničar Bosnia and Herzegovina2–4Slovenia Koper1–11–3
SJK Finland1–4Faroe Islands KÍ1–20–2
Nõmme Kalju Estonia2–1Albania Partizani1–11–0 (a.e.t.)
Tre Fiori San Marino1–5Armenia Pyunik1–00–5
St Patrick's Athletic Republic of Ireland3–0Lithuania Hegelmann1–02–0
Dečić Montenegro3–2North Macedonia Sileks2–01–2
Sutjeska Montenegro3–2Belarus Dynamo Brest1–22–0
Larne Northern Ireland2–2 (4–2 p)Latvia Auda0–02–2 (a.e.t.)
Floriana Malta5–3Wales Haverfordwest County2–13–2
Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino Belarus4–0North Macedonia Rabotnicki3–01–0
Magpies Gibraltar3–7Estonia Paide Linnameeskond2–31–4
Birkirkara Malta1–3Moldova Petrocub Hîncești1–00–3
Atlètic Club d'Escaldes Andorra5–2Luxembourg F91 Dudelange2–03–2
Valur Iceland5–1Estonia Flora3–02–1
Malisheva Kosovo0–9Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík0–10–8
Racing Union Luxembourg1–3Georgia (country) Dila Gori1–20–1
Vllaznia Albania4–3Latvia Daugavpils0–14–2
Urartu Armenia1–6Belarus Neman Grodno1–20–4
Vardar North Macedonia5–2[a]San Marino La Fiorita3–02–2
Kauno Žalgiris Lithuania4–1Wales Penybont3–01–1
St Joseph's Gibraltar5–4Northern Ireland Cliftonville2–23–2 (a.e.t.)
Borac Banja Luka Bosnia and Herzegovina3–4Andorra FC Santa Coloma1–42–0
Notes:
  1. ^ Order of legs reversed after original draw.

Second qualifying round

[edit]

The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 18 June 2025. The first legs were played on 22, 23 and 24 July, and the second legs were played on 29 and 31 July 2025.

The winners of the ties advanced to the third qualifying round.

Second qualifying round
Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Champions Path
Víkingur Gøta Faroe IslandsByeN/A——
Virtus San MarinoByeN/A——
FCI Levadia Estonia3–2Georgia (country) Iberia 19991–02–2 (a.e.t.)
Žalgiris Lithuania0–2Northern Ireland Linfield0–00–2
The New Saints Wales0–2Luxembourg Differdange 030–10–1
Olimpija Ljubljana Slovenia5–3Andorra Inter Club d'Escaldes4–21–1
Budućnost Podgorica Montenegro1–2Moldova Milsami Orhei0–01–2
Dinamo Minsk Belarus0–3Albania Egnatia0–20–1
Main Path
Dundee United Scotland2–0Luxembourg UNA Strassen1–01–0
Larne Northern Ireland1–1 (5–4 p)Kosovo Prishtina0–01–1 (a.e.t.)
Košice Slovakia3–4Belarus Neman Grodno2–31–1
Vaduz Liechtenstein3–1Northern Ireland Dungannon Swifts0–13–0 (a.e.t.)
Silkeborg Denmark4–3Iceland KA1–13–2 (a.e.t.)
Rosenborg Norway7–0Lithuania Banga5–02–0
Atlètic Club d'Escaldes Andorra2–3Albania Dinamo City1–21–1
Austria Wien Austria7–0Georgia (country) Spaeri2–05–0
Ballkani Kosovo5–3Malta Floriana4–21–1
Viking Norway12–3Slovenia Koper7–05–3
AEK Athens Greece1–0Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva1–00–0
Pyunik Armenia3–4Hungary Győri ETO2–11–3
Riga Latvia5–4Georgia (country) Dila Gori2–13–3
Raków Częstochowa Poland6–1Slovakia Žilina3–03–1
Petrocub Hîncești Moldova1–6Azerbaijan Sabah0–21–4
Ararat-Armenia Armenia2–1Romania Universitatea Cluj0–02–1 (a.e.t.)
Varaždin Croatia2–3Portugal Santa Clara2–10–2
Kauno Žalgiris Lithuania3–2Iceland Valur1–12–1
Paks Hungary2–1Slovenia Maribor1–01–1
Vllaznia Albania4–5Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík2–12–4 (a.e.t.)
Hammarby IF Sweden2–1Belgium Charleroi0–02–1 (a.e.t.)
Radnički 1923 Serbia0–1Faroe Islands KÍ0–00–1
Novi Pazar Serbia2–5Poland Jagiellonia Białystok1–21–3
Polissya Zhytomyr Ukraine5–3Andorra FC Santa Coloma1–24–1
Vardar North Macedonia2–6Switzerland Lausanne-Sport2–10–5
HB Faroe Islands1–2Denmark Brøndby1–10–1
Oleksandriya Ukraine0–6Serbia Partizan0–20–4
Hibernians Malta2–7Slovakia Spartak Trnava1–21–5
St Patrick's Athletic Republic of Ireland3–2Estonia Nõmme Kalju1–02–2 (a.e.t.)
Paide Linnameeskond Estonia0–8[a]Sweden AIK0–20–6
Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina2–5Romania Universitatea Craiova2–10–4
Aris Limassol Cyprus5–2Hungary Puskás Akadémia3–22–0
St Joseph's Gibraltar0–4Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers0–40–0
Ilves Finland4–8Netherlands AZ4–30–5
Zira Azerbaijan2–3Croatia Hajduk Split1–11–2 (a.e.t.)
Arda Bulgaria2–2 (4–3 p)Finland HJK0–02–2 (a.e.t.)
Aktobe Kazakhstan2–5Czech Republic Sparta Prague2–10–4
Astana Kazakhstan3–1[a]Moldova Zimbru Chișinău1–12–0
Dečić Montenegro2–6Austria Rapid Wien0–22–4
Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino Belarus1–4Israel Maccabi Haifa1–10–3
Araz-Naxçıvan Azerbaijan4–3Greece Aris2–12–2
Omonia Cyprus5–0Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi1–04–0
Cherno More Bulgaria0–5Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir0–10–4
Sutjeska Montenegro3–7Israel Beitar Jerusalem1–22–5
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Order of legs reversed after original draw.

Third qualifying round

[edit]

The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 21 July 2025. The first legs were played on 5 and 7 August, and the second legs were played on 13 and 14 August 2025.

Third qualifying round
Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Champions Path
Olimpija Ljubljana Slovenia4–2Albania Egnatia0–04–2 (a.e.t.)
Milsami Orhei Moldova3–5San Marino Virtus3–20–3
Differdange 03 Luxembourg5–4Estonia FCI Levadia2–33–1 (a.e.t.)
Víkingur Gøta Faroe Islands2–3Northern Ireland Linfield2–10–2
Main Path
Rapid Wien Austria4–4 (5–4 p)Scotland Dundee United2–22–2 (a.e.t.)
Sparta Prague Czech Republic6–2Armenia Ararat-Armenia4–12–1
AZ Netherlands4–0Liechtenstein Vaduz3–01–0
Lugano Switzerland4–7Slovenia Celje0–54–2
KÍ Faroe Islands2–2 (4–5 p)Belarus Neman Grodno2–00–2 (a.e.t.)
Riga Latvia4–3Israel Beitar Jerusalem3–01–3
Víkingur Reykjavík Iceland3–4Denmark Brøndby3–00–4
Hajduk Split Croatia3–4Albania Dinamo City2–11–3 (a.e.t.)
Anderlecht Belgium4–1Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol3–01–1
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland5–1Kazakhstan Astana3–12–0
Larne Northern Ireland0–3Portugal Santa Clara0–30–0
Aris Limassol Cyprus3–5Greece AEK Athens2–21–3 (a.e.t.)
Viking Norway2–4Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir1–31–1
Araz-Naxçıvan Azerbaijan0–9Cyprus Omonia0–40–5
Ballkani Kosovo1–4Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers1–00–4
Raków Częstochowa Poland2–1Israel Maccabi Haifa0–12–0
AIK Sweden2–3Hungary Győri ETO2–10–2
Universitatea Craiova Romania6–4Slovakia Spartak Trnava3–03–4 (a.e.t.)
Polissya Zhytomyr Ukraine4–2Hungary Paks3–01–2
Levski Sofia Bulgaria3–0Azerbaijan Sabah1–02–0
Silkeborg Denmark2–3Poland Jagiellonia Białystok0–12–2
Partizan Serbia3–4Scotland Hibernian0–23–2 (a.e.t.)
Baník Ostrava Czech Republic5–4Austria Austria Wien4–31–1
Rosenborg Norway1–0Sweden Hammarby IF0–01–0
St Patrick's Athletic Republic of Ireland3–7Turkey Beşiktaş1–42–3
Kauno Žalgiris Lithuania0–3Bulgaria Arda0–10–2

Play-off round

[edit]
Main article: 2025–26 UEFA Conference League play-off round

The draw for the play-off round was held on 4 August 2025. The first legs were played on 21 August, and the second legs will be played on 27 and 28 August 2025.

Play-off round
Team 1Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Champions Path
Hamrun Spartans Malta3–2Latvia RFS1–02–2
Shelbourne Republic of Ireland5–1Northern Ireland Linfield3–12–0
Breiðablik Iceland5–2San Marino Virtus2–13–1
Drita Kosovo3–1Luxembourg Differdange 032–11–0
Olimpija Ljubljana Slovenia3–7Armenia Noah1–42–3
Main Path
Strasbourg France3–2Denmark Brøndby0–03–2
Jagiellonia Białystok Poland4–1Albania Dinamo City3–01–1
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine3–2Switzerland Servette1–12–1 (a.e.t.)
Anderlecht Belgium1–3Greece AEK Athens1–10–2
İstanbul Başakşehir Turkey2–5Romania Universitatea Craiova1–21–3
Crystal Palace England1–0Norway Fredrikstad1–00–0
Celje Slovenia3–0Czech Republic Baník Ostrava1–02–0
Raków Częstochowa Poland3–1Bulgaria Arda1–02–1
Hibernian Scotland4–5Poland Legia Warsaw1–23–3 (a.e.t.)
Levski Sofia Bulgaria1–6Netherlands AZ0–21–4
Polissya Zhytomyr Ukraine2–6Italy Fiorentina0–32–3
Győri ETO Hungary2–3Austria Rapid Wien2–10–2
Neman Grodno Belarus0–5Spain Rayo Vallecano0–10–4
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland2–1Turkey Beşiktaş1–11–0
Santa Clara Portugal1–2Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers1–20–0
Rosenborg Norway3–5Germany Mainz 052–11–4
Sparta Prague Czech Republic2–1Latvia Riga2–00–1
BK Häcken Sweden7–3Romania CFR Cluj7–20–1
Wolfsberger AC Austria2–2 (4–5 p)Cyprus Omonia2–10–1 (a.e.t.)

League phase

[edit]
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League league phase
Main article: 2025–26 UEFA Conference League league phase

The Conference League league phase comprises the 24 winners of the Conference League play-off round, as well as 12 losers of the Europa League play-off round.

The league phase draw for the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 29 August 2025. The 36 teams will be divided into six pots of six teams each based on their UEFA club coefficient.

The draw ceremony was held along with the league phase draw for the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League, as a change from the previous season. When the 36 teams were manually drawn one at a time, the draw will be entirely computer generated with all 36 teams' opponents and home/away locations drawn at once, but revealed pot by pot.[19] Each team will face one opponent from each of the six pots, with one home and one away match from each pot pair of Pots 1 and 2, Pots 3 and 4, and Pots 5 and 6. Teams cannot face opponents from their own association, and can only be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same association.[20][21]

Crystal Palace, Drita, Hamrun Spartans, KuPS, Rayo Vallecano, Samsunspor, Shelbourne, Shkëndija, Sigma Olomouc and Universitatea Craiova will make their debut appearances in a major UEFA competition group or league phase. Hamrun Spartans will be the first team from Malta to play in a major UEFA competition group stage or league phase.[22]

A total of 29 national associations will be represented in the league phase. Poland is the first country to have four clubs play in the Conference League group stage/league phase, and it is also the first time in history that four Polish clubs compete in any edition of a UEFA competition group stage or league phase.

Table

[edit]

The top eight ranked teams will receive a bye to the round of 16. The teams ranked from 9th to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with the teams ranked from 9th to 16th seeded for the draw. Teams ranked from 25th to 36th will be eliminated from European competition.

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Scotland Aberdeen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to round of 16 (seeded)
2 Greece AEK Athens 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Cyprus AEK Larnaca 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Netherlands AZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Sweden BK Häcken 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Iceland Breiðablik 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Slovenia Celje 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 England Crystal Palace 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Kosovo Drita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout phase play-offs (seeded)
10 Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Italy Fiorentina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Malta Hamrun Spartans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Poland Jagiellonia Białystok 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Finland KuPS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Switzerland Lausanne-Sport 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Poland Lech Poznań 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 Poland Legia Warsaw 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout phase play-offs (unseeded)
18 Gibraltar Lincoln Red Imps 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19 Germany Mainz 05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Armenia Noah 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Cyprus Omonia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 Poland Raków Częstochowa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 Austria Rapid Wien 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Spain Rayo Vallecano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 Croatia Rijeka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 Turkey Samsunspor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
28 Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 Republic of Ireland Shelbourne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 North Macedonia Shkëndija 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 Czech Republic Sigma Olomouc 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
32 Slovakia Slovan Bratislava 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 Czech Republic Sparta Prague 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 France Strasbourg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 Romania Universitatea Craiova 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 2 October 2025. Source: UEFA[23]
Rules for classification: League phase tiebreakers

Results

[edit]
Matchday 1
Home teamScoreAway team
Dynamo Kyiv Ukraine2 OctEngland Crystal Palace
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland2 OctIceland Breiðablik
Noah Armenia2 OctCroatia Rijeka
Zrinjski Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina2 OctGibraltar Lincoln Red Imps
Jagiellonia Białystok Poland2 OctMalta Hamrun Spartans
Lech Poznań Poland2 OctAustria Rapid Wien
KuPS Finland2 OctKosovo Drita
Omonia Cyprus2 OctGermany Mainz 05
Rayo Vallecano Spain2 OctNorth Macedonia Shkëndija
Aberdeen Scotland2 OctUkraine Shakhtar Donetsk
Sparta Prague Czech Republic2 OctRepublic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
Fiorentina Italy2 OctCzech Republic Sigma Olomouc
AEK Larnaca Cyprus2 OctNetherlands AZ
Legia Warsaw Poland2 OctTurkey Samsunspor
Celje Slovenia2 OctGreece AEK Athens
Raków Częstochowa Poland2 OctRomania Universitatea Craiova
Shelbourne Republic of Ireland2 OctSweden BK Häcken
Slovan Bratislava Slovakia2 OctFrance Strasbourg
Matchday 2
Home teamScoreAway team
AEK Athens Greece23 OctScotland Aberdeen
BK Häcken Sweden23 OctSpain Rayo Vallecano
Breiðablik Iceland23 OctFinland KuPS
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine23 OctPoland Legia Warsaw
Drita Kosovo23 OctCyprus Omonia
Rijeka Croatia23 OctCzech Republic Sparta Prague
Shkëndija North Macedonia23 OctRepublic of Ireland Shelbourne
Strasbourg France23 OctPoland Jagiellonia Białystok
Rapid Wien Austria23 OctItaly Fiorentina
Mainz 05 Germany23 OctBosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar
AZ Netherlands23 OctSlovakia Slovan Bratislava
Crystal Palace England23 OctCyprus AEK Larnaca
Hamrun Spartans Malta23 OctSwitzerland Lausanne-Sport
Lincoln Red Imps Gibraltar23 OctPoland Lech Poznań
Samsunspor Turkey23 OctUkraine Dynamo Kyiv
Shamrock Rovers Republic of Ireland23 OctSlovenia Celje
Sigma Olomouc Czech Republic23 OctPoland Raków Częstochowa
Universitatea Craiova Romania23 OctArmenia Noah
Matchday 3
Home teamScoreAway team
Mainz 05 Germany6 NovItaly Fiorentina
Sparta Prague Czech Republic6 NovPoland Raków Częstochowa
AEK Athens Greece6 NovRepublic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
AEK Larnaca Cyprus6 NovScotland Aberdeen
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine6 NovIceland Breiðablik
Noah Armenia6 NovCzech Republic Sigma Olomouc
KuPS Finland6 NovSlovakia Slovan Bratislava
Celje Slovenia6 NovPoland Legia Warsaw
Samsunspor Turkey6 NovMalta Hamrun Spartans
BK Häcken Sweden6 NovFrance Strasbourg
Crystal Palace England6 NovNetherlands AZ
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland6 NovCyprus Omonia
Dynamo Kyiv Ukraine6 NovBosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar
Shkëndija North Macedonia6 NovPoland Jagiellonia Białystok
Lincoln Red Imps Gibraltar6 NovCroatia Rijeka
Rayo Vallecano Spain6 NovPoland Lech Poznań
Shelbourne Republic of Ireland6 NovKosovo Drita
Rapid Wien Austria6 NovRomania Universitatea Craiova
Matchday 4
Home teamScoreAway team
AZ Netherlands27 NovRepublic of Ireland Shelbourne
Hamrun Spartans Malta27 NovGibraltar Lincoln Red Imps
Zrinjski Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina27 NovSweden BK Häcken
Lech Poznań Poland27 NovSwitzerland Lausanne-Sport
Omonia Cyprus27 NovUkraine Dynamo Kyiv
Raków Częstochowa Poland27 NovAustria Rapid Wien
Sigma Olomouc Czech Republic27 NovSlovenia Celje
Universitatea Craiova Romania27 NovGermany Mainz 05
Slovan Bratislava Slovakia27 NovSpain Rayo Vallecano
Aberdeen Scotland27 NovArmenia Noah
Fiorentina Italy27 NovGreece AEK Athens
Breiðablik Iceland27 NovTurkey Samsunspor
Drita Kosovo27 NovNorth Macedonia Shkëndija
Rijeka Croatia27 NovCyprus AEK Larnaca
Jagiellonia Białystok Poland27 NovFinland KuPS
Legia Warsaw Poland27 NovCzech Republic Sparta Prague
Strasbourg France27 NovEngland Crystal Palace
Shamrock Rovers Republic of Ireland27 NovUkraine Shakhtar Donetsk
Matchday 5
Home teamScoreAway team
Fiorentina Italy11 DecUkraine Dynamo Kyiv
BK Häcken Sweden11 DecCyprus AEK Larnaca
Breiðablik Iceland11 DecRepublic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
Drita Kosovo11 DecNetherlands AZ
Noah Armenia11 DecPoland Legia Warsaw
Jagiellonia Białystok Poland11 DecSpain Rayo Vallecano
Shkëndija North Macedonia11 DecSlovakia Slovan Bratislava
Samsunspor Turkey11 DecGreece AEK Athens
Universitatea Craiova Romania11 DecCzech Republic Sparta Prague
Aberdeen Scotland11 DecFrance Strasbourg
Hamrun Spartans Malta11 DecUkraine Shakhtar Donetsk
Rijeka Croatia11 DecSlovenia Celje
Lech Poznań Poland11 DecGermany Mainz 05
KuPS Finland11 DecSwitzerland Lausanne-Sport
Lincoln Red Imps Gibraltar11 DecCzech Republic Sigma Olomouc
Raków Częstochowa Poland11 DecBosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar
Shelbourne Republic of Ireland11 DecEngland Crystal Palace
Rapid Wien Austria11 DecCyprus Omonia
Matchday 6
Home teamScoreAway team
Mainz 05 Germany18 DecTurkey Samsunspor
Sparta Prague Czech Republic18 DecScotland Aberdeen
AEK Athens Greece18 DecRomania Universitatea Craiova
AEK Larnaca Cyprus18 DecNorth Macedonia Shkëndija
AZ Netherlands18 DecPoland Jagiellonia Białystok
Crystal Palace England18 DecFinland KuPS
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine18 DecCroatia Rijeka
Dynamo Kyiv Ukraine18 DecArmenia Noah
Lausanne-Sport Switzerland18 DecItaly Fiorentina
Zrinjski Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina18 DecAustria Rapid Wien
Legia Warsaw Poland18 DecGibraltar Lincoln Red Imps
Celje Slovenia18 DecRepublic of Ireland Shelbourne
Omonia Cyprus18 DecPoland Raków Częstochowa
Strasbourg France18 DecIceland Breiðablik
Rayo Vallecano Spain18 DecKosovo Drita
Shamrock Rovers Republic of Ireland18 DecMalta Hamrun Spartans
Sigma Olomouc Czech Republic18 DecPoland Lech Poznań
Slovan Bratislava Slovakia18 DecSweden BK Häcken

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "UEFA approves final format and access list for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season". UEFA. 10 May 2022.[dead link]
  2. ^ "UEFA Europa Conference League to be renamed UEFA Conference League next season". Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Budapest to host UEFA Champions League Final 2026". Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Conference League, 2024/25 Season". Nyon: UEFA. 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Association coefficients 2023/24". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Update on multi-club ownership cases for admission to the 2025/26 UEFA club competitions". UEFA.com. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  7. ^ "The CFCB First Chamber renders decision on Crystal Palace and Olympique Lyonnais". UEFA. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Palace lose appeal against demotion from Europa League". BBC Sport. 11 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Why are Forest set to take Palace's place in Europa League?". BBC Sport. BBC News. BBC. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Calpe City and Bruno Magpies merger begins in June as youth side look to secure their future again". Gibraltar Chronicle. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Buducnost receives license, Petrovac's appeal rejected". Vijesti. 23 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Drogheda United's expulsion from Conference League confirmed as court appeal fails". The Irish Times. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian clubs and national teams". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  14. ^ "UEFA decisions for upcoming competitions relating to the ongoing suspension of Russian national teams and clubs" (Press release). Nyon: UEFA. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  15. ^ Duffek, Dominik (30 June 2025). "Slováci přišli o tým v pohárech. UEFA vyloučila Dunajskou Stredu kvůli majiteli". idnes.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  16. ^ "2025/26 UEFA Conference League: Matches, final, key dates". UEFA. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  17. ^ "New format for Champions League post-2024: Everything you need to know | UEFA Champions League". UEFA.com. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  18. ^ "UEFA Conference League first qualifying round draw". UEFA. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  19. ^ UEFA.com. "UEFA club competition league phase draws to take place in Monaco on 28 and 29 August". UEFA.com. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  20. ^ "UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 onwards: new league phase draw procedures explained". UEFA. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  21. ^ "UEFA Documents – Article 16 Draw system – league phase". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Ħamrun Spartans make history as first Maltese team to reach UEFA league phase". Times of Malta. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  23. ^ "League phase table". UEFA. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
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