2026–27 UEFA Conference League qualifying
Qualification phase of the 2026–27 UEFA Conference League
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The 2026–27 UEFA Conference League qualifying phase and play-off round began on 7 July and will end on 27 August 2026.[1][2]
A total of 153 teams compete in the qualifying system of the 2026–27 UEFA Conference League, which consists of the qualifying phase and the play-off round. Of these, 20 teams enter through the Champions Path and 133 through the Main Path. The 24 winners of the play-off round advance to the league phase, where they join the 12 losers of the Europa League play-off round.[3][4]
Times are CEST (UTC+2), as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
Format
The qualifying phase and play-off round are split into two paths – the Champions Path and the Main Path. The Champions Path contains teams which were eliminated from the Champions League Champions Path and the Europa League Champions Path, and the Main Path contains teams which qualify through their domestic league or as domestic cup winners as well as teams eliminated from the Europa League Main Path.
Each tie is 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 is played, and if the same number of goals is scored by both teams during extra time, the tie is decided by a penalty shoot-out.[5]
In the draws for each round, teams are 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 is 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 is carried out under the assumption that the team with the higher coefficient of an undecided tie advances to the subsequent round, which means if the team with the lower coefficient advances, it simply takes the seeding of its opponent.
Prior to the draws, UEFA can 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 can be reversed by UEFA due to scheduling or venue conflicts.
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows. Matches are scheduled for Thursdays, though exceptionally could take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts.[2]
| Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round | 16 June 2026 | 9 July 2026 | 16 July 2026 |
| Second qualifying round | 17 June 2026 | 23 July 2026 | 30 July 2026 |
| Third qualifying round | 20 July 2026 | 6 August 2026 | 13 August 2026 |
| Play-off round | 3 August 2026 | 20 August 2026 | 27 August 2026 |
Teams
Champions Path
The Champions Path includes league champions which were eliminated from the Champions Path qualifying phase of the Champions League and the Champions Path qualifying phase of the Europa League and consist of the following rounds:
- Second qualifying round (12 teams): 12 of the 14 losers of the Champions League first qualifying round (two of the teams receive a bye to the third qualifying round).
- Third qualifying round (8 teams): 6 winners of the second qualifying round, and 2 losers of the Champions League first qualifying round that receive a bye.
- Play-off round (10 teams): 4 winners of the third qualifying round, and 6 losers of the Europa League Champions Path third qualifying round.
Below are the participating teams of the Champions Path (with their 2026 UEFA club coefficients, not used as seeding for the Champions Path, however),[6] grouped by their starting rounds.
| Key to colours |
|---|
| Winners of play-off round advance to league phase |
- Notes
- UEL CH Q3 Losers of Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path).
- UCL Q1 Losers of Champions League first qualifying round.
Main Path
The Main Path includes league non-champions and domestic cup winners and consists of the following rounds:
- First qualifying round (52 teams): 52 teams which enter in this round.
- Second qualifying round (86 teams): 54 teams which enter in this round, 6 losers of the Europa League Main Path first qualifying round, and 26 winners of the first qualifying round.
- Third qualifying round (52 teams): 9 losers of the Europa League Main Path second qualifying round, and 43 winners of the second qualifying round.
- Play-off round (38 teams): 5 teams which enter this round, 7 losers of the Europa League Main Path third qualifying round, and 26 winners of the third qualifying round.
Below are the participating teams of the League Path (with their 2026 UEFA club coefficients),[6] grouped by their starting rounds.
| Key to colours |
|---|
| Winners of play-off round advance to league phase |
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- Notes
- UEL MP Q3 Losers of Europa League third qualifying round (Main Path).
- UEL MP Q2 Losers of Europa League second qualifying round (Main Path).
- UEL MP Q1 Losers of Europa League first qualifying round (Main Path).
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 16 June 2026.[7]
Seeding
A total of 52 teams play in the first qualifying round. Seeding of the teams was based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[6] Before the draw, UEFA allocated the teams into five groups: four groups of five seeded teams and five unseeded teams, and one group of six seeded teams and six unseeded teams, in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee. UEFA pre-assigned numbers to the teams so that the draw could be conducted in one run for the four groups consisting of five seeded and five unseeded teams each. The remaining group, consisting of six seeded and six unseeded teams, was drawn separately. The team represented by the ball drawn first was designated as the home team for the first leg.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
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| Group 4 | Group 5 | ||||
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded | ||
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Summary
The first legs were played on 7, 8 and 9 July, and the second legs will be played on 14, 15 and 16 July 2026.
The winners of the ties advance to the second qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Velež Mostar  | Match 1 |  Milsami Orhei | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
Bohemians  | Match 2 |  St Joseph's | 2–0 | 16 Jul |
Dinamo City  | Match 3 |  Astana | 0–1 | 16 Jul |
Connah's Quay Nomads  | Match 4 |  Ballkani | 0–0 | 16 Jul |
Zirə  | Match 5 |  Torpedo Kutaisi | 3–0 | 16 Jul |
Differdange 03  | Match 6 |  Ilves | 0–0 | 16 Jul |
Dinamo Minsk  | Match 7 |  Sileks | 0–1 | 16 Jul |
Liepāja  | Match 8[a] |  Dečić | 1–0 | 15 Jul |
| Elbasani | Match 9 | BATE Borisov | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
Glentoran  | Match 10 | RFS | 1–2 | 16 Jul |
Atlètic Club d'Escaldes  | Match 11[a] | Mornar | 2–1 | 16 Jul |
| Mondorf-les-Bains | Match 12 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 1–2 | 16 Jul |
| Petrovac | Match 13 |  Žalgiris | 1–3 | 16 Jul |
| Caernarfon Town | Match 14 |  FCI Levadia | 0–5 | 16 Jul |
Marsaxlokk  | Match 15 |  Pyunik | 0–3 | 16 Jul |
| Hegelmann | Match 16 | Paide Linnameeskond | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
| Alashkert | Match 17 | Yelimay | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
Stjarnan  | Match 18[a] |  Víkingur Gøta | 3–1 | 16 Jul |
| Dila Gori | Match 19 |  Virtus | 3–1 | 16 Jul |
| Sarajevo | Match 20 | Inter Turku | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
| Europa | Match 21 | Shkëndija | 0–5 | 16 Jul |
| Nõmme Kalju | Match 22 | Linfield | 1–0 | 16 Jul |
| Penybont | Match 23 | FC Santa Coloma | 0–1 | 16 Jul |
| NSÍ | Match 24 | Hamrun Spartans | 1–1 | 16 Jul |
| UNA Strassen | Match 25 | La Fiorita | 1–0 | 14 Jul |
| Vllaznia | Match 26 | Malisheva | 2–1 | 15 Jul |
- Order of legs reversed after original draw.
Matches
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 17 June 2026.[8]
Seeding
A total of 98 teams will play in the second qualifying round. Seeding of the teams was based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[6] 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. For the losers of the Champions League first qualifying round and the Europa League first qualifying round, the club coefficient of the lower-ranked 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 12 pairings were divided into two groups, each containing three seeded and three unseeded pairings. In the Main Path, the 86 teams and/or pairings were divided into nine groups: seven groups of ten and two groups of eight, each with an equal number of seeded and unseeded teams and/or pairings. For the Main Path draw, the entries in each group were randomly assigned numbers so that the draw could be conducted in two runs: one for Groups 1 to 7, in which seeded entries were assigned numbers 1 to 5 and unseeded entries numbers 6 to 10, and one for Groups 8 and 9, in which seeded entries were assigned numbers 1 to 4 and unseeded entries numbers 5 to 8. 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 |
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | |||
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| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
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| Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | |||
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
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| Group 7 | Group 8 | Group 9 | |||
| Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded | Seeded | Unseeded |
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- Notes
- † Losers of the Champions League first qualifying round, whose identity was not known at the time of draw. Teams in italics lost to a team with a lower coefficient, thus effectively taking the coefficient of their opponent in the draw.
- †† 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.
- ††† Losers of the Europa League first qualifying round, whose identity was not known at the time of draw. Teams in italics lost to a team with a lower coefficient, thus effectively taking the coefficient of their opponent in the draw.
- ‡ Following the exclusion of Karviná from UEFA Europa League and the subsequent adjustment of the Czech clubs' access places, Hradec Králové was moved to the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round and was replaced by Jablonec. Jablonec therefore effectively inherited the seeded status associated with Hradec Králové's place in the draw.
Summary
The first legs will be played on 21 and 23 July, and the second legs will be played on 30 July 2026.
The winners of the ties will advance to the third qualifying round.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions Path | ||||
| Loser of CL Q1 match 11 | Match 1 | Loser of CL Q1 match 10 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of CL Q1 match 14 | Match 2 | Loser of CL Q1 match 12 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of CL Q1 match 9 | Match 3 | Loser of CL Q1 match 13 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of CL Q1 match 3 | Match 4 | Loser of CL Q1 match 1 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of CL Q1 match 2 | Match 5 | Loser of CL Q1 match 8 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of CL Q1 match 7 | Match 6 | Loser of CL Q1 match 6 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Main Path | ||||
Rijeka  | Match 1 | Loser of EL Q1 match 4 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
İstanbul Başakşehir  | Match 2 | Winner of match 20 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Lugano  | Match 3 | Dukagjini | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| HJK | Match 4 | Coleraine | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
FCSB  | Match 5 | Auda | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 10 | Match 6 | Loser of EL Q1 match 2 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Raków Częstochowa  | Match 7 | Valletta | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 8 | Match 8 |  Austria Wien | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Debrecen  | Match 9 | Winner of match 15 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
GAIS  | Match 10 |  Nordsjælland | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| IFK Göteborg | Match 11 | Winner of match 14 | 21 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of EL Q1 match 3 | Match 12 | GKS Katowice | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Varaždin | Match 13 |  Jablonec | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 19 | Match 14 |  Apollon Limassol | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Bravo  | Match 15 | Winner of match 21 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of EL Q1 match 1 | Match 16 |  Brann | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Shelbourne | Match 17 | Winner of match 22 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Valur | Match 18 | Zrinjski Mostar | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Zimbru Chișinău | Match 19 | Noah | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 12 | Match 20 | Winner of match 13 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of EL Q1 match 5 | Match 21 | Winner of match 3 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
DAC Dunajská Streda  | Match 22 | Winner of match 1 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 9 | Match 23 | Sion | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 18 | Match 24 | Winner of match 6 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Motherwell  | Match 25 | HB | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Panevėžys | Match 26 | Tobol | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 26 | Match 27 | Hibernian | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Neftçi | Match 28 | Winner of match 7 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Paks | Match 29 |  Panathinaikos | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Železničar Pančevo  | Match 30 |  Braga | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Loser of EL Q1 match 6 | Match 31 |  Ajax | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Polissya Zhytomyr  | Match 32 | Copenhagen | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| LNZ Cherkasy | Match 33 |  Gent | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 23 | Match 34 | Rapid Wien | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Hapoel Tel Aviv  | Match 35 |  Ludogorets Razgrad | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 17 | Match 36 | CFR Cluj | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 2 | Match 37 | Winner of match 4 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 16 | Match 38 | Winner of match 5 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Vaduz  | Match 39 | Winner of match 11 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Spartak Trnava | Match 40 | CSKA 1948 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Winner of match 24 | Match 41 | Koper | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| AEK Larnaca | Match 42 | Beitar Jerusalem | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Partizan | Match 43 | Winner of match 25 | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
Matches
Third qualifying round
The draw for the third qualifying round will be held on 20 July 2026.
Seeding
A total of 60 teams will play in the third qualifying round. Seeding of the teams will be based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[6] 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.
| To be confirmed |
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| Seeded | To be confirmed | Unseeded |
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Play-off round
The draw for the play-off round will be held on 3 August 2026.
Seeding
A total of 48 teams will play in the play-off round. Seeding of the teams will be based on their 2026 UEFA club coefficients.[6] 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.
| To be confirmed |
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| Seeded | To be confirmed | Unseeded |
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