2026–27 UEFA Champions League qualifying
Football tournament qualification stage
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The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round will begin on 7 July and end on 26 August 2026.[1]
A total of 52 teams will compete in the qualifying system of the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League, which will include the qualifying phase and the play-off round, with 42 teams in Champions Path and 10 teams in League Path. The seven winners in the play-off round (five from Champions Path, two from League Path) will advance to the league phase, to join the 29 teams that entered in the league phase.[2]
Format
The qualifying phase and play-off round will be split into two paths – the Champions Path and the League Path. The Champions Path will contain teams which qualified as the winners of their domestic league, and the League Path will contain teams which qualified as runners-up, third-placed or fourth-placed teams from their domestic league.
Each tie will be played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scores more goals on aggregate over the two legs advances to the next round. If the aggregate score is level at the end of normal time of the second leg, extra time will be played, and if the same number of goals is scored by both teams during extra time, the tie will be determined by a penalty shoot-out.[3]
In the draws for each round, teams will be seeded based on their UEFA club coefficients at the beginning of the season, with the teams divided into seeded and unseeded pots containing the same number of teams. A seeded team will be drawn against an unseeded team, with the order of legs in each tie decided by draw. As the identity of the winners of the previous round may not be known at the time of the draws, the seeding will be carried out under the assumption that the team with the higher coefficient of an undecided tie advanced to the subsequent round, which means if the team with the lower coefficient advances, it will simply take the seeding of its opponent. Prior to the draws, UEFA may form "groups" in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee purely for the convenience of the draw and not to resemble any real groupings in the sense of the competition. Teams from associations with political conflicts as decided by UEFA cannot be drawn into the same tie. After the draws, the order of legs of a tie may be reversed by UEFA due to scheduling or venue conflicts.
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[1]
| Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round | 16 June 2026 | 7–8 July 2026 | 14–15 July 2026 |
| Second qualifying round | 17 June 2026 | 21–22 July 2026 | 28–29 July 2026 |
| Third qualifying round | 20 July 2026 | 4–5 August 2026 | 11 August 2026 |
| Play-off round | 3 August 2026 | 18–19 August 2026 | 25–26 August 2026 |
Teams
The information below reflects Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA.
Champions Path
The Champions Path includes all league champions which do not qualify directly for the league phase, and consists of the following rounds:
- First qualifying round (28 teams): 28 teams which enter in this round.
- Second qualifying round (24 teams): 10 teams which enter in this round, and 14 winners of the first qualifying round.
- Third qualifying round (12 teams): 12 winners of the second qualifying round.
- Play-off round (10 teams): 4 teams which enter in this round, and 6 winners of the third qualifying round.
The default access list may be altered based on the qualifying teams' 2026 UEFA club coefficients should the winners of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League also have qualified for the 2026–27 edition via their domestic league.
All teams eliminated from the Champions Path enter either the Europa League or the Conference League:
- The losers of the first qualifying round enter the Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round unless drawn to receive a bye to the Conference League Champions Path third qualifying round.
- The 12 losers of the second qualifying round enter the Europa League Champions Path third qualifying round
- The 6 losers of the third qualifying round enter the Europa League play-off round.
- The 5 losers of the play-off round enter the Europa League league phase.
Below are the participating teams of the Champions Path (with their 2026 UEFA club coefficients),[4] grouped by their starting rounds.
| Key to colours |
|---|
| Winners of play-off round advance to league phase |
| Losers of play-off round enter Europa League league phase |
| Losers of third qualifying round enter Europa League play-off round |
| Losers of second qualifying round enter Europa League third qualifying round |
| Losers of the first qualifying round that received a bye enter Conference League third qualifying round |
| Losers of the first qualifying round enter Conference League second qualifying round |
|
|
League Path
The League Path includes all league non-champions which did not qualify directly for the league phase, and consisted of the following rounds:
- Second qualifying round (4 teams): 4 teams which enter in this round.
- Third qualifying round (8 teams): 6 teams which enter in this round, and 2 winners of the second qualifying round.
- Play-off round (4 teams): 4 winners of the third qualifying round.
The default access list may be altered based on the qualifying teams' 2026 UEFA club coefficients should the winners of the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League also qualify for the 2025–26 edition via their domestic league.
All teams eliminated from the League Path enter the Europa League:
- The 2 losers of the second qualifying round enter the Main Path third qualifying round.
- The 4 losers of the third qualifying round enter the league phase.
- The 2 losers of the play-off round enter the league phase.
Below were the participating teams of the League Path (with their 2026 UEFA club coefficients),[4] grouped by their starting rounds.
| Key to colours |
|---|
| Winners of play-off round advance to league phase |
| Losers of play-off round enter Europa League league phase |
| Losers of third qualifying round enter Europa League league phase |
| Losers of second qualifying round enter Europa League third qualifying round |
|
|
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 16 June 2026.[5]
Seeding
A total of 28 teams will play in the first qualifying round. Seeding of the teams was based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[4] Before the draw, UEFA divided the teams into two groups of seven seeded and seven unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie was designated the home team for the first leg.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
Summary
The first legs will be played on 7 and 8 July, and the second legs will be played on 14 and 15 July 2026.
The winners of the ties will advance to the Champions Path second qualifying round. Twelve of the losing teams will be transferred to the Conference League Champions Path second qualifying round, while the losers of matches 4 and 5, selected following an additional draw for rebalancing purposes, will be transferred to the Conference League Champions Path third qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sabah  | Match 1 |  The New Saints | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Floriana  | Match 2 |  Shamrock Rovers | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Flora  | Match 3 |  Iberia 1999 | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Lincoln Red Imps  | Match 4 |  Inter Club d'Escaldes | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Tre Fiori  | Match 5 |  Larne | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Ararat-Armenia  | Match 6 |  Riga | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Vardar  | Match 7 |  KuPS | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Kauno Žalgiris  | Match 8 |  Drita | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
ML Vitebsk  | Match 9 |  Universitatea Craiova | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Petrocub Hîncești  | Match 10 |  Egnatia | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Borac Banja Luka  | Match 11 |  Levski Sofia | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Víkingur Reykjavík  | Match 12 |  ETO Győr | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Kairat  | Match 13 |  Sutjeska | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
KÍ  | Match 14 |  Atert Bissen | 7 or 8 Jul | 14 or 15 Jul |
Matches
| Sabah | v | The New Saints |
|---|---|---|
| Report[6] |
| Floriana | v | Shamrock Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Report[8] |
| Shamrock Rovers | v | Floriana |
|---|---|---|
| Report[9] |
| Flora | v | Iberia 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Report[10] |
| Iberia 1999 | v | Flora |
|---|---|---|
| Report[11] |
| Inter Club d'Escaldes | v | Lincoln Red Imps |
|---|---|---|
| Report[13] |
| Larne | v | Tre Fiori |
|---|---|---|
| Report[15] |
| Riga | v | Ararat-Armenia |
|---|---|---|
| Report[17] |
| KuPS | v | Vardar |
|---|---|---|
| Report[19] |
| Drita | v | Kauno Žalgiris |
|---|---|---|
| Report[21] |
| Universitatea Craiova | v | ML Vitebsk |
|---|---|---|
| Report[23] |
| Petrocub Hîncești | v | Egnatia |
|---|---|---|
| Report[24] |
| Egnatia | v | Petrocub Hîncești |
|---|---|---|
| Report[25] |
| Levski Sofia | v | Borac Banja Luka |
|---|---|---|
| Report[27] |
| Víkingur Reykjavík | v | ETO Győr |
|---|---|---|
| Report[28] |
| Sutjeska | v | Kairat |
|---|---|---|
| Report[31] |
| KÍ | v | Atert Bissen |
|---|---|---|
| Report[32] |
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 17 June 2026.[34]
Seeding
A total of 28 teams will play in the second qualifying round. Seeding of the teams was based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[4] For the winners of the first qualifying round, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw, the club coefficient of the highest-ranked remaining team in each tie was used. Before the draw, UEFA divided the teams and/or pairings into groups in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. In the Champions Path, the 24 teams and/or pairings were divided into two groups of twelve, each containing six seeded and six unseeded entries. In the League Path, the four teams were divided into one group containing two seeded and two unseeded teams. The team or pairing represented by the ball drawn first was designated as the home team for the first leg.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
- Notes
- † Winners of the first qualifying round, whose identity was not known at the time of draw. Teams in italics defeated a team with a higher coefficient, thus effectively taking the coefficient of their opponent in the draw.
Summary
The first legs will be played on 21 and 22 July, and the second legs will be played on 28 and 29 July 2026.
The winners of the ties will advance to the third qualifying round. The losers will be transferred to the Europa League third qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Path | ||||
Mjällby AIF  | Match 1 | Winner of match 4 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 5 | Match 2 |  Red Star Belgrade | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 1 | Match 3 | Winner of match 7 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 14 | Match 4 | Winner of match 8 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
AGF  | Match 5 |  Lech Poznań | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 6 | Match 6 | Winner of match 2 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 11 | Match 7 | Winner of match 9 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
Omonia  | Match 8 | Winner of match 13 | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
Thun  | Match 9 |  Dinamo Zagreb | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 12 | Match 10 |  Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 3 | Match 11 |  Slovan Bratislava | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| Winner of match 10 | Match 12 |  Celje | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
| League Path | ||||
Fenerbahçe  | Match 1 | Górnik Zabrze | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
Sturm Graz  | Match 2 |  Heart of Midlothian | 21 or 22 Jul | 28 or 29 Jul |
Champions Path
| Mjällby AIF | v | Winner of match 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Report[35] |
| Winner of match 5 | v | Red Star Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Report[37] |
| AGF | v | Lech Poznań |
|---|---|---|
| Report[43] |
| Lech Poznań | v | AGF |
|---|---|---|
| Report[44] |
| Thun | v | Dinamo Zagreb |
|---|---|---|
| Report[51] |
| Dinamo Zagreb | v | Thun |
|---|---|---|
| Report[52] |
| Winner of match 12 | v | Hapoel Be'er Sheva |
|---|---|---|
| Report[53] |
| Winner of match 3 | v | Slovan Bratislava |
|---|---|---|
| Report[55] |
League Path
| Górnik Zabrze | v | Fenerbahçe |
|---|---|---|
| Report[60] |
| Sturm Graz | v | Heart of Midlothian |
|---|---|---|
| Report[61] |
| Heart of Midlothian | v | Sturm Graz |
|---|---|---|
| Report[62] |
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round will be held on 20 July 2026.
Seeding
A total of 20 teams will play in the third qualifying round. Seeding of the teams will be based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[4] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
|
|
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
|
|
Play-off round
The draw for the play-off round will be held on 3 August 2026.
Seeding
A total of 14 teams will play in the play-off round. Seeding of the teams will be based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[4] Before the draw, UEFA may form groups of seeded and unseeded teams per the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team for the first leg.
| Seeded | To be confirmed | Unseeded |
|---|---|---|
|
| Seeded | Unseeded |
|---|---|
|
|