UEFA Europa League
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2026-2027
Location
Europe
Abbreviation
UEFAEL

Summary

The 2026-2027 UEFA Europa League (UEFAEL) is Europe's 2nd most prestigious club football tournament where 32 of the top 33 UEFA F/As (football associations) are represented. (Russia is not represented due to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.) The 2026-2027 UEFAEL final will be played on 26 May 2027 in Deutsche Bank Park (Frankfurt, Germany)). The winner will play in the 2026-2027 UEFA Champions 2026-2027League (UEFACL) and in the 2027 UEFA Super Cup against the 2026-2027 UEFACL champion.

The number of club teams that each F/A was able to send to the 2026-2027 UEFAEL was based on the 2026 UEFA F/A Rankings table. This table takes into account how teams from each F/A performed in European competitions from the 2020-2021 through the 2024-2025 seasons.

Losers from various 2026-2027 UEFACL stages enter the 2026-2027 UEFAEL according to the UEFA Europa League Structure below.

Aston Villa (ENG1) is the reigning UEFAEL champion.

During the League Stage, table ranking ties are broken by: (1) head-to-head points, (2) head-to-head goal difference, (3) head-to-head goals scored, (4) head-to-head away goals scored, (5) if more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams, (6) goal difference in all group matches, (7) in-group total goals scored, (8) in-group away goals scored, (9) in-group wins, (10) in-group away wins, (11) disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points), then (12) UEFA club coefficient.

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2026 UEFA F/A Rankings
F/AUEFA
Rank		CL
Teams		EL
Teams
England142
Italy242
Spain342
Germany442
France542
Netherlands632
Portugal722
Belgium822
Czechia922
Turkey1022
Norway1122
Greece1222
Austria1321
Scotland1421
Poland1521
Denmark1611
Switzerland1711
Israel1811
Cyprus1911
Sweden2011
Croatia2111
Serbia2211
Ukraine2311
Hungary2411
Romania2511
Russia2600
Slovakia2711
Slovenia2811
Bulgaria2911
Azerbaijan3011
Republic of Ireland3111
Moldova3211
Iceland3311
Bosnia and Herzegovina3410
Armenia3510
Latvia3610
Kosovo3710
Finland3810
Kazakhstan3910
Faroe Islands4010
Malta4110
Northern Ireland4210
Lithuania4310
Liechtenstein4400
Estonia4510
Albania4610
Montenegro4710
Luxembourg4810
Wales4910
Georgia5010
North Macedonia5110
Belarus5210
Andorra5310
Gibraltar5410
San Marino5510

Competition Structure

Stage# TeamsNew Teams Entering This RoundTeams From Previous RoundFormat
1st Qualifying1212 F/A cup winners from F/As ranked 21-33 (except Russia)None6 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
2nd Qualifying185 F/A cup winners from F/As ranked 16-20, 6 third place teams from F/As ranked (7-12), 1 fourth place team from F/A ranked 6)6 winners from 1st Qualifying Round9 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
3rd Qualifying263 F/A cup winners from F/As ranked 13-15, 9 winners from 2nd Qualifying Round14 losers from 2026-2027 UEFACL 2nd Qualifying RoundNone13 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
Playoff245 F/A cup winners from F/As ranked 8-12, 6 losers from 2026-2027 UEFACL 3rd Qualifying Round13 winners from 3rd Qualifying Round12 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
League (Group)362025-2026 UEFAECL winner, 7 F/A cup winners from F/As ranked 1-7, 5 fifth place teams from F/As ranked 1-5, 7 losers from 2026-2027 UEFACL 3rd Qualifying Round, 4 losers from 2026-2027 UEFACL Playoff Round12 winners from Playoff Round1 group of 36 with each team playing 4 Home and 4 Away matches (win = 3 pts, draw = 1 pt)
Preliminary Knockout Round16None16 teams ranked 9-24 (by points) after League stage8 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
Round of 1616None8 teams ranked 1-8 (by points) after League stage, 8 Preliminary Knockout Round winners8 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
Quarterfinals8None8 winners from Round of 164 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
Semifinals4None4 winners from Quarterfinals2 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances
Final2None2 winners from Semifinals1 match played at a neutral site

Second Qualifying Round

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateTromsø IL (NOR1) 00 FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE1) 
23.07.26Tromsø IL   FC Viktoria PlzeňRomssa Arena
30.07.26FC Viktoria Plzeň   Tromsø ILDoosan Aréna
AggregateHammarby IF (SWE1) 00 Anderlecht (BEL1) 
23.07.26Hammarby IF   Anderlecht3Arena
30.07.26Anderlecht   Hammarby IFLotto Park
AggregateBeşiktaş JK (TUR1) 00 FC Midtjylland (DEN1) 
23.07.26Beşiktaş JK   FC MidtjyllandTüpraş Stadyumu
30.07.26FC Midtjylland   Beşiktaş JKMCH Arena
AggregateFC St Gallen (SUI1) 00 Benfica (POR1) 
23.07.26FC St Gallen   BenficaKybunpark
30.07.26Benfica   FC St GallenEstádio da Luz

First Qualifying Round

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateQarabağ FK (AZE1) 00 IF Vestri (ISL2) 
09.07.26Qarabağ FK   IF VestriAzərsun Arena
16.07.26IF Vestri   Qarabağ FKKerecisvöllurinn
AggregateFC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA1) 00 NK Aluminij Kidričevo (SVN1) 
16.07.26NK Aluminij Kidričevo   FC Sheriff TiraspolKidričevo Sports Park
AggregateFC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR1) 00 FC Universitatea Cluj (ROU1) 
09.07.26FC Dynamo Kyiv   FC Universitatea ClujStadion Dynamo im Valery Lobanovsky
AggregateHNK Hajduk Split (CRO1) 00 MŠK Žilina (SVK1) 
09.07.26HNK Hajduk Split   MŠK ŽilinaGradski Stadion u Poljudu
16.07.26MŠK Žilina   HNK Hajduk SplitŠtadión pod Dubňom
AggregateFK Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB1) 00 Ferencvárosi TC (HUN1) 
09.07.26FK Vojvodina Novi Sad   Ferencvárosi TCStadion Karađorđe
16.07.26Ferencvárosi TC   FK Vojvodina Novi SadGroupama Aréna
AggregateCSKA Sofia (BUL1) 00 Derry City FC (IRL1) 
09.07.26CSKA Sofia   Derry City FCStadion Vasil Levski
16.07.26Derry City FC   CSKA SofiaThe Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium